Legend, I'm perfectly willing to be enlightened on the Obama administration's reasons for not seeking accountability, but Obama, after his inauguration, signaled right away that his administration was not going to dwell on the past, but focus on the future. As I've said here before, the one thing that Republicans are good at, is campaigning on the public dime via bogus congressional hearings, panels, investigations and sham congressional votes like repealing Obamacare, Benghazi, etc.

True, it's up to the congress to bring charges, but Obama had leverage to call for hearings and congressional investigations and could direct his attorney general, to peruse indictments. Eric Holder made little, if any efforts, regarding seeking accountability.

I realize that Democrats only had the majority for a relatively short time, a much shorter time than the 2 years that Republicans like to claim. But Obama had made his course of action clear and accountability regarding the previous administration was not part of that agenda

The vote on the second Iraq war was more complex than was obvious. Democrats were between a rock and a hard place regarding their support for going to war. Considering what happened after their unwillingness to support the first Iraq war, resulting in wholesale loses by many progressive Democrats in the following elections. History, all but guaranteed that to oppose the second Iraq war, would have been devastating to the Democratic party, virtually placing the country into the hands of the Republicans without any restraints.

Not that I agree with that assessment, but it is understandable how the Democratic party would come to that conclusion. I believe that the decision was made that those that were in safe districts and states could oppose the war. Otherwise, it would be political suicide for themselves and the party for candidates in purple states and districts not to support the war.

None the less, the build up to the Iraq war by the Bush White House was built on lies about weapons of mass destruction, yellowcake uranium, resulting in the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame, and any number of other bogus excuses that deserved congressional investigations. Nothing in the Obama administration suggested any appetite for bringing anyone to task for the lies and disinformation campaign that led to the decision to go to war. Nor was there much of an appetite for directing Eric Holder to peruse indictments regarding the banking industry and Wall Street.

Again, I give Obama all the credit in the world for much of his presidency. BUT, the unwillingness to peruse accountability, thereby allowing the failures and crimes of the Bush administration and the Republican party to fade from the memory of the American public, was in my opinion, a critical mistake that left the door open for the Republican insanity that we are now stuck with.

But, I could be wrong!

Testing..123

WOW Stopgap,

That's the most honest comment I've seen you write!

Yes 10K, I agree with you in principle, but actions speak louder than words. Obama had the chance to stop the fascist Republicans in their tracks, and accountability was the means of doing it. At that nexus of history, that is what the majority of Americans craved more than anything else. That included the Democratic base, independents and crossover voters. Everyone but the most extreme rightwing Republicans.

Even more than bailing out the banks, resurrecting the auto industry, restoring the economy, enacting healthcare reforms, and ending the mortgage crisis; the American public wanted to know that no one was above the law and that justice was equal for all. They wanted those that lied us into war, lied us into the mortgage crisis and bank failures, would be indicted and brought in front of the American public to answer for their crimes .

But, Obama almost immediately turned his back on what the American people most longed for. And as a result, history was doomed to repeat itself. As one saying goes, "the past is the future." By not dealing with the crimes and treasonous excesses of the Bush administration. The oligarchs, bank-sters and corrupt politicians, cynically accepted their get out of jail free cards, and declared open warfare on their emancipator. And the wave of enthusiasm that carried Obama to the White House quickly ebbed.

Don't get me wrong, I still think that in many ways, Obama was a great president and there are many things about him that I find honorable and laudable: His intelligence, his diplomacy, his wit, his work ethic, his oratory skills, his calm-rational demeanor, his temperament and so on. He certainly deserves credit for leading the country out of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and bringing healthcare to millions, rescuing the auto industry and many many other important achievements. All while the Republicans that weren't running for cover, were conspiring to bring down his administration.

But, in my mind, his failure to exact accountability of the Bush administation will forever haunt his legacy. The nagging question remains, why? Why he chose, as he said, to "look forward" and not address the past? But the Republican past is a cancer that is destroying the country from within.

Yes, Obama had an enormous amount on his plate at the time of his inauguration. Yet, he neglected an integral part of the oath, "to defend against all enemies foreign and DOMESTIC." He neglected to defend against our domestic enemies. I can't help but think that there has to be more to his answer that we should concentrate on the future and not be distracted by the past. There has to be an answer more plausible.

BTW stopgap, your comment about Obama on the last blog struck a nerve with me. I too blame Obama for falling short , but for a different reason. Why didn't he ever speak out and explain to America how hope and change got derailed by the Fascists? Trump sure has no problem tweeting and blurting out bloated faced lies. Obama simply needed to blurt out the truth....things like, Fox News is fake news, the Kochs are purchasing our democracy in order to destroy it, anti-american McConnell has with a record number of filibusters obstructed the will of the vast majority, loudly summarize Ryan's budget plans to the entire country, etc etc. He had the bully pulpit yet never used it.

Reynolds: Looks like you're a member of the misinformed/clueless minority that doesn't admire Bernie, the by far most popular politician in the country, that even with the corpse media blackout of him. Do yourself a favor and google Democratic Socialism and get back to me on which part of it you disagree with.

Tom,

You need to do some fact checking.

I don't know about your entire article, but the $3.3 m that Rubio took from the NRA has been over his entire political career which started in 2000.

I'm still on your team... 'Rebel with a KOZ'

#50 - The rich have not got this

If there is no economic activity and there is no middle class and there is no one that spends money they will become extinct

The rely very heavily on the value of fiat money

#1 - Did you get this bit... FYI

More than 98% of the contributions went to Republicans.

Can't possibly imagine where the 2% went... can you?

#1 - So! The point is?

Eleven grand... peanuts

What did the NRA pay for Trump?

Circa 30 million

Maybe I'm not as smart as the toxic pus-ball, Rush Limbaugh. But I'm not dumb enough to fall for his rightwing, oligarch think-tank generated, nazi/fascist bullshit propaganda either. Many years ago, I knew nothing about Rush Limbaugh, but after listening to him for less than fifteen minutes, I knew everything that I ever needed to know about him. Everything was built on half-truths, innuendo, hearsay ("some people say…"), false context and lies by omission.

But, like Rush and Fox News, I'm smart enough to know that their audience does not come to them for enlightenment, facts or truth - In fact you are more likely to get fired from Fox for telling the truth, than for lying. Their audience comes to them for validation of their racism, greed and anti government tendencies. Anti enlightened American tendencies that they were compelled to suppress until Rush and Fox came along encouraging them to be proud and open about their selfishness and presumed racial superiority.

And yes Coalage, you are still creating your own definitions to prop up your argument, "everybody knows that calling the unborn a fetus…" when it is actually the other way around: you are calling a fetus the unborn.

Then you try to make a blanket statement that Democrats are fine with abortions "anytime, anyplace, anywhere." Bullshit!!! You are just making shit up to so that you won't feel guilty about harassing and bullying women that are making, what is likely, the most painful decision they will ever have to make and one that they will have to live with for the rest of their lives.

But of course compassion and empathy from the right is only reserved for the "unborn." "Once you're born…you're on your on!" "Don't come crying to me for help…I've got this big fucking wall to build on the Mexican border to keep the born out." "I've gotta go stock-up on some more ammo."

And as to Limbaugh's solution for immigration, what is your problem? He may be a dope fiend, oxycontin abuser, but he's a whole lot smarter than you are.

Don't you care about the poor illegal immigrants? You obviously only support them because they willl most likely vote democratic. You could say that not getting to vote for some number of years is their penance for living here illegally. You trade immediate citzenship for the right to vote for some number of years.