As originally appeared in Baldwin Park Democrat.
It's time for the progressive blogosphere and rank and file Democrats to begin putting serious and unrelenting pressure on President Obama and Congress to remind them that they have a moral and constitutional obligation to investigate the alleged wrongdoings of the previous Administration. It is one of the principal reasons why the Democrats were voted into office.
Yet, for reasons not entirely understood, President Obama and many members of Congress do not seem to want to engage in this critically necessary action.
True, the President may want to concentrate on the enormous crises currently facing the nation and may want to, in his words, look forward and not back. President Obama may feel that he needs to avoid the backlash for what Republicans most certainly will call a "witch hunt" for investigating and holding accountable the previous White House. The President may feel that conducting such an investigation may hurt his chances for achieving some semblance of bi-partisan support for his agenda.
Such reasoning is flawed and must be repudiated by those who voted for this President and the current Congress.
President Obama took an oath to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States..." and member of both Houses of Congress also took an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States...".
It is their sworn oath that requires them to "defend the Constitution of the United States". In order to honor that oath, they have an obligation, not a choice but an obligation, to investigate any unconstitutional abuse of power. The President and the Congress have an obligation to investigate, and where appropriate, to hold accountable those who knowingly and willfully violated the Constitution and undermined the principles on which this Republic was founded.
What happens if President Obama and the Congress fail to act? They become complicit in the illegal actions of the previous Administration. Failing to hold that Administration accountable is, in itself, a violation of their oath and seriously undermines the Constitution for future generations.
What happens to Article One Section Nine of the Constitution if Bush's illegal suspension of the writ goes unchallenged ("The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it")? Failure to hold the Bush Administration accountable for violating the Constitution of the United States gives their actions the weight of precedence and will surely prompt future Presidents to act as they acted, citing the Bush Administration's precedent as the basis for their own decision.
What happens to the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution if Bush's illegal warrant-less wiretapping and unconstitutional use of National Security Letters are allowed to go unchallenged ("The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.")? Again, the failure to hold the Bush Administration accountable for violating the Constitution of the United States gives their actions the weight of precedence and will surely prompt future Presidents to act as they acted, citing the Bush Administration's precedent as the basis for their own decision.
And on and on.
The only way to defend the Constitution is to hold those who violate it accountable. Anything less significantly weakens the very cornerstone of our Republic.
It is time to put the necessary pressure on President Obama and the Congress to force them to do their constitutional duty. That pressure must be loud, clear, and unequivocal. Our elected officials must know that there will be consequences, serious political consequences, if they fail to do their duty.
The progressive blogosphere and the rank and file Democrats who voted for this President and this Congress need to strongly remind their elected officials (in large and unprecedented numbers) that the Constitution of the United States needs to be defended - for the sake of this generation and for generations to come.
Action Center
Contact information for the White House, House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid:
* White House: 202-456-1111 (Comments) 202-456-1414 (Switchboard) Contact Form: http://www.whitehouse.gov/...
* Speaker Nancy Pelosi: 202-225-0100 (DC Office) Contact Form: http://speaker.house.gov/...
* Senator Harry Reid: 202-224-3543 (DC Office) 202-224-7327 Fax Contact Form: http://reid.senate.gov/...