Independent Judiciary

At this point in our nation’s history, it is critical that opposing political parties come to agreement to empower individuals whose first loyalty is to the law. The Attorney General is supposed to be impartial, but he is still appointed by the President. I like the idea of an independent investigator like Kenneth Starr, provided there are limits on scope creep and cost overruns.

This prosecutor/investigator needs to have the authority and the means to even-handedly research all administrations, past and present. The new President can help assure the public by allowing a representative from the investigator’s office to shadow him at all times. The investigator rep needs a national security clearance, and needs a way to confirm that there is no business communication occurring during the president’s private family time.

Bill Press is reporting that Arlen Spector intends to block the Eric Holder AG confirmation unless he agrees not to prosecute those who conducted waterboarding. Unless our lives are at stake, we all have a patriotic duty to disobey orders to commit war crimes, and to blow the whistle on those war crimes.