ThinkFast: April 20, 2009
ThinkFast: April 20, 2009
“The Obama administration opposes any effort to prosecute those in the Justice Department who drafted legal memos authorizing harsh interrogations at secret CIA prisons, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said yesterday.” Speaking with George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week,” Emanuel said, “But those who devised the policies…should not be prosecuted either.”
President Obama will visit the CIA today, “in a bid to reassure staff stung by the release of memos detailing harsh interrogation techniques.” Obama will discuss “the importance of the CIA” and “reassure CIA officers of his promise not to seek prosecution of CIA agents or former officials” involved in torture.
Days after Gov. David Paterson (D-NY) unveiled a same-sex marriage bill, Rudy Giuliani is “declaring war on gay marriage.” Giuliani, who is pro-civil unions, is “vowing to use his strong opposition of it against the Democrats if he runs for governor next year.”
Republicans are struggling with a health care reform “message [that] is still vague and unformed.” “I thought we would have been much farther along than we are,” said Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX). Rep. Roy Blunt’s (R-MO) Health Care Task Force “wants to come up with fresh solutions and not just party rhetoric — and that takes some time,” said a spokesman for Blunt.
ExxonMobil has supplanted Wal-Mart atop the Fortune 500 list, which ranks companies by their annual earnings. “Texas-based Exxon took in $442.85 billion in revenue last year, up almost 19% from 2007.” Wal-Mart, which had held the top spot for six of the last seven years, had revenues of $405.6 billion.
Every day, the White House sorts through its mail and picks at least 10 letters for President Obama to read, a process designed to “offer a sampling of what Americans are thinking.” The letters are read by the president, and he sometimes answers them by hand. In a letter to the mother of a soldier, Obama wrote, “I will do everything in my power to make troops like Matthew my priority. … Please tell him ‘thank you for your service’ from his commander in chief!”
Today, the Senate is scheduled to vote to end debate on the nomination of Chris Hill to be ambassador to Iraq. The opposition to Hill’s nomination from several Republican senators led by Sam Brownback (KS) is “not expected to derail Hill’s eventual confirmation.”
Al Qaeda’s second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, posted a video online today, urging “Muslims not to be fooled by U.S. President Barack Obama’s policies which he said…are no different to those of his predecessor, George W. Bush.” “[Obama] is calling for change, but he aims to change us so that we abandon our religion and rights,” al-Zawahri said.
Today, President Obama will be holding his first Cabinet meeting, where he plans to “order its members to identify a combined $100 million in budget cuts over the next 90 days.” Although they won’t make much of a dent in the multi-trillion dollar deficit, they will “signal the president’s determination to cut spending and reform government.”
And finally: First runner-up Miss California caused a stir in yesterday’s Miss USA pageant when she was asked a question about legalizing same-sex marriage. “We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage,” Carrie Prejean said. “And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.” Scott Ihrig, a gay man who attended the pageant with his partner, called her answer “ugly,” adding, “That is not the value of 95 percent of the people in this audience. Look around this audience and tell me how many gay men there are.”
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TITLE: Gene X Portraits of a Liberal Blogger (Hardcover)
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TODAY’s SPECIAL CONTRIB
THE FLARING NOSTRILS OF PURE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE UNREQUITED
There was once a vessel hand-laid with the choicest of the Big Bang. Travellers came from wide and far to behold and pay homage to its beauty. The vessel glowed, resplendently basking in the attention and hardening its appeal.
Then one day, a rocket ship…
There was a rupture of momentous proportions. The vessel survived, but its thoroughways collapsed. Gone were its age-old flow of admirers. The full-embodiment of its splendor.
Then the vessel broke in perfection.
May the supreme eternal whispers of the mighty winds of time convey you into the safe hands and divine care of Amenti of the land of the west.
Goodbye My Mother Adieu!
Mrs. Cecilia O. Martins
January 18, 1930 – March 29, 2009
She was a Christian (Anglican)
**Funeral Proceedings and Interrare: April 24, 2009 10:00GMT**
Kathleen Battle & Jessye Norman Sing Vangellis’ Mythodaea – Movement 9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_0vaNUD9WY
But…
I remain yours,
April 20th, 2009 at 9:03 amJames Saville Row
Writer of Scrolls
Lover of Women
Broker of Karma
Speaking with George Stephanopolous on ABC’s “This Week,” Emanuel said, “But those who devised the policies…should not be prosecuted either.”
Ummm…………Why not ?
