Pelosi wants Bush officials' actions reviewed


WASHINGTON – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants an investigation into whether the Bush administration broke the law when it fired a group of federal prosecutors.

She says that what she calls the politicizing of the Justice Department cannot go unreviewed.

House Democrats last week recommended a criminal investigation to see if administration officials broke the law in the name of national security. The report cited the interrogation of foreign detainees, warrantless wiretaps, retribution against critics, manipulation of intelligence and the fired prosecutors.

Barack Obama has been more cautious. He has said he believes there is a need to look forward as opposed to looking backward.

Pelosi appeared on "Fox News Sunday."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090118/ap_on_go_co/pelosi_probes

Also,

WASHINGTON – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appears to differ from Barack Obama on at least two issues — tax increases and investigating the Bush administration.

The Democratic House speaker wants Congress to consider repealing President George W. Bush's tax cuts well before they expire in 2010, in contrast to what Obama is proposing.

Pelosi said Democrats have promised to end the Bush tax cuts for those who make more than $250,000.

"We had campaigned in saying what the Republican Congressional Budget Office told us: Nothing contributed more to the budget deficit than the tax cuts for the wealthiest people in America," Pelosi said in an interview broadcast Sunday.

The California Democrat is pushing the president-elect to make good on a campaign promise that attracted some of the harshest criticism during the election — that Obama is a typical tax-and-spend Democrat who would raise taxes once in office.

Obama has fought that label, emphasizing that any tax increase would be directed at those making more than $250,000. However, since the election, Obama has been reluctant even to raise taxes on people making that much.

Lawrence Summers, Obama's choice for director of the National Economic Council, signaled again Sunday that repealing the Bush tax cuts would not be a priority.

"Our overall focus is going to be on increasing spending," Summers said in a broadcast interview. "Beyond that, there's going to be a substantial tax cut for the American people."

Obama's aides worked with House Democrats to craft their version of an economic stimulus package. The package, unveiled last week, includes $550 billion in government spending and $275 billion in tax cuts. It would leave the Bush tax cuts in place.

Pelosi said she won't use the stimulus bill to address tax cuts. But she also said: "I don't want them to wait two years to expire. Because they have to prove their worth to me as to how they grow the economy, how they create jobs."

Also Sunday, Pelosi said she wants an investigation into whether the Bush administration broke the law when it fired a group of federal prosecutors.

"I think that we have to learn from the past, and we cannot let the politicizing of, for example, the Justice Department, go unreviewed," she said. "Past is prologue."

House Democrats last week recommended a criminal investigation to determine whether administration officials broke the law in the name of national security. Along with the fired prosecutors, the report cited interrogation of foreign detainees, warrantless wiretaps, retribution against critics and manipulation of intelligence.

The president-elect has been more cautious, saying he wants to look to the future, not to the past.

"I don't believe that anybody is above the law," Obama said in a recent television interview. "On the other hand, I also have a belief that we need to look forward, as opposed to looking backwards."

Pelosi appeared on "Fox News Sunday." Summers was interviewed on CBS' "Face the Nation."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090118/ap_on_go_co/pelosi;_ylt=Ag_nm318MPhxvMycEP3fAuheW7oF

Thanks for telling me about that

It all begins Tuesday baby!

i hope it is a beginning that goes in the right direction obama has the power to be as great as any prez the u s has ever had

but

he also has the power to be the most abusive as well i truly hope he becomes as great as Washington, Jefferson Lincoln Roosevelt and Roosevelt

only time will tell