Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
Michael Heath emailed me this story that just has to be seen to be believed. Yet again the Obama administration is trying to protect Bush administration officials against any official investigations of wrongdoing and they're using Jon Stewart and Conan O'Brien as their excuse. No, seriously.
A federal judge said Thursday that he wants to look at notes from the FBI's interview with former Vice President Dick Cheney during the investigation into who leaked the identity of a CIA operative.U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan's decision to review the documents followed arguments by Obama administration lawyers that sounded much like the reasons the Bush administration provided for keeping Cheney's interview from the public.
Justice Department lawyers told the judge that future presidents and vice presidents may not cooperate with criminal investigations if they know what they say could become available to their political opponents and late-night comics who would ridicule them.
"If we become a fact-finder for political enemies, they aren't going to cooperate," Justice Department attorney Jeffrey Smith said during a 90-minute hearing. "I don't want a future vice president to say, `I'm not going to cooperate with you because I don't want to be fodder for 'The Daily Show.'"
How about we skip over all of this bullshit about not cooperating with an FBI investigation and impeach anyone who refuses to cooperate with such an investigation? This is another lawsuit filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) seeking greater transparency and accountability, something Obama keeps telling us he's in favor of.
Lots of pretty words, no action to back them up.
Politics
Comments
Oh, LOL. You've just got to love the (non)logic here.
"If we cooperate, future presidents may not cooperate, so we won't cooperate. Got it?"
Posted by: Mobius | June 20, 2009 9:52 AM
Isn't there a little thing called "contempt of court" that the judge can use to put the non-compliant witness into jail for some time? It also sounds like their main defense is "Oh NOES! I could be ridiculed! That's horrible! It's cruel and unusual punishment!"
Asshats.
Posted by: Shawn Smith | June 20, 2009 10:05 AM
How about we skip over all of this bullshit ...
I think you've made a technical error here: the proper category is chickenshit.
Posted by: Pierce R. Butler | June 20, 2009 10:18 AM
A person who doesn't want to be made fun of on TV should maybe consider if politics is the best choice of career.
Posted by: konrad_arflane | June 20, 2009 10:44 AM
to view a partial list of crimes committed by FBI agents over 1500 pages long see
http://www.forums.signonsandiego.com/showthread.php?t=59139
to view a partial list of FBI agents arrested for pedophilia see
http://www.dallasnews.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3574
Posted by: msfreeh | June 20, 2009 11:17 AM
Don't want to be ridiculed for being a lying scumbag? Really simple: don't be a lying scumbag.
Posted by: Dan J | June 20, 2009 2:36 PM
Dan J: Why, that's just naive talk. Everyone knows politicians have to be lying scumbags; if they tried playing the game straight, all their rich friends would get pissed, grab their toys and go home.
But seriously; how did we get to a point where our government can, with a straight face, argue that it shouldn't have to say something because then it will be reported?
Posted by: Julian | June 20, 2009 3:19 PM
I can't wait to see The Daily Show next week. =)
Posted by: FastLane | June 20, 2009 6:41 PM
To view an explanation of what conceivable relevance these links have to the topic at hand, click...where?
Posted by: Azkyroth | June 20, 2009 7:20 PM
Democratic politicians are scumbags just like Republican politicians, I'm shocked, shocked I tell you...
Posted by: Troy Britain | June 20, 2009 7:21 PM
Wow, after having to sit through all those jokes about Cigars and all---I just don't see what they are so worried about.
They are public figures. Too bad. Because what I am getting here, is that they know better than to attack the First Amendment directly by attacking protected speech which includes political speech and satire, so instead they try to remove what they consider the fuel for the media fire triangle. Just keep the facts secret and voila! No Jokes.
Yea, so much for Transperancy of Government.
Obama has disappointed me several times in this respect. I voted him in because I didn't want Bush Lite. So WTF? Over!
Posted by: seeing eye chick | June 20, 2009 7:34 PM
"Meet the new boss,
same as the old boss"
So far the only thing Obama is showing me, of the reasons I voted for him, is that he's not Bush.
Wait, he did what?
Oh shit.
Posted by: BaldApe | June 21, 2009 11:48 AM
King George is dead!
Long live King George!
Posted by: Paul | June 22, 2009 11:31 AM