April 20th, 2009 at 9:04 amObama will discuss “the importance of the CIA” and “reassure CIA officers of his promise not to seek prosecution of CIA agents or former officials” involved in torture.
I just don’t get it.
I’m not a politician. I’m not a lawyer. I’m not a CIA operative.
But, I just don’t get it.
Why would we NOT investigate & prosecute people like Addington & Yoo?
It’s in our best interests as a society and a Country. Until we come clean with the rest of the World on how & who tortured, everything else we say are hollow, meaningless words.
I just don’t get it.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:08 amNo prosecutions??? Yeah, that will be a deterrent for future law breakers. Hollow and meaningless is right. The empire chugs on.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:14 am“Opposite marriage”?? Do they practice that in the Iraq?
April 20th, 2009 at 9:16 amChange we can dis-believe in…
April 20th, 2009 at 9:20 am“The Obama administration opposes any effort to prosecute those in the Justice Department who drafted legal memos authorizing harsh interrogations at secret CIA prisons … “But those who devised the policies…should not be prosecuted either.”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the Dick and the Shrub are neither:
1) members of the Justice Dept.
nor
2) responsible for devising the techniques (actually, no new techniques have been revealed, just the re-writing of “our” view of such techniques, which, is utter bullshit).
They DID, however, give their approval for adopting said techniques.
THROW THE BOOK AT THEM.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:22 amSo lemme get this straight. Obama doesn’t want to go after those who actually performed the torture because they were just acting on the advice of legal counsel. And those who drafted the legal memos authorizing the torture aren’t accountable, either. And those who devised the policies aren’t accountable.
So who the f**k is?
(sorry for the language, but starting my day with news like this guarantees a crabby day)
April 20th, 2009 at 9:25 amAh — Giuliani found an issue he can run on. Does this mean we can look forward to a lot of “noun, verb, gay marriage”?
April 20th, 2009 at 9:25 amWaitaminute…. what happens if i get “opposite married” ON opposite day?! They don’t cover this in pre-Cana!
April 20th, 2009 at 9:26 amMCMetal Says “Why not?”
When Obama announced that those who carried out the torture would be spared prosecution, I found a pragmatic rationale for it (too disruptive to agencies the Pres. needed especially so early in his term, and I noted that the authors of the torture policy were not included in his ‘amnesty’).
I thought the compromise was wrong, but practical–ti could have been worse.
Now it is worse, and it is utterly unconscionable.
The next time a child-abuse case comes up, a defendant could argue that as he or she didn’t mean to inflict pain on the child but just wanted to “get the child’s attention”, the charge of abuse should be dropped.
This decision is as bad as Bush’s decision to torture–and I am appalled that Obama thinks he can justify it.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:28 amRep. Roy Blunt’s (R-MO) Health Care Task Force “wants to come up with fresh solutions and not just party rhetoric…”
__________________________________________________________
This would be refreshing, and not just on the health care issue. But the GOP is so wedded to their party rhetoric, and their mental arthritis doesn’t allow for fresh solutions, so I’m not holding my breath.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:30 amRudy Giuliani is “declaring war on gay marriage.”
Really? Why so?
Oh, I get it. Marriage is sacred and forever, right Rudy?
April 20th, 2009 at 9:31 amI’m terribly disappointed that the CIA torture barrons will not be prosecuted! The CIA folks who were stung by the release of the torture memos should just suck it up and be glad they’re not in a federal prison!
Gooliani running for Governor – lets hope not! He needs to retire.
Miss California! The Bytche deserves a righteous smack down for her statement regarding gay marriage. Who asked her for stupid opinion anyway?
April 20th, 2009 at 9:32 amAl Qaeda’s second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, posted a video online today, urging “Muslims not to be fooled by U.S. President Barack Obama’s policies which he said…are no different to those of his predecessor, George W. Bush.
_____________________________________________________________
Al Qaeda needs to keep up their anti-USA message in order to keep their recruiting alive. This has been a problem for them, because President Obama has been more popular with the Muslim population of the world than George W. Bush was, meaning the anger level has dropped somewhat.
Meaning Al Qaeda will probably be throwing some tea parties.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:33 amI’m upset that no charges will be brought against Bush et al, at least not in the US, but that doesn’t mean other countries won’t file formal charges. Some of you might agree or disagree but I can relate to what there saying it will take years and years and years and a lots and lots of money to prosecute anyone under former President “Torture” Bush. But that doesn’t mean those in Congress won’t look into the matter later like removing Judge Bybee from the bench.
Let’s face it Al-Qaeda will always be a global threat, no matter who is in office.
If Rudy runs for governor of NY next year and wins, I’m moving out of the state.
Obama wants to keep moving foreword, he said that in his campaign speech that he doesn’t want to look back at the past which I don’t blame him, who wants to revisit the last 8 years of “hell?” But that does not mean I have lost any less faith in Obama. He has a hard enough task of trying to regain the worlds trust back into America after Bush.
President Bush will always live in infamy as America’s “torture” President that’s one of his many stains on his presidency and will always be disputed.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:34 amWhat’s the deal with opposite divorce?
April 20th, 2009 at 9:35 amDays after Gov. David Paterson (D-NY) unveiled a same-sex marriage bill, Rudy Giuliani is “declaring war on gay marriage.” Giuliani, who is pro-civil unions, is “vowing to use his strong opposition of it against the Democrats if he runs for governor next year.”
Should someone who views marriage as something akin to an intramural activity be taken seriously on his opinion of what should be its legal definition ?
April 20th, 2009 at 9:35 amOK, I had no idea that beauty pageants were a magnet for gay men. I learn something new every day!
April 20th, 2009 at 9:36 amAnyone else flagging post @1?
April 20th, 2009 at 9:37 ammisscoleopteramolly
April 20th, 2009 at 9:37 amSome of the most beautiful woman I have know preferred the company of females…
Anyone else flagging post @1?
—
April 20th, 2009 at 9:39 amI don’t flag
I just chuckled and ignored it…
I thought we would have been much farther along than we are” said Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX). Rep. Roy Blunt’s (R-MO) Health Care Task Force “wants to come up with fresh solutions and not just party rhetoric — and that takes some time,”
WHAT? Can’t Frank Luntz think up a lying slogan for them? Because that’s how they did it in the past.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:40 amFirst runner-up Miss California: “We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage,” Carrie Prejean said. “And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe…
“I think that I believe, but I’m not quite sure, like, you know, when I was raised it was different, you know, ’cause like,
April 20th, 2009 at 9:41 amDad was never there, and like, you know, Mom was such a b!tch all the time, and, well, I think like, you know, well… do you like my hair? Am I too fat? Are my tinted contact lenses in right side up?”
“The Obama administration opposes any effort to prosecute those in the Justice Department who drafted legal memos authorizing harsh interrogations at secret CIA prisons, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said yesterday.” Speaking with George Stephanopolous on ABC’s “This Week,” Emanuel said, “But those who devised the policies…should not be prosecuted either.”
I sure looks like they plan to let all the criminals off the hook. The Obama sign comes down TODAY :(
April 20th, 2009 at 9:42 am5th Estate Says:
——————————————————————————–
MCMetal Says “Why not?”
When Obama announced that those who carried out the torture would be spared prosecution, I found a pragmatic rationale for it (too disruptive to agencies the Pres. needed especially so early in his term, and I noted that the authors of the torture policy were not included in his ‘amnesty’).
I thought the compromise was wrong, but practical–ti could have been worse.
Now it is worse, and it is utterly unconscionable.
The next time a child-abuse case comes up, a defendant could argue that as he or she didn’t mean to inflict pain on the child but just wanted to “get the child’s attention”, the charge of abuse should be dropped.
This decision is as bad as Bush’s decision to torture–and I am appalled that Obama thinks he can justify it.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Which is why I was opposed to those who carried out torture being spared prosecution to begin with ; it condones the whole nonsensical “I was under orders” defense , and removes any and all responsibility………….
April 20th, 2009 at 9:42 amThe new President commits a crime in order to cover up the crimes of the previous Presidential administration. So much for hope, change, and a new direction. Instead, America gets another dose of the old bait-and-switch.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:47 am“he aims to change us so that we abandon our religion and rights,” al-Zawahri said.
Sounds just like our Christian Right, doesn’t it?
April 20th, 2009 at 9:47 amelle oh elle
April 20th, 2009 at 9:50 amWhile many criticized Bush for being in continuous campaign mode, these “decisions” by Obama smell like the same rotted fish. He’s so worried about polity, his governance is becoming a series of political stop-gap measures, with little overarching vision for a new political path. No major change will occur during his term, if this is a true sampling.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:53 amMCMetal Says: “Which is why I was opposed to those who carried out torture being spared prosecution to begin with”
Quite so. I opposed too, but talked-myself into merely objecting whilst it still appeared that those at the top weren’t being included in the amnesty. Obama HAS to be forced to abandon this outrageously immoral and illegal position.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:55 amMr. Obama, you pissed me off when you scoffed at marijuana re-legalization.
But now that you’re providing aid and comfort to the torturers, I can no longer support you. Enjoy your single term in office.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:58 am5th Estate Says:
——————————————————————————–
MCMetal Says: “Which is why I was opposed to those who carried out torture being spared prosecution to begin with”
Quite so. I opposed too, but talked-myself into merely objecting whilst it still appeared that those at the top weren’t being included in the amnesty. Obama HAS to be forced to abandon this outrageously immoral and illegal position.
April 20th, 2009 at 9:55 am
I was opposed to it from the beginning because Obama has neither the authority nor the righteousness to be handing out “get-out-of-trouble-free” cards to anyone ; he’s the president , not the sitting judge or arbiter of everything in the US.
He doesn’t determine who is innocent or guilty ; a court of law does……………..
April 20th, 2009 at 10:00 am…and if other countries file charges against the US for Bush’s torture policies than the US would still have to defend them. So literally Bush and Cheney got away with redrum?
April 20th, 2009 at 10:02 amFirst runner-up Miss California caused a stir in yesterday’s Miss USA pageant when she was asked a question about legalizing same-sex marriage. “We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage,” Carrie Prejean said. “And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.”
No offense , but that’s why you didn’t win , bubblehead ; you didn’t deserve to ………..
April 20th, 2009 at 10:03 amObama took an oath to uphold the constitution of the United States and that includes enforcing not only our laws, but International law also.
3 months into his term, he has broken that pledge by “moving forwards, not backwards”.
If anyone who has broken the law in this country would attempt to use that lame defense when they are taken to court, whether it be a speeding ticket or murder, they would be laughed out of the courtroom.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:05 amO’Cheney
April 20th, 2009 at 10:12 amSo Rudy wants to make sure gays can’t marry at all, in order to protect his right to marry every couple years or so.
BECAUSE MARRIAGE IS SACRED!
April 20th, 2009 at 10:25 amMCMetal Says: He doesn’t determine who is innocent or guilty ; a court of law does…
Absoultely agree! Just like the legal opinions of Bybee and Yoo didn’t suddenly make torture suddenly “legal”—they were actually pre-meditated defense arguments.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:26 amSo I guess this means that the police can now beat-up and torture Americans for their alleged crimes with immunity, no doubt.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:26 amNY Times today reports just two Al Qaeda suspects were waterboarded a total of 266 times–this clearly puts the Republican lie to ridicule that publishing the memoranda on torture gives Al Qaeda a leg up on interrogators. After a hundred or so times, even they might have caught on? Also it points out the ineffectiveness of the procedure if it HAD to be used so many times.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:27 amPresident Obama.
I guess that the more things ‘change’, the more they stay the same, huh?
You want to move ahead and not look back.
The rest of the world will not forget these weasel words.
From now on, every time the US tries to preach to ‘repressive’ regimes about human rights, prepare to have your hypocrisy thrown back into BOTH of your faces.
By insuring that there is NO accountability, you INSURE that these abuses will occur again.
You see, there’s a funny thing about ethics and morals. If they can be abandoned for reasons of pragmatism or convenience, then they never really existed. What the US has so proudly claimed to represent turns out to be so much hot air.
This act of abject cowardice on your part is truly disappointing.
I think that much of your base will take note of this.
Enjoy your single term.
Signed: Disgusted
April 20th, 2009 at 10:27 amObama, the former law professor, is showing he has little love or respect for the law in re torture memos’ authors, IMHO! Every day I feel more uneasy about my vote.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:30 amAnd over on MSNBC, there’s the story about
Waterboarding used 266 times on 2 suspects.
C.I.A. employed near-drowning technique against Al Qaeda prisoners
April 20th, 2009 at 10:34 amNice to see Obama going to visit the CIA and tell them they are safe from prosecution, even though they broke the law. When is he going to reassure the left, or are we just not important anymore?
April 20th, 2009 at 10:36 amThere’s a fine line where pragmatism becomes dangerous when it means that criminals go not only un-prosecuted, but also un-investigated, all in the name of looking ‘forward’.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:38 amIs ‘forward’ sticking one’s head in the sand?
Doc Rock Says:
Obama, the former law professor, is showing he has little love or respect for the law in re torture memos’ authors, IMHO!
A phd is no guarantee of intellectual integrity.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:41 amAlthough this is a major slap in our feces, I’m not sure I’d like Obama to be a single term president replaced by president Palin…or J. Bush, or Mittens…just sayin…
April 20th, 2009 at 10:41 amConProgConcernTroll…how about lowering taxes for the middle class. My paycheck withholding would show you aren’t paying much attention here.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:42 amBy refusing to prosecute war crimes, Obama has become an accessory after the fact….a crime in itself.
Just WTF good were the Nuremberg trials for?
April 20th, 2009 at 10:43 ama conservative for progress
a contradiction if I ever heard one.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:47 amdef: conservative: maintaining the status quo. opposes change.
progress: changing the status quo.
Good Morning youngsters, great posts all, thank you….For those that care or know such things, the white doves only flew over the capitol building one day….The vultures and hawks are still there in increasing numbers..
Noticed many other poster;s are as upset as I am over the recent decesion of President Obama to allow the guilty to escape prosacution by this administration..Letter writing and massive phone calls are our first line to the white house and if that do’s not work his own request of putting his feet to the fire would be next…Massive patition signings and yes even march’s in the street’s…Sad to say I knew this was coming, just did not think it would be so soon…Guess he declared the honeymoon over rather we like it or not.
“By their action’s we shall know them”, don’t know if that is a bible quote or not but it’s a good one…
Never have cared for Monday’s much, with the bush administration my favorite day, Friday, was added to the tiny list, look’s like lot’s of thing’s are not going to change as I had hoped…P. B. & J as you go about your day.
April 20th, 2009 at 10:50 am“The Obama administration opposes any effort to prosecute those in the Justice Department who drafted legal memos authorizing harsh interrogations at secret CIA prisons”, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said yesterday. Speaking with George Stephanopolous on ABC’s “This Week,” Emanuel said, “But those who devised the policies…should not be prosecuted either.”
I have to admit that I’m disappointed with Obama as a result of this decision. The pragmatic part of me realizes that to prosecute everyone who was involved in authorizing torture would be inefficient as well as potentially counterproductive since it would probably only serve to increase the divide between Democrats and Republicans at a time when we have more than enough problems which desperately need fixing without adding to them — or worse, increasing animosity to the point that these problems are even less likely to get fixed. However, I also know that pragmatism is precisely what often prompts human beings to justify the betrayal of their own ideals and ethics. Exposing what these people did isn’t anywhere nearly enough — someone has to be held accountable for what was done.
Days after Gov. David Paterson (D-NY) unveiled a same-sex marriage bill, Rudy Giuliani is “declaring war on gay marriage.” Giuliani, who is pro-civil unions, is “vowing to use his strong opposition of it against the Democrats if he runs for governor next year.”
Why a serial adulterer like Giuliani sees himself as entitled to use marriage as a campaign issue is beyond my capacity to fathom…
First runner-up Miss California caused a stir in yesterday’s Miss USA pageant when she was asked a question about legalizing same-sex marriage. “We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage,” Carrie Prejean said. “And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.”
Miss California is clearly a living example of Beckhap’s Law, which states rather cynically that “beauty times brains equals a constant”. The best reason she can come up with for her opposition to gay marriage is the simple fact that this was what her parents taught her? Good grief…if human beings only ever thought and did what their parents told them, we’d probably still be living in caves…
April 20th, 2009 at 10:51 am“Good grief…if human beings only ever thought and did what their parents told them, we’d probably still be living in caves…”
I don’t think we’d have made it down from the trees…
April 20th, 2009 at 10:56 am;)
snoozepup: Don’t you have some dog butts to sniff?
April 20th, 2009 at 11:03 amdogfarts are the worst.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:09 amThe bar and medical associations whose members authorized and/or participated in illegal and immoral acts of torture need to take action. The idea that Bybee and Yoo are still allowed to practice law now that they are exposed as bad-faith hacks who deliberately ignored their duty to uphold hte law is outrageous. The fact that doctors actively participated in torture is something far, far worse. In both cases the self-governing professional bodies MUST act.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:13 am“ah-lo, dirty republican troll-dog… I fart in your general direction!”
April 20th, 2009 at 11:15 amRUCeriousMaggot! Says:
——————————————————————————–
ConProgConcernTroll…how about lowering taxes for the middle class. My paycheck withholding would show you aren’t paying much attention here
April 20th, 2009 at 11:17 amSo you and the rest of us can be bought off ( by 10 bucks a week)
Here’s where the Obama administration goes off the rails, by violating the U.N. Convention Against Torture and not prosecuting torturers and torture conspirators. DOJ lawyers are not empowered to issue “get out of jail free” cards no matter how badly CIA people want them. President Obama is a lawyer, he has no excuse for not knowing this or for violating our treaty obligations.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:29 amAnd that’s another group of voters taken in by a politician who says he’s going to “fix” things. This will only continue as long as people believe things that the Democrats and Republicans tell them.
