Yo, Barack, Can We Talk ?

I want to spend a little time, one on one, telling you who I am and what I would like to know about you, and  hear from you. For as much of a politically aware person as I am, I haven't followed all the small details of your run for Pres.. What I have paid attention to is the damage around me.

 I grew up in the 60's and 70's, a wild child or sorts. I was there when we stood our ground to end the Viet Nam War, and throw Nixon out. Now some 30 plus yrs later we are faced again with choices to make. They almost mirror the choices we made back then yet magnified many times. As we get closer to the Election many of us want to know just how far, if at all, we can count on you ? We have some serious questions, not ones we would expect John to answer, we already know where he stands. Much better known people than me are asking these questions also. If you are curious the questions are below the fold.

First let me start with a recent article by Steven Aftergood, a Secrecy Expert who just this week testified before Congress. Steven has been one of the Firewalls for the public when it has come to secrets Bush has tried hide from the Public. The article in Nieman Watchdog was titled "The next president should open up the Bush Administration's record , that may give you a hint to where this is all going.

In 2005, then-Deputy Attorney General James Comey told colleagues at the Justice Department that they would be "ashamed" when a legal memorandum on forceful interrogation of prisoners eventually became public.  In fact, however, disclosure of such secret Bush Administration documents may be the only way to begin to overcome the palpable shame that is already felt by many Americans at the thought that their government has engaged in abusive interrogations, secret renditions or unchecked surveillance.

The next President will have the authority to declassify and disclose any and all records that reflect the activities of executive branch agencies.  Although internal White House records that document the activities of the outgoing President and his personal advisers will be exempt from disclosure for a dozen years or so, every Bush Administration decision that was actually translated into policy will have left a documentary trail in one or more of the agencies, and all such records could be disclosed at the discretion of the next President.

Yes Sir, we want to know about Transparency, the fact that have been hidden away too long. Steven names several topics that set out a few of the areas we want to peer into. He starts with  Domestic Surveillance and the details around the Telecom Immunity and surrounding details of the spying program.

1.  Domestic Surveillance.  The White House is seeking and Congress is poised to grant retroactive immunity for telephone companies that assisted the Administration in its surveillance activities.  But immunity for what? "This Administration may have enjoyed completely unrestrained access to the communications of virtually every American," said Sen. James Webb (D-VA) earlier this month.  "Do we know this to be the case? I cannot be sure. One reason I cannot be sure is that I have been denied access to review the documents that may answer these questions about the process."  Such uncertainty should be remedied once and for all by official disclosure.

There are many other questions and the order of importance will depend on the person as they all have made us feel raped in one way or another. They include Interrogation and Torture, Extraordinary Rendition, the unknown details 54 National Security Presidential Directives issued by the Bush Administration to date, and much more. Nat Hentoff picks up the questions a few weeks later. There is a promising quote from you in there Sen Obama and one from Hillary too. Both Nat and I agree there is more to know and more that must come out.

Nat's piece is " The Dark Bush Legacy on Secrecy ". Nat spends some time defining the questions from Steven Aftergood and then he adds one of those other huge important questions we Americans should know the answer to before we vote. His asks it better than I could.

But I haven't heard any of the frontrunners stress this need for a clean break with the Bush administration's use of a "unitary executive" doctrine to cloak these and other extrajudicial — and indeed extralegal — practices in deep secrecy. Will they publicly agree to Mr. Aftergood's challenge to "declassify and disclose" these and other Bush administration policies that — unless exposed to sunlight — could continue to be embedded in executive agencies in the new administration?

 Unitary executive ? I'm in my 50's and until Bush I had never even heard those words strung together to mean I lived under a monarchy instead of a democracy. In fact as I mentioned in the beginning, many of us fought once before to make sure we didn't live under that kind of rule, but something happen. Bush/Cheney happen. I have one other point or question that both Nat and Steven tip-toed around but since I don't get paid to write, I can afford to ask.

I'm not the first to ask this question or wonder about it, plan on it, wish for it, and even pray for it. The question is about Justice, not revenge, justice. I want to know the plans to investigate, bring charges against, prosecute and imprison those that have broken our laws at a level never seen before in our history. Starting at the top and working down those names begin with Bush and Cheney, on to Rice, Gonzales, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Perle, Ashcroft, Bradbury, Haynes, Bybee, Yoo, Mukasey and so many others. Senator Obama, you are quoted as saying "I'll turn the page on a growing empire of classified information. We'll protect sources and methods, but we won't use sources and methods to hide the truth.", but will you go that extra mile ? I want to catch what has been called Obama Fever, but I have become a cynic in my later yrs. Help me, tell me and all the others that have become as cynical as me. Just what are you willing to do to clean up the real problem ?

Mr. Aftergood asked these questions on Feb. 07, and again on Feb 25th when he pointed to Nat Hentoffs questions. I know many others have asked these question before now, but here on March 1st, I ask them again and hope that either one of 2 things happen. One, that you answer these questions loud and clear for all to hear, or 2, that in a week or two someone else will ask these same questions until we do know where you and we stand over the next couple years. Thank you for your time, or that of the staffer that reads this and passed it on to you. Not to be too cute, but I believe this is the next 3 AM phonecall , and you are going to have to answer this call sooner or later. We all know how busy these times are and look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely.