This week on CounterSpin: It seems unlikely that media elites would deny that things like maintaining illegal torture programs, unlawfully surveilling citizens, imprisoning children in violation of the Geneva Convention and destroying evidence are serious matters. So why, when such things lead to a call to impeach George W. Bush, does the whole matter become something of a joke? We'll talk to former federal prosecutor and author Elizabeth de la Vega about press handling of impeachment charges.

Also on CounterSpin today, the London Independent recently reported on a secret U.S. plan that would grant legal immunity to contractors and U.S. soldiers, grant U.S. control over Iraqi airspace and construct dozens of U.S. military bases around the country. The presence of such bases has long been a powerful political issue inside Iraq, though one that rarely registers in the U.S. media discussions of the Iraq occupation. We'll be joined by Catherine Lutz of Brown University to discuss the impact of U.S. bases in Iraq and the rest of the world.

Links:

— United States v. George W. Bush et al., by Elizabeth de la Vega

— Bases, Empire, and Global Response, by Catherine Lutz (Fellowship of Reconciliation, Winter/07)