Bush gets away without any accountability. End of story. To all of you to which this comes as a surprise: You’re idiots. Sorry, but I can’t be charitable about that. ID10Ts… imbicils… morons… ignorant saps… bone-heads.
I saw this. I saw this coming as clear as day. We get porked in a** by a Republican, and we think the problem is who’s screwing us rather than the fact that we’re getting screwed, and you’re all arguing about how much lubricant the Repugs and Democraps use and missing the G-D D-MNED point. I didn’t believe “change” when I first heard it and I was right. I don’t have a poly-sci degree. I don’t have any experience whatsoever in politics beyond watching what comes out of their mouths and then being depressed later when their actions describe something entirely different. Change my a**!
Yeah.. I know… “At least we don’t have McCain” Well my dog would have been better than Bush/McCain. Not frikken good enough. Not by a long shot.
Everyone out there who voted for either Obama or McCain: Next election…. do the country a favor and stay home.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:35 amRUCeriousMaggot! Says
April 20th, 2009 at 10:34 am
And over on MSNBC, there’s the story about
Waterboarding used 266 times on 2 suspects.
_____________________________________________________________
Any reasonable person would ask, “WHY?”
How many times do you waterboard somebody before it dawns on you that you’re not going to get the information you want? It seems to me that any waterboarding done after that point is sadism to get your jollies, not interrogation.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:36 amConservativeForProgress Says
April 20th, 2009 at 10:40 am
I’m having a hard time finding a campaign promise that Obama hasn’t broken.
__________________________________________________________
I doubt that you’re having a “hard time” when it’s obvious you aren’t even looking.
I managed to find this with a 2-second Google search:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/rulings/promise-kept/
That’s two pages of promises kept. Want to see what’s in the works, but not completed yet? There are three pages of items there:
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/rulings/in-the-works/
April 20th, 2009 at 11:44 amDays after Gov. David Paterson (D-NY) unveiled a same-sex marriage bill, Rudy Giuliani is “declaring war on gay marriage.” Giuliani, who is pro-civil unions, is “vowing to use his strong opposition of it against the Democrats if he runs for governor next year.”
Ok, this makes no sense. Why would you be against marriage and for civil-unions. What in the f is the difference? A word? what makes that word do sacrosanct?
April 20th, 2009 at 11:50 amI hear you RUCerious about a President Palin (shudder), but at the same time I feel a little used and soiled. Kinda like the Religious Right must feel after they voted for Bush and found out after the fact that all that noise about abortion rights and gay marriage bad was just that …noise.
Obama turning his back on the torture done by our country is pragmatic and at the same time dead wrong. This bullshit is going to turn a lot of Obama’s base apathetic. I would never vote for Bible Spice, but I may not vote at all.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:52 am“The Obama administration opposes any effort to prosecute those in the Justice Department who drafted legal memos authorizing harsh interrogations at secret CIA prisons, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said yesterday.” Speaking with George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week,” Emanuel said, “But those who devised the policies…should not be prosecuted either.”
This could be the beginning of the end of Obama’s presidency.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:55 amwatchdog
I think we have discussed this before but the lame ass pic is well both lame and tired.
Still whatever little white guy scared of the black guy…
RealityCheck is a supreme pussy don’t ya think?
April 20th, 2009 at 12:01 pmPlease get your tongue out of my ass watchdog. I have told you before that we humans aren’t into that thing.
Thanks.
April 20th, 2009 at 12:02 pmHummm. is Rahm Emanuel President Obamas cheney.? Shudder and worry abound’s…P.B. & J
April 20th, 2009 at 12:03 pmYou only got $10 a week? You must work at Walmart. As a supervisor of course because the average worker there probably doesn’t make enough money to pay any taxes.
April 20th, 2009 at 12:03 pmwatchdog Says:
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Zooey Says:
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“The Obama administration opposes any effort to prosecute those in the Justice Department who drafted legal memos authorizing harsh interrogations at secret CIA prisons, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said yesterday.” Speaking with George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week,” Emanuel said, “But those who devised the policies…should not be prosecuted either.”
This could be the beginning of the end of Obama’s presidency.
Keep your fingers crossed.
April 20th, 2009 at 11:59 am
Don’t get your hopes up that a Republican will be elected , tool ; especially Bible Spice Palin.
That is definitely not going to happen……….
