David Corn

DC,

"but the bottom line is that anyone who wants the complete truth to be exposed ought to be pushing for an independent commission or a robust congressional investigation that is designed for transparency."

Or both - no reason to limit any investigation.

Good piece!

I would think something along the lines of the Church Committee or the Watergate Committee run by Sam Ervin would be better. An independent committee run by judges such as Sandra Day O'Connor would also be a good direction to go in.
The public wants to know the truth and we can handle the truth despite what the MSM thinks.

What we need is an independent committee to investigate Nancy Pelosi on what she knew and when she knew it.

If Pelopsi could have stopped the waterboarding and didn't then she needs to be prosecuted for her war crimes!

New Evidence of Torture Prison in Poland

The current debate in the US on the "special interrogation methods" sanctioned by the Bush administration could soon reach Europe. It has long been clear that the CIA used the Szymany military airbase in Poland for extraordinary renditions. Now there is evidence of a secret prison nearby.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,621450,00.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 30, 1997

SPEAKER'S STATEMENT ON VISIT OF PRESIDENT JIANG

Washington, D.C. -- House Speaker Newt Gingrich released the following statement today following his meeting with Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

"As I said in China this spring, there is no place for abuse in what must be considered the family of man. There is no place for torture and arbitrary detention. There is no place for forced confessions. There is no place for intolerance of dissent." "While we walked through the Rotunda. I explained to President Jiang how the roots of American rule of law go back more than 700 years, to the signing of the Magna Carta. The foundation of American values, therefore, is not a passing priority or a temporary trend.

*****

Reagan, Ronald - against torture
Gingrich, Newt - used to be against torture
McCain, John - used to be against torture

People need not wonder why the GOP is shrinking.

Lawmakers Arrested for Protesting on Darfur

President Bashir has a choice. He can choose to waterboard them, then excuse the people who actually do the waterboarding - then look foward.

I wonder if the AG thinks that would be okay?

Nancy Pelosi- for torture before she was against

Jay Rockefeller - for torture before he was against

People need to wonder why the left is lying!

Gallup: Majority support investigation of Bush administration’s interrogation tactics.

In a new poll out today, Gallup found that a slim majority of Americans -- 51 percent -- support "a government investigation into harsh interrogation techniques of terrorist suspects." Forty-two percent said they were opposed to such investigations:

http://tinyurl.com/cxj6gm

http://blog.indecisionforever.com/files/2009/04/cheneyinked.jpg

http://blog.indecisionforever.com/files/2009/04/roveinked.jpg

To gain a better understanding of how Americans feel about the matter, Gallup combined the results of the questions on whether the techniques were justified and whether the government should investigate.

All told, the greatest number of Americans, 30%, seem to agree with Cheney's position that the ends justified the means and that no investigation is necessary. Nearly as many (25%), though, would appear to side with many congressional Democrats who say the techniques should not have been used and an investigation is warranted. Twenty-three percent think the techniques were warranted yet still favor an investigation, while 10% think the methods should not have been used but nevertheless oppose an official inquiry.

Small Businesses Brace for Tax Battle
Under Obama Plan, Some Entrepreneurs' Bills Would Soar

By Lori Montgomery and V. Dion Haynes
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, April 27, 2009

Gail Johnson doesn't think of herself as wealthy. The former pediatric nurse has spent 20 years building a chain of preschools and after-school programs that accommodate sick children so working parents can keep their jobs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope and change at it's best!

George H W Bush, addres before congress, March 6,1991

"I'm sure that many of you saw on the television the unforgettable scene of four terrified Iraqi soldiers surrendering. They emerged from their bunker broken, tears streaming from their eyes, fearing the worst. And then there was an American soldier. Remember what he said? He said: "It's okay. You're all right now. You're all right now." That scene says a lot about America, a lot about who we are. Americans are a caring people. We are a good people, a generous people. Let us always be caring and good and generous in all we do. "

lou speck -

Kudos man, finally a voice of reason!

Of course Americans are a "caring people". And as is our continuing stance on enhanced interrogation, any UNIFORMED SOLDIER engaged in a battle is afforded the rights under the Geneva Convention.

