CNN

[...] have a lot more to learn about the CIA's involvement in the Dick Cheney Death Squad story as well as how many laws were [...]

I wish Bush would have been able to stay on for another term but have sarah palin as his VP.

The "Bush-era distractions" only keep coming up because the democrats keep leaking secrets or other irrelevent items to distract the people from theailure of the stimulus package.

At some point in the next 3.5 years, B.O. is going to have to start taking responsibility for something.

We are getting way off course! I am deeply disappointed with the lack of focus on our depleted economy and precious funds are being used to fight needless causes. We have so much bickering and fighting going on with investigations. We are opening ourselves up before the world for ridicule and mockery. The more money that is spent on needless investigations that go no where is money that could be spent to help get our economy on track.

What do you mean Bush era distrations may weigh down Obamas agenda? The dems are pushing for these distractions right now because Americans are skeptical of their spending on the stimulus, cap and trade, over $1 trillion for healthcare. This is the dems getting people fired up over Bush again so they can try to sneak some legistation through that Americans don't want to see.

The title should read Bush era distractions are key to promoting Obamas agenda.

Hilarious! The agenda gets bogged down, and CNN blames it on the Bush administration.

there's a lot more under the carpet.......!!!!!

Barry, take lessons on, HOW TO DEFEND A NATION.

Great, so Obama is the only adult.
As much as I would love to see a sociopath like Cheney go down, it's obvious that if the Democrats pursue this, the Republicans will block every one of Obama's programs.

The Democrats need to be smart. This may turn out to be their version of Whitewater but they can't allow it to derail everything else.

Conveniently this "mushroom" is ready to "burst" right when unemployment is about to hit 10% and the President is about to ask for another stimulus, because (A) this previous one wasn't enough, or (B) we can't tell if the previous one really failed or not.... depending on what day it is or which news program he is trying to sidestep.

(C) this administration is not as clean as everyone hoped, and I hope the kool-aid drinkers realize that before we're all screwed.

Really. . . Are you kidding me

Dems over-reach as predicted!

But this will give poor BO some time/cover for his ridiculous policies/programs.

The distractions will be brought up to push through the agenda that is getting less and less popular by the day. NO poll has any of this agenda over 50% now. A true story, I know a republican staffer in DC. He says the congressmans' office receives letters, emails, etc... that start like "I voted for President Obama and support him, but please do not vote for health care, the stimulus, Cap and Trade, etc..." Now, why would that person vote for him and oppose the entire platform he ran on?

With a headline like "Bush-era distractions may weigh down Obama's agenda", you just know that any fialure will be caused by Bush Era... but for how long?

How long are they going to milk the Bush/Cheney cow? It's time to face the music. Obama's policy isn't very good. We've had nothing but the sky is falling and we have to spend incredible sums of money right now, but it doesn't solve anything because it doesn't address the problem. Throwing money at a problem isn't the answer if it doesn't address why we have the problem in the first place. When will the Obama administration take ownership of their own failed policies and quit blaming the previous administration?

As much as I'd enjoy two years of daily hearings on Bush, Cheney, Guantanamo, weapons of mass destruction, Halliburton, Blackwater, CIA prisons that no one knows about, oil company lobbiests writing energy bills in Cheney's office, and so forth, we just cannot give ourselves that luxury.

Conservatives have made such a mess of the nation that all of our energy and all of our money has to go to repairing our economy, rebuilding American Industry, dealing with fundamentalist terrorists (mostly Muslim but the occasional Christian blows up an abortion clinic every now and then), trying to deal with global warming, etc.

If there were fewer crises ongoing, I would love to get a box of popcorn and a soda and watch Dick Cheney be interrogated for a couple of weeks.

Really Mr. Hornick?

The way I see it, since health care reform, the climate bill, etc. are being delayed until the end of the senate recess (after August), then now is a perfect time.

See, you and the GOP would like the world to forget about the last 8 years, forget that the Republican party lied us into war, INCLUDING MANY OUR ALLIES AS WELL.

But guess what, that won't happen. If anything this Cheney/CIA revelation only confirms that we know very little about what went down the last 8 years.

Mr. Hornick, you don't lie a country (and its allies) into war and get away with it. Please believe that. You can scream witch hunt, "looking back," Clinton-did-stuff-too (yeah right....a bj?) all you want. America is going to get justice. The truth will set us all free.

