Prosecute Bush, Cronies: Human Rights Watch

(NEWSER) - A Democratic state lawmaker in Rhode Island thinks George W. Bush and some of his top cronies should be waterboarded for charity, reports the Westerly Sun. State Rep. Rod Driver sent letters via certified mail to Bush, Dick Cheney, and Condoleezza Rice offering to donate $100 for every second they undergo the interrogation technique. Only Rice has replied so far, and she declined. More»

Former VP discusses his conflicts with Condoleezza, Powell, Tenet

(NEWSER) - And the revelations from Dick Cheney's new memoir just keep coming: yesterday, news of a secret resignation letter. Today, the New York Times , which obtained a copy of In My Time , reports that Cheney pushed Bush to bomb what the US believed to be a nuclear reactor site in Syria in 2007. But others in the White House, wary of a repeat of the Iraq/WMD scenario, balked, and Bush opted to take the diplomatic route. "I again made the case for US military action against the reactor,” Cheney wrote. "But I was a lone voice. After I finished, the president asked, ‘Does anyone here agree with the vice president?’ Not a single hand went up around the room.” More»

Cheney, Rice too often resorted to the extreme without doing their homework

(NEWSER) - Ironically, Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice have defended their post-9/11 decisions by appealing for empathy, arguing that only those in charge on that bleak day could understand. “I have little sympathy for this argument,” Richard Clarke, who was there, retorts in a withering piece for the Washington Post, blaming them for ignoring pre-9/11 intel warning of an imminent al-Qaeda attack. More»

He and Bush more popular now than when leaving office

(NEWSER) - A new poll shows that Dick Cheney, currently making headlines for his stance on torture, is gaining popularity. 37% of those polled by CNN hold a favorable opinion of the former vice president, up 8% from when he left office; 55% still view him unfavorably. Former president Bush, who’s remained out of the spotlight, gained 6% and now has a 41% rating. More»

Prosecution possible, but nailing Cheney a legal headache

(NEWSER) - Those calling for Bush administration prosecutions on torture-related grounds may have their way—but whether those in question can actually be convicted is a whole other kettle of fish, Jeffrey Rosen writes in New York. Much of the case would likely hinge on whether authorities believed their own claims in making a case for waterboarding. And appointing a special prosecutor could create headaches for the Justice Department. More»