But, participate in the planning of the hijack of a passenger plane, slit the throats of the crew, and crash the plane into a building resulting in thousands of lives lost, and get ready for interrogations using "bugs", "flexible walls", "sleep deprivation", and non-life threatening "waterboarding".

It's all about "proportional response".

Thanks lou.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, released Monday, also indicates that 63 percent of Americans approve of how Obama is handling his duties as president. One in three questioned in the poll disapprove.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/27/poll.obama.policies/

Joshua Cartwright: Another Deadly Gunman "Severely Disturbed" Over Obama's Election

http://tinyurl.com/d5yc66

Excellent CNN Poll post, capt. To add to your C&P

"Story Highlights
Percentage of people who agree with Obama on the issues has gone down"

If I may paraphrase, I think we both agree that Barry is a genuine "cult of personality" - shame he's not strong on policies though.

The GOP Is Acting Like a Guy Who Got Dumped

Listen up Republicans: It's been almost 100 days, and your country is not coming back to you. She's found somebody new.

If conservatives don't want to be seen as bitter people who cling to their guns and religion and anti-immigrant sentiments, they should stop being bitter and clinging to their guns, religion and anti-immigrant sentiments.

It's been a week now, and I still don't know what those "tea bag" protests were about. I saw signs protesting abortion, illegal immigrants, the bank bailout and that gay guy who's going to win "American Idol." But it wasn't tax day that made them crazy; it was election day. Because that's when Republicans became what they fear most: a minority.

The conservative base is absolutely apoplectic because, because ... well, nobody knows. They're mad as hell, and they're not going to take it anymore. Even though they're not quite sure what "it" is. But they know they're fed up with "it," and that "it" has got to stop.

http://tinyurl.com/ctnd24

lolololo

The right sentiment for a U.S. president to express when it comes to government-sanctioned, government-directed torture policies:

"It's important for people to understand that in a democracy, there will be a full investigation. In other words, we want to know the truth. In our country, when there's an allegation of abuse ... there will be a full investigation, and justice will be delivered. ... It's very important for people and your listeners to understand that in our country, when an issue is brought to our attention on this magnitude, we act. And we act in a way in which leaders are willing to discuss it with the media. ... In other words, people want to know the truth.

"That stands in contrast to dictatorships. A dictator wouldn't be answering questions about this. A dictator wouldn't be saying that the system will be investigated and the world will see the results of the investigation."

You could probably guess by the frequent reference to "in other words" that this wasn't Obama, but rather, was George W. Bush, speaking to al Arabiya after the Abu Ghraib scandal erupted.

http://tinyurl.com/cwynng

capt -

I guess Bill Maher is the voice of the new Left! -

"ABC decided not to renew Maher's contract for Politically Incorrect in 2002 after he made a controversial on-air remark on September 17, 2001,[30] in which he agreed with guest conservative political commentator Dinesh D'Souza that the 9/11 terrorists were not cowards. He then went on to say, "We have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly." Maher later clarified that his comment was not anti-military in any way whatsoever, mentioning his longstanding support for the American military."

"Maher is a member of NORML's Advisory Board, an organization which supports the decriminalization of marijuana, and is an open marijuana user. "

lolololo

Freed Pirate Hostage Slams Rush Limbaugh for 'Evil' 'Hate Speech'

When the recent hostage standoff with Somali pirates and Captain Richard Phillips was resolved, most Americans were obviously pleased with the results. A small handful weren't, and it appears at least some of the crew of the Maersk Alabama noticed.

Shane Murphy, second-in-command aboard the ship seized by Somali pirates this month, is happy to be home. But he's not happy to be sharing turf with land-lubber Rush Limbaugh, who politicized the pirate affair by referring to the pirates as "black teenagers."

"It feels great to be home," said Murphy in an interview with WCBV in Boston. "It feels like everyone around here has my back, with the exception of Rush Limbaugh, who is trying to make this into a race issue ... that's disgusting."

Limbaugh, questioning the president's leadership and priorities, said Obama "was worried about the order he had given to wipe out three teenagers on the high seas -- black Muslim teenagers."