IT'S A MESS, but if the laws of the land have been broken it NEEDS to be addressed.

Let's face the reality here. Obama is no more "transformative" than the man in the moon. What his presidency will turn out to be is "transitional" – from the Bush mess to whoever gets elected next and it won't be Obama.

The GW Bush legacy of monumental screw ups continues.

He's done this his entire adult life – he screws up and someone else has to clean up behind him.

Good riddance GW Loser, you left the entire country to clean up your messes this time.

Steal the focus?! Who do you think is pushing for these investigations to distract America for his administration's failures?

Are you upset that people do not like the amount of money you want to spend of the stimulus that will pay for the cost of the study of the mating of frogs? Gee I am so sorry. If you need a few frogs let me know I have plenty of them but of course I woukd charge you dearly for them, Nothing free to the governement.

They HAVE to look into this. They HAVE to prosecute if necessary. All of us that have been pushing for an investigation for the last several years are thrilled that finally someone is listening. This has nothing to do with politics. It has to do with a rogue administration that put its agenda ahead of the Constitution and American law, and then shielded itself under the premise of "keeping us safe."
I know that health care is important, and the economy is important, but nothing is more vital than protecting our individual rights, and Bush and Cheney thought that their lying and lawbreaking would never be caught.
It's time for justice.

Anything to mess ups his plans I am all for it.

By distraction you must mean that the Administration is attempting to throw this into the wind to use it as a smoke screen.

Who do you think is stirring this up? You guys should all consider going back to Journalism school!!!

During the campaign Obama talked about being able to do several things at one time when he was called out by McCain. The Justice Department and FBI, (and Special Prosecutors, if necessary) can surely fulfill investigations into the previous Administrations if the evidence leads them. If crimes were committed, than the law must be excercised to restore Americas good name and the rule of law. To allow crimes to go unconfronted destorys any moral authority or suasion this country has around the world. Obama took the oath to uphold the Constitution and we expect him to do it.

i hope that one day we can look back and hold dick cheney accountable for every action and responsibility that dragged the US into a worldwide doghouse and fostered anti – americanism throughout the globe.

his knowledge of tactics and ordering of flagrant torture deserve a status of exile and warrant an appearance at the Hague.

If no one has noticed I’ll point out the former vice president Dick Cheney has returned to his aforementioned ‘undisclosed location.’ Which is to say, Dick, where are you? Dick was out there in full throated voice demanding that his opinion was just as valid as the elected president of the United States. And now that it has become clear that Dick Cheney obstructed the lawful activities of the Congress of the United States by directing employees of the CIA to mislead and misinform the Congress, Dick has vanished and is not available for comment. The neo-cons have an agenda. It is the destruction of the Obama Administration, no matter the cost to Americans or America. They have it in their heads that they are still right: we need to have a ‘holy war’ and a ‘crusade’ against the Islamic terrorists and prove to the world that the neo-con version of American democracy is the only acceptable way to govern any nation on Earth. God Help Us and God Preserve President Obama from these extreme neo-con right wing nut jobs!

Need a distraction to the Obama spending policies like cap and trade; haul out Cheney and the CIA or Bush and the economy or Rove and the Attorney General firings, or Iran or............

Anything to distract the public from which shell you're hiding the tax increase pea under.

President Obama needs to focus on how to fix the economy, how to win the war on terror, how to keep us safe, how to make us energy independent.

He needs to stop blaming Bush and Cheney (for the economy, war)
He needs to stop insulting Bush and Cheney
He needs to stop insinuating and investigating Bush/Cheney

If Obama would look forward and stop looking back, stop the blame game, everything would go better. We aren't buying his excuses.

Same with Nancy Pelosi – - solve problems, look forward, stop blaming, stop the politics!!!!