April 20th, 2009 at 12:06 pmIsn’t that nice. Comfort the guys who committed these crimes while leaving those of us who vigorously supported him feeling despondent. I suppose next week he’ll be offering comfort to rapists. After all the women didn’t die so they weren’t trying to hurt them.
April 20th, 2009 at 12:16 pmMaybe we need to start a grassroots campaign to get Dennis Kucinich to run as an independent. Sort of an antiteabaggers movement.
April 20th, 2009 at 12:19 pmGreat posts Lady Z and Lady Shayne….Thank you for posting…Off to run errand’s. buy new plant’s and listen to lot’s of music to bring the blood pressure down…P. B. & J.
April 20th, 2009 at 12:22 pmSpain is the world’s only hope at the moment for torture justice:
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSLH62645
Spanish judge keeps Guantanamo probe alive
On Thursday, Spain’s attorney general said Garzon should dismiss the complaint brought by human rights lawyers calling for the officials to be prosecuted.
In a ruling on Friday, Garzon ignored this advice but also avoided a direct confrontation with the attorney general’s office by submitting the case to a lottery system which will now assign it at random to one of the six high court judges.
“Let it be assigned to the corresponding court,” Garzon said in the ruling.
The judge who gets the case will now have to decide whether to go ahead of it. Under the system, Garzon will have a one in six chance of getting the case back.
April 20th, 2009 at 12:31 pmSNAPPY @ #60
Perhaps you missed the point. Said concern troll remarked that he didn’t see a single promise kept, I was merely rebuking his faulty research…
April 20th, 2009 at 12:35 pmAs to the being bought off part, please refer to my post at #45.
“But those who devised the policies should not be prosecuted either.”
Ha, ‘yes we can’ has morphed into ‘no we won’t’.
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‘We are forever desperate to believe that this time the government is telling us the truth.’
Sydney Schanberg
April 20th, 2009 at 12:40 pm______
Bilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
Ok, this makes no sense. Why would you be against marriage and for civil-unions.
To appease those who insist on a union that is counter to the norm.
What in the f is the difference? A word? what makes that word do sacrosanct?
This is a good question for those who insist that gay marriage should be allowed so those who choose a gay partner can have the benefits of that partnership. If the benefits are provided by a civil union, what is the difference? ;)
April 20th, 2009 at 1:02 pm______
fire _ant_chavis Says:
Who asked her for stupid opinion anyway?
April 20th, 2009 at 9:32 am
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According to the video, some strange person who goes by the name perez hilton. ;)
April 20th, 2009 at 1:05 pmRUCeriousMaggot! Says:
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SNAPPY @ #60
Perhaps you missed the point. Said concern troll remarked that he didn’t see a single promise kept, I was merely rebuking his faulty research…
April 20th, 2009 at 1:13 pmAs to the being bought off part, please refer to my post at #45 UNDERSTOOD. Sorry!
Stressed Americans Postpone Healthcare
Twenty percent of Americans say they have delayed or postponed medical care, mostly doctor visits, and many said cost was the main reason, according to a survey released on Monday.
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE53J2NW20090420
April 20th, 2009 at 1:30 pmSo Obama has finally come out and said there will be neither investigations nor prosecution of those who carried out torture, who formulated the policies and those who ultimately approved such policies being carried out. By making this horrible decision, Obama has just become complicit with these war crimes, as well as participating in an obstruction of justice.
While I believe Obama is making some important progressive changes in a variety of areas, this ONE inter-related issue: human rights and civil liberties, was my strongest reason for supporting him. I donated to his campaign and convinced a number of very hard-line Republicans to vote for him in November. I feel betrayed. I feel that our democracy and the future of this country has been betrayed. When he runs again in 2012, he will not get my support or my vote.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:35 pmNo problem, Snappy 12, sometimes I snap before I read too…
April 20th, 2009 at 1:40 pmConservativeForProgress;
in case you missed it, I post the defintions once more;
conservative: dedication to MAINTAINING the status quo, opposes change.
progressive: dedication to CHANGING the status quo.
You can’t be both, so which are you?
April 20th, 2009 at 1:52 pmAnd that’s another group of voters taken in by a politician who says he’s going to “fix” things. This will only continue as long as people believe things that the Democrats and Republicans tell them.
Bush gets away without any accountability. End of story…
Everyone out there who voted for either Obama or McCain: Next election…. do the country a favor and stay home. — Swordsbane
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For the most part, I agree with you and share your anger. At the same time, however, I have to ask you — why do you think that refusing to participate in the election process of our country is in any way helpful or beneficial?
