Just a quick diary to report that I just called a few Senate offices, and will be calling some more. The gist of my call: to ask for a special prosecutor to investigate U.S. war crimes.
warning: graphic photo in the diary
I called Senator Leahey and (my Senator) Schumer in their DC offices. No one picked up at Leahey's office, so I left a message, giving my name, my calling location and my request - essentially that given the likely Republican opposition to Senate hearings on torture, given Obama's hesitancy to prosecute the torturers, but given the reports of what are apparent war crimes done by the Bush Administration, justice requires that a special prosecutor be appointed.
And while this appointment would likely come out of the Justice Department, the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Leahey, is in a unique position to persuade this appointment.
When I then called Schumer, after waiting on hold for a few moments, I was heartened by what the staffer told me; he indicated that they have gotten a "lot of calls" on this. What this tells me is that they are hearing from us, and are likely hearing our outrage about what was done in our name. The more we call, the greater the chance of us getting them to call for a special prosecutor.
Here, then, is list of and link to the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. I'd suggest calling them all, even the ones we know are wingnuts and Bush enablers.
Patrick J. Leahy
Chairman, D-Vermont
Herb Kohl D-Wisconsin
Arlen Specter
Ranking Member, R-Pennsylvania
Dianne Feinstein
D-California
Orrin G. Hatch
R-Utah
Russell D. Feingold
D-Wisconsin
Charles E. Grassley
R-Iowa
Charles E. Schumer
D-New York
Jon Kyl
R-Arizona
Richard J. Durbin
D-Illinois
Jeff Sessions
R-Alabama
Benjamin L. Cardin
D-Maryland
Lindsey Graham
R-South Carolina
Sheldon Whitehouse
D-Rhode Island
John Cornyn
R-Texas
Ron Wyden
D-Oregon
Tom Coburn
R-Oklahoma
Amy Klobuchar
D-Minnesota
Biography
Edward E. Kaufman
D-Delaware
Biography
Keep in mind the horrors committed in our names as you do.
UPDATE: So far, I've gotten through to the DC offices of Leahy, Schumer, Specter, Feinstein, and Feingold. Feingold's office seemed somewhat enthusiastic about the idea of a special prosecutor. More calls to follow.
UPDATE 2: Just called Durbin, and from his office, got a sense that he would be sympathetic to this. I was encouraged to call my home state Senators.