(cnn)there is nothing going to stop the presidents (agenda) (cnn) needs to worry alot about your (gop agenda) david gergen is a lost soul, and lives in the passed, do you think the president is scared of dick cheney and your (gop). gergen is wrong every time he opens his mouth about the president,and he is getting worse,with those clown remarks.i got news for you gergen ,nobody is paying attention to anything you say period. you and the gop ,cant get over that fact, that the president is more smarter than all of you combined. cheney came out bashing the president every day , since he took power. now the time has come for cheney to go into hiding, because he knows whats coming,judgement day. gergen is so jealous of president obama.he knows ,the president is going to continue to clean house of (gop). he looks silly ,everyday with the off the wall remarks. the gop is in the pit of fools. and gergen is their crusader and chief.(gergen be quiet)

then maybe he and his administration should stop trying to look back and destroy the people that kept this country safe for 8 years, thus allowing for his historic election! MOVE ON!

THAT'S THE PLAN! Whenever there is bad economic news or his poll numbers go down, Obama's surrogates start talking about Bush and Cheney in order to distract the media and the public. It's exactly what Obama wants!!

Obama and the rest of the democrats want there to be diversions from his domestic agenda because they know it will be a failure. This way, instead of taking action and trying to make good on his unrealistic campaign promises, he can just sit on his hands, live like a king, and blame Bush and Cheney for four years of inaction. The democrats know exactly what they are doing. They create diversions and then complain about all the diversions.

Obama is such a con artist!His economic policies are failing,his poll numbers are falling.So what does he do?Why,he goes after his favorite punching bag-Dick Cheney!Instead of admitting that he was wrong about the stimulus (like Joe Biden,his own vp did) he distracts the public with this latest sideshow!And knowing liberal america like I do,they're gonna be dumb enough to fall for it!

Excuses, excuses.......

There is no CIA controversy. Only bad fiscal policies as well as foreign policies that are not working. Trying to create issues to mis-direct the needed focus is PATHETIC strategy. CIA has only tried to protect USA for many years. You idiots in Washington need to get this economy running and stop wasting time we don't have.

What agenda other than plunging us further and further into the Republican debt quigmire. You don't get out of debt by going further into debt. Any financier and plumber will tell you you have top the leakage before the pipes can be tightened.

The Biggest weigh down is the GOP who were part of the Bush Era and caused this mess but are too STUPID TO REMEMBER THEY DID THIS AND KEEP TRYING TO BLAME OBAMA FOR THEIR MESS

Bush era distractions is just what the doctor ordered. Who is the Obama administration trying to kid?

Obama has alot more than that "weighing down" is agenda. As someone who voted for him and gave him a chance, I am coming to regret that decision more and more every day. I don't know at this point if I will be willing to vote for him for a second term, at this point I don't know if he deserves it. I am extremely disappointed in his decisions and his presidency so far...

The bush era nearly destroyed our country...and to see cheney and the other republican nitwits trying to divert attention away from their horrible reign is just plain wrong. And to make it worse we have CNN (the only decent news organization on the planet) allow these republicans free access and a podium to spread their hate and lies and diversions.
Come on CNN – get rid of Mary Maitlin, Bill Bennett, and the rest of the republicans that have an agenda to do further harm to our country by demonizing president Obama. Those people need to just shut up!!!

This man is a liar and I hope he's exposed for who the liar he is.Bush was never president he was.Just look at this man's face and you can see that he doesn't take orders without something in return.He lucked up without this country not being attacked on his watch not because he kept us safe.And with each day that goes by we should worry that because of this evil man we can be assured because of his stamp of approval to foriegn countries it is a gurantee that we will be attacked.He makes these tv interviews and at the same time he has the blood of so many americans on his hands that was killed in a war that should have never been and I say Cheney and not Bush because Cheney was the mastermind going into this sham of a war Bush was only his puppet to tell the american people that we were going to war.I would like to see Cheney water boarded and see if it works the way he claims it works perhaps we can finally expose him for the liar he is

You're the president now, DEAL WITH IT AND STOP WHINING.

How sad that this gifted man has to continue to wade through the corrupt muck left over from the previous administration. Bush put us so far in debt with his "war" it's a wonder we even still have an economy.

Keep on trucking, Mr. President. I'm definitely on your side.

How long is obama going to keep blaming bush for his own stupidity and inabilities? This wishy washy cry baby is about to destroy our country not bush but the cry baby obama.

This is another absurd attempt by the far left to cover Obama's and especially Peloski's butt and that is all it is. Obama is failing as a president; unemployment is still rising; he had spent this country into being a past country and inflation will overtake us all. This should be stopped and stopped now and get back to putting the economy on the front page period.

