AlterPolitics

Ralph Nader appeared on C-Span2’s Book TV with Fox News senior judicial analyst, Andrew Napolitano, to discuss his new book, “Lies the Government Told You”.

For all the differences between ‘Naderism’ and Ron Paul’s brand of conservatism — which Napolitano subscribes to — they are clearly on the same page when it comes to government accountability.  In this exchange, Nader and Napolitano discuss Bush and Cheney’s violations of Habeas Corpus:

Napolitano: … What President Bush did with the suspension of habeas corpus, with the whole concept of Guantanamo Bay, with the whole idea he could avoid and evade federal laws, treaties, federal judges, and the constitution was blatantly unconstitutional, and in some cases criminal.

Nader: What’s the sanction for President Bush and Vice President Cheney?

Napolitano: There has been no sanction except for what history will say about them.

Nader: What should be the sanction?

Napolitano: They should have been indicted.  They absolutely should have been indicted.  For torturing, for spying, for arresting without warrant.  I’d like to say they should be indicted for lying, but believe it or not, unless you’re under oath, lying is not a crime — at least an indictable crime.  It’s a moral crime.

Nader: So you think George W. Bush and Dick Cheney should — even though they’ve left office — they haven’t escaped the criminal laws. They should be indicted and prosecuted.

Napolitano: […]  the evidence … is overwhelming, when you compare it to the level of evidence required for a normal indictment, that George W. Bush, as President, and Dick Cheney, as Vice President, participated in criminal conspiracies to violate the federal law, the guaranteed civil liberties of hundreds, maybe thousands, of human beings.

It’s rather encouraging to hear this coming from a guy who often fills in for wing-nut Glenn Beck, when the host is away.

SEE THE CLIP:  [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TosF6Ope53E[/youtube]