"You gotta get with us or against us here, Rush," Murphy said. "The president did the right thing ... It's a war.... It's about good versus evil. And what you said is evil. It's hate speech. I won't tolerate it."

http://tinyurl.com/dhcxcl

*****

Hero = 1
Drug addled douche bag = 0

Colbert Study: Conservatives Don't Know He's Joking

http://tinyurl.com/ccowgb

ROFL!

Of course they don't know he is joking, THAT is what makes him so funny. As if imitating O'Liely is a serious matter! HA!

Meanwhile, at GOPHQ...

STRATEGIST #1: I've got an idea. The American people are crying out right now for childish partisanship, political games, and do-nothingism.

STRATEGIST #2: I know, right? Did you catch the tea parties on Fox News? Rush Limbaugh said there were like five million people there just... protesting stuff. This is a real grassroots phenomenon!

STRATEGIST #1: It sure is. But you heard that the Justice Department might prosecute members of the Bush administration for authorizing the illegal torture of prisoners?

STRATEGIST #2: I did. Rush Limbaugh said yesterday that this so-called "torture" was really effective and helped us stop dozens of terror plots, and also it was just frat pranks that didn't hurt anybody.

STRATEGIST #1: That's right. So here's the plan: if the Justice Department prosecutes any members of the Bush administration, we'll shut down the government!

STRATEGIST #2: Clever! Because the American people think that torture is great - and they really liked the Bush adminstration!

STRATEGIST #1: You got it! So even though we're the ones responsible, the people are bound to blame the Democrats!

STRATEGIST #2: Brilliant! Rush Limbaugh said Americans hate the Democrats!

STRATEGISTS #1 AND #2: A-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/top10/363

Hey capt,

You must have missed the Daily Kos site attacking your hero for getting the pirate kids killed by Navy Seals.

According to the Krazy Kos Kids the pirate hostage is a douche bag!

lololo!

Hey Capt,

Why does Corn pay you to post on this site? The only bloggers you've ever brought in are conservatives. What a waste of money.

lololo

Meanwhile, at GOPHQ...

STRATEGIST #2: I've got it! Rush Limbaugh said that Obama's handshake with Chavez literally spells the end for our great Republic! So...

STRATEGIST #1: You know, I'm starting to wonder whether Rush Limbaugh really knows what he's talking about.

STRATEGIST #2: Oh God... you fool...

(the door opens)

BURLY MAN HOLDING A BAT AND WEARING A "CLUB GITMO" T-SHIRT: I'm gonna have to ask you to step outside sir.

The GOP crazies get crazier by the day.

Don Larsen, a Springville delegate, offered the resolution, titled "Resolution opposing the Hate America anti-Christian Open Borders cabal," warning delegates that an "invisible government" comprised of left-wing foundations was pumping money into the Democratic Party to push for looser immigration laws and anti-family legislation.

Larsen said Democrats get most of the votes cast by illegal immigrants and people in dysfunctional families.

But it's not the Democrats who are behind this strategy, Larsen said. It's the devil.

http://tinyurl.com/czgkoh

(To their credit, Utah County Republicans defeated this resolution.)

William F. Buckley once famously wrote that the conservative National Review "stands athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no one is inclined to do so."

Today's conservative movement apparently stands athwart a mirror trying to find its ass with both hands.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Seventy-seven percent (77%) of U.S. voters say that they prefer a free market economy over a government-managed economy. That’s up seven points since December.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey also found that just 11% now prefer a government-run economy, down from 15% four months ago.

