Remove Bybee From The Bench

by tristero

Via Atrios comes this damning observation by Scott Lemieux:

It’s dismaying that John Yoo may never face prosecution. But it’s far worse that an even more important figure behind the Bush administration’s torture regime is not only likely never to stand trial but is a life-tenured federal judge. And, of course, this “forgetting” about Bybee’s record didn’t just happen: Senate Democrats were asleep at the switch. Bybee somehow managed to get two Democratic votes on the Judiciary Committee, including (disgracefully) Chuck Schumer’s, and was confirmed 74-19 although senators had at least some inkling of his role. This was an awful abdication of responsibility, among too many.

Indeed it was.

While this post was queued up, dday sent me the news that LA County Democratic Party passed a resolution to get this unprincipled, amoral hack off the bench:

RESOLUTION TO IMPEACH JUDGE JAY BYBEE
Passed Unanimously by LACDP, 4/14/09
Whereas, the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees the people a right to petition the government for a redress of grievances; and,

Whereas the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment, the supreme law of the land under Article VI of our Constitution, requires the prosecution of those who authorize torture, waterboarding is torture, and both former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Richard B. Cheney have admitted to authorizing waterboarding; and,

Whereas former Assistant Attorney General, and current Federal Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Jay Bybee signed the “Bybee Memo,” or “Torture Memo” of August 1, 2002, which advised the C.I.A. that “cruel, inhuman or degrading” treatment was at times allowable under U.S. law, and authored, co-authored and signed other memos on “extraordinary rendition” and “enhanced interrogation,” more of which are being currently revealed to the American public as the new administration brings them to light; now,

Therefore be it resolved that the Los Angeles County Democratic Party urges that the United States House of Representatives begin impeachment proceedings against Judge Jay Bybee of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, charging him with facilitating the authorization of torture while employed by the United States Department of Justice; and,

Therefore be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution with its original authorization be sent to the Office of the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, and that copies of the signed resolution be sent to each member of the California delegation to the United States Senate and House of Representatives.

dday tells me that he will be contacting other groups as well. Bybee is a perfect example of the up-is-down mentality of the Bush regime: He has no business whatsoever dispensing American justice. It is others who must judge him for his crimes.