Obama Won't Act In Troy Davis Execution Case ("not appropriate")

[Karmadillo]

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110921-715280.html

NEW YORK (AFP)--U.S. President Barack Obama won't intervene in the Troy Davis capital punishment case which has sparked protests, because it is "not appropriate" to become involved in specific state cases, a spokesman said Wednesday.

"Dating back to his time in the Illinois State Senate, President Obama has worked to ensure accuracy and fairness in the criminal justice system, especially in capital punishment cases," Press Secretary Jay Carney said ahead of the planned execution.

"However, it is not appropriate for the president of the United States to weigh in on specific cases like this one, which is a state prosecution."

The comments came as Davis's lawyers were filing last-ditch appeals to delay the execution of the man in Georgia for his conviction in the 1989 killing of a police officer.

more...

[dennis4868]

1. jeffrey Toobin of CNN

said that legally there is nothing Obama could do if he wanted to do something about this...it's a state case, not federal.

[TheWraith]

3. That's correct. The POTUS can only issue clemency or pardons in federal cases.

This wasn't a federal case.

[Karmadillo]

2. Hard to understand how it's appropriate to shield GW Bush from prosecution for war crimes, but it's

inappropriate to keep Georgia from murdering an American citizen.

[TheWraith]

4. Because it's not legally possible.

Presidential pardons and clemency can only be issued for federal crimes, not state.

[Karmadillo]

6. He could have spoken out.

nt

[TheWraith]

8. Which would have accomplished.... nothing. nt

[Karmadillo]

9. How do you know?

nt

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

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[Ken Burch]

35. So it's better to let an innocent person die than to have "a media frenzy"

In the 1850's, a lot of politicians voted for the Fugitive Slave Act(or cooperated with it in their localities, or refused to fight against it) because they feared "a media frenzy".

[Hippo_Tron]

13. I agree that it would've accomplished jack shit for Troy Davis

As for the death penalty debate on the whole, it might have done some good. It certainly would've required the Republicans to defend this, since they pretty much have to oppose anything Obama does...

[Selatius]

5. Close.

With respect to Bush, he can do something about that. It's an issue of federal law. He can't do anything about the Troy Davis case because that's Georgia law. Only the Supreme Court at the federal level would have a say, and they voted unanimously not to stay his execution.

[BzaDem]

7. It is not legally possible for the President to do anything. n/t

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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[Cali_Democrat]

18. Why are you so angry?

All the OP did was post an article. Jeez. :eyes:

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

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[Bluebear]

11. Obama is a proponent of "STATE'S RIGHTS"

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

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[leftstreet]

23. What's a 'PUMA crybaby?'

:popcorn:

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

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[Bluebear]

41. Don't tell me ignored pulled that shit out!

Ignorant.

[Ken Burch]

38. And that may be the worst thing of all.

The notion that ANY president, let alone a Democratic president, would ever defend the slavery-based doctrine of "state's rights".

[YellowCosmicSun]

45. So, Obama's a Confederate now?!? Now I've heard everything.

[readmoreoften]

47. He called "state's rights" on Prop 8 as well.

He'd've probably been State's Rights on slavery too.

[Bluebear]

49. He pulls out 'state's rights' on gay rights too. Disgraceful.

[SidDithers]

12. Weak sauce...nt

Sid

[EFerrari]

14. Leadership is too controversial. n/t

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

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[EFerrari]

20. Did you hear me? If not, I can repeat what I said:

Leadership is too controversial for Obama.

Is that better? Let me know. I can do even better.

[geek tragedy]

22. Leadership meaning giving a pretty speech that accomplishes

nothing?

Yes, all his fault.

[leftstreet]

28. So you think Obama gives pretty speeches that accomplish nothing? n/t

[EFerrari]

31. Using Troy Davis's death to try to shut people up, disgusting. n/t

[Name removed]

34. Deleted message

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[Bluebear]

50. +

[Ken Burch]

37. It means taking a side

Nothing Obama has done as president makes his support for executions acceptable.

[Bluebear]

51. +

[Rex]

40. Why don't you make a thread about it!?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Ken Burch]

21. He could at least have condemned it.

It's sickening to see support for executions as a necessary act of "political pragmatism".

And, in the end, it's no different from past political compromises in this country on slavery and Jim Crow.

[Bluebear]

24. Obama believes in state's rights

Therefore the complete silence.

[geek tragedy]

26. No, he was following the Constitution.

Not that you care about things like the law.

[Ken Burch]

32. And that makes looking the other way about the murder of an innocent man ok

It wouldn't have been against the Constitution just to say that the execution was an injustice. And you know damn well that saying nothing won't gain him any votes from anyone.

[Bluebear]

33. It's safer to say nothing.

Profiles in courage.

[geek tragedy]

Yes, this case proves that Obama=George Wallace.

In case people wonder why the extreme left is respected by no one.

[Ken Burch]

30. Nobody said that and you know it.

n/t.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

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[sabrina 1]

29. It takes courage to go against the grain. We have very few

'leaders' in this country with that kind of courage. Politics trumps life, and as you can see from this thread, a man's life is nothing compared to the career of a politician.

MLK could have said 'it's not possible for me to speak out about these things in this climate of hate'. But he didn't say that, he risked his LIFE.

I have a feeling that if a politician ever went against the grain to the RIGHT thing rather than the POLITICALLY EXPEDIENT thing, s/he might be surprised at the results.

But few have ever tried. What would have happened if the president had simply stated that he believed under the circumstances a new trial would be the best approach, since there was so much doubt about the guilt of Troy Davis? The Rightwingers might have screamed about it. But why should that bother him? They won't vote for him anyhow.

[Bluebear]

52. +

[YellowCosmicSun]

36. "not legal"

[Bluebear]

39. Not legal for a president to take a stand? Don't have to be a maverick to do so!

It would just be a moral opinion!

[Rex]

42. Sorry, can't do that.

We can't expect Obama to do anything, don't you know the POTUS doesn't have any sway or say in anything anymore? Just a figurehead to please his rabid, blind followers. If he took a stand on something, Rick Perry will get elected, donchaknow! :crazy:

[YellowCosmicSun]

43. sorry, I thought you wanted him to actually have an effect on the outcome.

[Kalidurga]

44. I think that it would have been good if he had said something...

but I can see the conflict, some could say that he was throwing his presidential weight around trying to intimidate the officials in Georgia. On the other hand he is entitled to his opinion and if he has even the slightest inkling that Troy Davis is innocent then he has the right to say so... Either way, I don't think uttering his opinion would have changed the outcome.

[Bluebear]

46. But uttering an opinion shows leadership

Who cares what people would say?

[Ken Burch]

55. Not having an effect on this outcome doesn't automatically make speaking out futile

Even if Troy Davis couldn't be saved, a speech by the president about the wrongness of the act and the immorality of the death penalty might have been a tipping point, might have started the swing in public opinion that could lead to abolition.

Wouldn't it have been worth trying to start such a change?

And clearly, even you would have to admit that silence on this won't gain him any votes in 2012. The people who couldn't have tolerated a declaration of opposition to capital punishment were never going to vote for Obama again-no matter what. And the number of such people is falling. Support for capital punishment is on a slow, long-term decline.
People are realizing that it never actually made any difference to the violent crime rate.

[Capitalocracy]

48. Buck stops where? nt

[Bluebear]

53. .

[Bluebear]

54. Kick for being appropriate and pragmatic