Free markets are preferred by 94% of Republicans, 64% of Democrats and 78% of those not affiliated with either major party. Adults under 30 favor free markets by a 79% to eight percent (8%) margin.
~~~~~~~~

But hey he's still polpular~

GOP: Release of ‘Torture Memos’ Poses Threat to Our Tortured Logic

“AS THE REST OF THE WORLD SEES THAT HACK REPUBLICAN LAWYERS TORTURED THE LAW, THE ENTIRE PHILOSOPHY OF OUR PARTY WILL BE STRIPPED BARE LIKE A DETAINEE AT ABU GHRAIB.”

http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=6995

Club Gitmo-ize them all.

All those who at any time were pro-torture.

The unintended humor straight from 20 Cent and his most devoted admirers. As Hajji used to say, puh-thetic.

George H W Bush, addres (sic) before congress, March 6,1991

"I'm sure that many of you saw,,,,
Posted by: lou speck April 27, 2009 6:14 PM

And the love comes full circle:

lou speck -
Kudos man, finally a voice of reason!
Thanks lou.
Posted by: denmac April 27, 2009 6:26 PM
==+==

Gimme back my hypertext tags. In honor of Denmac and his merry band of sockpuppets:

Texas Governor Rick Perry's all-time Top 10 Bushisms
Straight Dope for the Straight Dopes from a Straight Dope

10. "I promise you I will listen to what has been said here, even though I wasn't here."
--20 Cent, at the President's Economic Forum in Waco, Texas, Aug. 13, 2002

9. "We spent a lot of time talking about Africa, as we should. Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease."
-- 20 Cent, in Gothenburg, Sweden, June 14, 2001

8. "You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test."
-- 20 Cent, Townsend, Tenn., Feb. 21, 2001

7. "I am here to make an announcement that this Thursday, ticket counters and airplanes will fly out of Ronald Reagan Airport."
--20 Cent does Washington, D.C., Oct. 3, 2001

6. "You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror."
--20 Cent en fuego with CBS News' Katie Couric, Sept. 6, 2006

5. "The same folks that are bombing innocent people in Iraq were the ones who attacked us in America on September the 11th."
--20 Cent in Washington, D.C., July 12, 2007

4. "Oh, no, we're not going to have any casualties."
--20 Cent shooting the shit with Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson in 2003, as quoted by Robertson

5. "I think I was unprepared for war."
–20 Cent, with a wink and a smile, on the biggest regret of his presidency, ABC News interview, Dec. 1, 2008

4. "Do you have blacks, too?"
--20 Cent, international man of mystery, to Brazilian President Fernando Cardoso, Washington, D.C., Nov. 8, 2001

3. "This foreign policy stuff is a little frustrating."
--as quoted by the New York Daily News, April 23, 2002

2. "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."
--20 Cent, letting America in on a little secret, on "Good Morning America," Sept. 1, 2005, six days after repeated warnings from experts about the scope of damage expected from Hurricane Katrina

1. "I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."
--20 Cent, making his bid for the Nobel Peace Prize, Saginaw, Mich., Sept. 29, 2000

==+==
loudermac&fred
Thanks for the memories....

News via one of the few on the right to pull the IV needle out and toss the bag of red Koolaid, Andrew Sullivan:

21 Percent

That's the proportion of respondents identifying as Republicans in the latest WaPo/ABC poll. Independents now amount to almost twice that, at 38 percent. The GOP is shrinking, and as it shrinks, it gets more and more extreme, old and out of touch.
http://tinyurl.com/cj2oqo
===+===
Judging by the diehard dangleberries, 20 Cent and Cheney (Dumb and Dumber) are still the face of the GOP. And that is why it has become the laughingstock of the political world.

You can't take these RepubliCONservative jokers seriously (79% of voting Americans are laughing their asses off at them). So are the Late Night Funsters:

"Former President George W. Bush said today he does not remember seeing any of those torture memos. But to be fair, to Bush, any memo on his desk was torture. 'I'm not readin' that.'"
--Jay Leno

"During an interview with The New York Post, Rudy Giuliani said that he is against gay marriage. He feels marriage should be between a man, a woman, the other woman, and the other woman he met after that."
--Jay Leno (same goes for McCain, and GIngrich, and and every other GOP candidate, EXCEPT the mormon, ironic, heh?)

"The Justice Department says they want to make an example of this Somali pirate guy. And I thought, really? In terms of making an example, I don't think you can do much better than shooting the other three guys in the head."
--David Letterman

"But anyway, they waterboarded K.S. Mohammed 183 times, and thanks to the information they got from this guy, via waterboarding, we were able to capture bin Laden."