Mr President,
It's your call to get yourself caught up in this mess. You don't have to back in time to uncover George Bush and Dick Cheney's mess. Leave them to time and their dirty laundry will be exposed with out you wasting time and effort.

Every American knows how bad they ran things and of course; you are not a Republican. As a DEM you don't carry a big stick nor believe in vendetta.

These "distractions" are pumped up by the Obama administration itself – to distract from Obama's ineptitude.

This may be true but we can't go forwaard without making sure that what happened in the past was morally and legally just.

Blame it on Bush. Blame it on Bush. Four years from now we will continue to hear this. Look, Bush was a joke for a President, but he is gone!! Obama is going to have to move on. If there needs to be investigations and charges filed, turn it over to the Justice Department and let them do their job. Obama has nothing to do with this. It is time to stop hearing Bush's name! You would think the guy is still in office. Geez!!

What a shame. They are trying to protect Nancy Polosi, what else? As long as he (they) can blame Bush they do not have to take responsibility. In four years he will blame Bush (Obama will) when he loses the election because he could not get his act together.

Cheney is a war criminal.God forbid if any of our men and women are captured in foriegn countries and are water boarded and at best they can say it's interrogation and say didn't you know that ?it's what the United States call it.Cheney for eight years have kept so many secrets in the dark as he did himself until a few months ago and that was only to criticize what Obama was doing and keep the american people from finding his skeletons with ashes of lies and deceit.Well as the old saying goes..What's done in the dark comes out in the light..so people stay tune because it's more to come but those who support this crimal might not like what shines through the light

These are distractions the Obama administration thrives upon. Now, the public may be less apt to realize that taxes and unemployment are both rising at an alarming rate.

Cheney is a war criminal.God forbid if any of our men and women are captured in foriegn countries and are water boarded and at best they can say it's interrogation and say didn't you know that ?it's what the United States call it.Cheney for eight years have kept so many secrets in the dark as he did himselfelf until a few months ago and that was only to criticize what Obama was doing and keep the american people from finding his skeletons with ashes of lies and deceit.Well as the old saying goes..What's done in the dark comes out in the light..so people stay tune because it's more to come but those who support this crimal might not like what shines through the light

Yep, I'm worried about it, too, but I'm also confident our nation can handle both coming to terms with the truth about the previous Administration and moving forward with President Obama's much-needed agenda.

It will be a demanding task, but we're adults and we'll just have to deal with it.

It's all part of truly learning the lesson to NEVER let the crimes of the Bush era ever happen again.

I'm not surprised at this as we are in fact still in the 'fiscal year' of the Bush Admin. Yes, I said it...still in the fiscal year of the Bush Admin. Remember that major Recovery bail out that the Bush Admin passed less than a year ago...oops, that's right the Repubs forgot all about that...before Obama took office the Bush Admin threw $1trillion+ to the economic crisis and the money vanished. Dang...that was all LESS THAN 12 months ago...WOW.

Of course Obama will still feel the bite from that and as you can see from many comments now made by Repubs, it's all Obama's fault. Now he's tagged as the CAR SALESMAN for aiding...yes aiding GM. Remember the $700 billion Bush bailout...they didn't even want to give GM anything...remember the irie about "how can you bail out wall street and not GM"

I wish the Repubs would come to the table with some ideas...we ALL really need them...Obama started as a person that wanted everyone to contribute, but the party of NO planted their feet in the sand and said NO.

This is not a partisan issue. If they broke the law then they need to got to jail. Simple as that. The republican response should be "Lets investigate government for possible abuse". Anything else is just playing politics. Obama's "Looking forward" mantra is wrong as well. The people are tired of the privileged getting away with breaking the law. Until they are made to pay for it, it will continue to happen.

Oh yes!!!!!!!! His idea of destroying US economy! I thanked Obama for his new $2 Trillion DEFICIT less than 120 days in office.

NA IT WON'T STOP CHANGE
the Bush Cheney group are jerks and should be held
for the crap they pulled
but lets not dwell on the past but remember it as to not make
the same mistakes again and lies

OBAMA, BIDEN ,CLINTON
TEAM # 1 IN MY BOOK

not something good, but something notheless

he and his bunch need some jail time, that would heal the nation

But of course.....Obama is being blamed for the financial mess we're in. Why shouldn't the "dumb dumb Repub" followers blame him for the past crimes?

