The piece below from our friend over at "Ranger against the war" blog......She offers up her bit of quiet wisdom......

http://rangeragainstwar.blogspot.com/
"Much of the electorate is pumped up on a Nuevo Camelot, but they fail to remember that America's Camelot I failed to deliver a performance equal to the rhetoric. Change does not arrive by Fed Ex.

Aside from the overly indulgent lifestyle of the average individual and the rapacious behavior of the new robber barons, the Phony War on Terror (PWOT ©) has exacted a tremendous toll on the nations' economic health. The bleeding must be staunched, and the new president must conclude U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, even if it seems a little Basil Fawlty ("Sorry folks, an error, apologies all the way 'round. Let's help you build some schools now.")

There will be no successful outcome to these phony wars. Nothing will change this fact. The project can be remolded, but it is a loser in any guise. There comes a time when a nation must admit that goals and policies are unachievable and unacceptable both morally, financially and militarily.

Afghanistan and Iraq will never be beacons of democracy, therefore, the U.S. must throw them under the bus before the brakes fail and the engine melts down.

There is discussion that Bush will pardon all PWOT torturers before leaving office. This move is being heralded as a healing balm which would free the Obama administration of one thorny issue. The idea is inappropriate as a pardon can not be issued prior to trial, just as a law cannot absolve torturers from prosecution. Not only the torturer proper must stand trail, but his enablers and the National Command Authority are also guilty -- the President, Vice President, Secretary of Defense and CIA director who authorized the torture.

President Bush should also stand trial at the World Court, even if pardoned by a future president. Being president does not protect one from prosecution for criminal behavior.

The "worst of the worst" in Gitmo will also be released if and when they are bound over to the civilian federal court system. If they do not walk, then the court system has crossed over into fanaticism and fascism, much as the PWOT has done.

Bottom line: the chain of evidence is produced from a poisoned tree. Denial of habeas corpus along with a myriad of other abuses demands nothing short of release. The bravest act of morality would be for Obama to issue pardons to all the Gitmo prisoners, with the exception of the Top 12.
However, even the Top 12 should be thrown out of court in an ideal world due to government malfeasance. This is in recognition that these 12 will be dangerous people, but also realizing 12 people can never bring the U.S. to its knees.

No doubt characters like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed are lethal scumbags, but even in his case, evidence gotten from torture session should not be admissible as court's evidence. Just because one is dealing with scum, does not mean we must become scum to deal with them. That is why we have always abided by the rule of law to guide us to a higher ground.

America's legitimacy and dignity died as a result of post 9-11 governmental policies. Recognition of the unconstitutional behavior will demand the release of the prisoners.

There must be a reckoning at the National Security Agency for the domestic warrantless spying on U.S. citizens. The NSA must be brought back to operation within the legal parameters of its charter. This extends to the entire Department of Defense, Department of State and all intelligence operations of the government.

The Department of Homeland Security needs to be evaluated concerning threat analysis and cost effectiveness.

America must get real about its place in the world. The U.S. is but a part of the whole, and the President is not elected to rule the world. The President is responsible to The People to support the Constitution and espouse liberty within our borders.

Neither the U.S. nor its president can force democracy on alien cultures and countries."