Granted, more and more frequently these days, voting often seems to be little more than a token gesture which we use to exchange one set of wolves in sheep’s clothing for another — I’ve been saying for many years now that voting is more often than not merely the process of choosing between the lesser of two evils, and that most people simply vote for the person whose B.S. sounds most like their own. That being said, I think that one of the biggest reasons why our leaders have proven to be such a disappointment to us is precisely because many of us are choosing not to participate — while to all appearances, many of those who do choose to participate don’t want to take the responsibility of doing the research and asking the questions which would enable them to make at least somewhat more informed choices. I’ve said it many times before, and will say it again now — in a democracy, the people for the most part get the government they deserve and not necessarily the one they want or need. As long as the American voters continue to elect leaders (regardless of level) who promise us something for nothing, who talk about problems as if they existed in a vacuum, and who tell us what they think we want to hear instead of what we need to hear…we’ll continue to get what we’ve always gotten.
I agree with you that the Democrats and Republicans have become so accustomed to being in power that they’ve become complacent and have forgotten their responsibility is to the people rather than themselves — but how will giving up and refusing to participate motivate them to do anything differently?
April 20th, 2009 at 1:52 pmThere may be a ton of info we don’t know behind the scenes here…that being said, I think this may turn around to bite Obama later. I think his Administration should make a clear, clean break with the past by investigating and prosecuting clear war crimes. The law requires it.
April 20th, 2009 at 2:29 pmWHY IS OBAMA ADMINISTRATION MAKING THE SAME ARGUMENT TO IGNORE OUR LAWS THAT BUSH AND CHENEY MADE TO VIOLATE THEM?
It’s not “looking to the past” to ENFORCE the LAW. Since WHEN is NOT enforcing the law an acceptable option in AMERICA? It is “ignoring the law” to choose to ALLOW LAWBREAKERS TO GO UNPROSECUTED FOR THEIR CRIMES. Since WHEN is the POLITICAL ramifications of prosecution an acceptable or relevant argument?
WHERE does President Obama draw the line when it comes to IGNORING illegal acts? Is it EVERYONE in AMERICA who broke the law during Bush’s/Cheney’s reign; or is it ONLY those who were active participants in AIDING and or ABETTING Bush and Cheney? Since WHEN is someone who aids and abets a crime not subject to CRIMINAL prosecution?
The precedents that President Obama would set in failing to hold Bush administration appointees and or employees legally accountable for their illegal actions if FAR MORE DANGEROUS TO AMERICA’S FUTURE than whatever POLITICAL COST we might pay.
How can a Constitutional Law Professor advocate IGNORING the reasons that America was founded as a NATION OF LAWS instead of a NATION OF MEN?!
President Obama is WRONG to PREVENT the prescribed enforcement of our laws. In making the argument that “we have more pressing matters to consider”, he is making the SAME ARGUMENT to IGNORE our laws that the Bush administration made to VIOLATE them. The ends DO NOT justify the means!
April 20th, 2009 at 2:31 pmDays after Gov. David Paterson (D-NY) unveiled a same-sex marriage bill, Rudy Giuliani is “declaring war on gay marriage.” Giuliani, who is pro-civil unions, is “vowing to use his strong opposition of it against the Democrats if he runs for governor next year.”
Hey, Rudy, you would even oppose letting your wealthy gay friends get married, the ones who let you live in their apartment after your divorce? I know you supported “civil unions” but always stopped short of allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry. Why is that, Rudy? Is there something wrong with gay people? If not, why not let them get married? It won’t interfere with your right to get married a fourth time. And if you do, then why was it okay to live with a gay couple?
These days, you’re an opportunist, Rudy. Nothing but an opportunist.
April 20th, 2009 at 4:04 pm“The Obama administration opposes any effort to prosecute those in the Justice Department who drafted legal memos authorizing harsh interrogations at secret CIA prisons…
Fine, fine — we’re only concerned about the ones who
April 20th, 2009 at 10:37 pmdrafted the illegal memos. They, I assume, are fair game.
MEGHAN MCCAIN CALLS ROVE ‘CREEPY’
The daughter of 2008 GOP presidential candidate John McCain called President Bush’s political mastermind “creepy” today because he follows her on Twitter.
“Karl Rove follows me on Twitter. That’s creepy,” McCain, 24, wrote on her blog posted on the DailyBeast Web site.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/04202009/news/nationalnews/meghan_mccain_calls_rove_creep_165358.htm
April 21st, 2009 at 12:17 am