This President can't win! There are simply not enough intelligent american citizens to drown out the loud cries of racial hatred.

Guaranteed on this article you will see posts about:

- Obama to blame for the recession.
- Obama is a failure as a President because he's a socialist
- Obama is only community organizer and unqualified.

None of these bizarre excuses for americans consider "no one could fix an economy the size of the U.S. in less than 7 months". None these "Rush" baffooners even understand that Social Security is a program they will come to know and love upon their retirement. And finally....The "Community Organizer" is also a constitutional professor with a Law degree from Harvard. I personnally believe "the governorship experience" tauted by Dubya fans wasn't worth a hill of beans – considering how such experience informed such incompetent decisions.

Only Obama to be blamed if it does.

Sounds like something Cheney would do. He'll be hitting the news shows defending this just like everything else. The man should become a dictator in some far away land

The crimes committed by Bush and Cheney against the American people as well as against peoples around the world are hardly "distractions." The media continues to shield and even actively aid the GOP.

Seriously, folks, if we don't make an example of these abusers, they will likely continue in future administrations - maybe even in this admin (that would get a few of you republicans riled up wouldn't it).

Right now, the Democrats are suffering from ADD.

We have enough problems to worry about. Focus on 2009, not 2001.

"The program, the source notes, was on-again, off-again and was never fully operational."

I heard it was never operational, according to ABC. Which means it didn't need to be reported to congress.

Let it go. Focus on 2009 or you'll be gone in 2010.

Well, well, Bush era distractions.

A distraction is initiated by someone – either the Obama administration or the leftist controlled Congress,

If Obama could lead this would not be a problem. He can't so it's his mess.

What a joke...

Those Bush administration officials who broke the law should be investigated, prosecuted, and jailed if found guilty. In addition, Cheney should be charged with treason during a time of war and suffer the appropriate penalty if convicted.

Um...why are they not investigating Cheney...
What's to stop another adminstration from conducting such affairs behind congress back...
How does the VP have such power?

Let's waterboard Cheney to find out what he knew and when he knew it. He could stay temporarily at Gitmo amongst his peers.

This nonsense can only "steal the focus" if CNN and the other news outlets focus on it. Don't waste our time with this hoax.

barney frank and chris dodd are a sleep at the wheel, in fiance.
I would like to thank them both for fanny mae, freddie mac & aig, great over-site guys. as for nancy pelosi, are you serious ?

obama bowing to the saudi king, was a nice touch.
the president has apologized to everyone for everything, even for things we haven't done yet.

our national deficit is ........oh ya, we don't even have the numbers yet.
the stimulus package that no-one had a chance to read, was pushed through.

we can't even get the news any more, because journalism is for the most part dead, now we have hatchet jobs.

it's eight months after that fact [the election] yet, you people are still blaming bush and bad-mouthing palin.

if it weren't so sad, it be funny.

Ever notice how these photos, investigations and other relevations about the Bush administration tend to show up just when the current administration needs a Public Relations stunt to boost their approval rating?

This is the "Change" in Washington America needed? No thanks.

Senator Feinstein's remarks are a joke. Was she talking about the state of California's debt ? Only 24 Billion Dollars and counting, Will they have to call their senators home? " I think this is a problem, obviously" Please represent your MESS first, that is your job in Washington. Let the people that pay their bills run the country.

As I said before: The current administration is all about burning the last administration and thus has taken their eye off the 2012 prize.

Smoke and mirrors! Pay no attention to the current administration and it's ineptness to properly run this country! Fortunately, even the libs are starting to notice that this president and his Congressional majority are weak and clueless, with a massive dash of tax and spend!

Obama will stay focused through it all!

Nothing new here – two wars, major financial fiascos, etc., and then we find out Cheney appointed himself President (Decider) on a lot of stuff while "W" probably sat and tried to finish reading "My Pet Goat".

There had better be an investigation, or my vote goes elsewhere in 2012.

(no – it won't be for "that person from AK" – 2012 to 2014-1/2) Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

The solution is clear.

Appointment of a special prosecutor would allow the Obama administration to live up to its responsibility to see that the law is faithfully enforced without becoming bogged down in an investigation that may take years to complete.