Comments on: SJC Mukasey Hearing

By: earlofhuntingdon

earlofhuntingdon — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:16:52 +0000

MM: I was proposed by the company. [Interesting, that. When did they offer.] Deferred prosecution agreements have become more prevalent so corporations can break the law but not be punished for it. [He didn’t say that, exactly.] So far as it being a no-bid contract, we’re not talking about public money.

That is a formally correct but outrageous statement. Mukasey describes a government-controlled process whereby the DOJ agrees that it will not prosecute a corporation, which it believes broke the law, so long as the company mends its ways. The instance he describes is the no-bid, multi-million dollar “oversight” contract awarded to Ashcroft by the USA in New Jersey.

In typical Bushista fashion, this program outsources an inherent governmental function - the administration of justice - to private companies and the wrongdoers. They pay for the “oversight”, which gives them considerable informal leverage in how the program works.

The company develops “an action plan”, agrees it with the USA, and pays an external, private party to “oversee” its implementation. All on the QT and very hush-hush. It may speed “justice”, but who can tell? It’s secret. It certainly minimizes consequences for wrongdoing for senior managers and board members, and hides essential information from shareholders, lenders, customers and suppliers. Just another example of Mr. Bush’s “voluntary self-regulation”.

Because it functions in secret - it hides the wrongful conduct, whether the mandated changes are implemented or work, and what it all costs - the program is inherently subject to abuse. It should, therefore, be subject to stringent review. Mukasey’s response? Can’t comment and it’s not public money. Says all we need to know.

By: QuakerGirl

QuakerGirl — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:19:07 +0000

The roots of an agency is the premise on which it operates. The CIA precursor admired, emulated and sought out SS agents and other secret police in Nazi Germany offering them immunity to help develop the US secret intelligence agencies. And so it reflects its roots today.

By: yellowsnapdragon

yellowsnapdragon — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:52:27 +0000

Thanks for that link. History is repeating itself, for sure.

By: Leen

Leen — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:51:08 +0000

Feinstein “is it legal to contract out the enhanced techniques”

Yes Diane!

By: radiofreewill

radiofreewill — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:49:13 +0000

DiFi asking Murky if each step of the Enhanced Interrogation Process is Cabled from a Foreign Country back to the US and approved.

Murky dodges.

DiFi asks if the EIT’s are carried out by Contractors, or not?

Murky says he doesn’t know.

By: Leen

Leen — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:48:20 +0000

Cheney’s land in Wyoming…scary. He loves “enhanced techniques”

Ooh Feinstein “non governmental employee”

contractors

By: GregB

GregB — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:48:18 +0000

Mukasey, like Gonzales only smarter.

Who could have known?

-GSD

By: perris

perris — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:47:29 +0000

you know, it’s the end of January, the sun is shining out here in lawn guy land new York, I have a short sleeve shirt on and it’s a great day to be outside

I am gonna go and enjoy me some global warming before the planet boils over

see all later

By: merkwurdiglieber

merkwurdiglieber — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:47:11 +0000

Nothing in my comment should be read to condone any of the techniques
these people have developed for the reason you cite, sorry for the
obscure language, you are right.

By: GregB

GregB — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:47:03 +0000

Without a doubt. The level of aerial bombings has been amped up in the permanant escalation(I won’t use the surge framing anymore).

The US appears to have adopted the worst tactics of the Israelis.

As so many in the US see every terrorist act as one piece of the same so do many Arabs and Muslims see the US and Israeli conduct as on piece of th same.

This is an ongoing warcrime and it keeps getting worse.

-GSD