--David Letterman

"Well, here's no surprise, Exxon has earned the top spot in the new 2009 Fortune 500 list. Last year, Exxon took in -- this is an unbelievable number -- $443 billion in revenue, and made a profit of $45 billion. You know, here's my question: why not have Exxon bail out the car companies? I mean, one can't live without the other, right?"
--Jay Leno

"Very exciting news. We have a Miss USA Her name is Kristen Dalton, and she is from North Carolina. She says she's now looking forward to one day being the Republican vice presidential candidate."
--Jay Leno

"Well, recently, that evil Hugo Chavez from Venezuela slipped President Obama a book that is printed in Spanish. But President Obama does not read or speak Spanish. It would be like handing George W. Bush ANY book."
--David Letterman

And the future of the GOP? Rick Perry. He is currently in the running for Head GoOPster.

Perry does the Secession Dance, much like the Potty Dance but with more emphasis on covering the place where his gonads used to hang:

"We've got a great union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we're a pretty independent lot to boot," Perry said Wednesday.

And today, Perry comes back, tail between his legs, looking for a handout:
http://tinyurl.com/ccpesg

He's one of them Cowboys that can talk the talk; but just like 20 Cent, he's all hat and no cattle. Idiot.

Huh. Larry. Us. Perry is now a national laughinstock :

"Texas Governor Rick Perry said the state of Texas could secede from the Union if it wanted to. Is that what we need, another foreign country on our southern border speaking a language we don't understand? Come on!"
--Jay Leno

"Former President Bush wasted no time responding to this. He said, 'Wow, does that mean I get to be president again?'"
--Jay Leno

"We have a new 'border czar.' His job is to make sure nobody sneaks into the United States from Texas."
--Jay Leno

"Do you know about this? Texas Gov. Rick Perry fired up an anti-tax tea party this week by saying that Texas has the right to secede from the Union if it wants to. And former President Bush, who now lives in Texas, is of course against the idea. Bush said if Texas leaves the Union, they'll be a foreign country, 'like Alaska and Hawaii.'"
--Jay Leno

"But on the plus side, if Texas did secede from the Union, we could then invade them for the oil."
--Jay Leno

"Yesterday, the governor of Texas, Rick Perry, said Texans are fed up with Washington. He said they might secede from the rest of America. If Texas forms their own country, they could be invaded by Mexico. They'll have to change their name to Texico."
--Craig Ferguson

A couple of quickies for the funnybone on the right:

"President Barack Obama told his Cabinet yesterday to insure that every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely. But there was one embarrassing moment when he had to explain to the Cabinet what a taxpayer was."
--Jay Leno

"President Obama met with his entire Cabinet today. Well, sure, now that April 15th has passed, they've all come out of hiding."
--Jay Leno

Seriously, though. George Bush authorized torture and his administration carried it out methodically, despite the fact that it knew it was breaking the law. This merits an investigation. Shit, 20 Cent himself called for investigations. I believe his words were "Bring 'em on!"

via Andrew Sullivan:
"The United States is committed to the world-wide elimination of torture and we are leading this fight by example. I call on all governments to join with the United States and the community of law-abiding nations in prohibiting, investigating, and prosecuting all acts of torture and in undertaking to prevent other cruel and unusual punishment. I call on all nations to speak out against torture in all its forms and to make ending torture an essential part of their diplomacy," - George W. Bush, urging the investigation and prosecution of prisoner abuse and torture under his command, June 26, 2003.

Among the specific techniques cited by Bush were repeated beatings, something he authorized, along with waterboarding and stress positions, for prisoners in US captivity.

Why should we not apply George W. Bush's public standards to George W. Bush?

http://tinyurl.com/czdxxw

The relevant laws are crystal clear. It was torture and it was illegal. Just because Bybee and Yoo wrote them an excuse doesn't mean that what they did was legal by any stretch of the imagination.

oops. forgot link to torture laws:
http://tinyurl.com/dbw2gy

I was planning on cutting and pasting Newt and McCains "evolving" theories of torture (hint: their words before the OLC memos were released don't match their words after). Newt's position is especially hilarious because he bends his principles to the point where he can't even call Pol Pot a torturer. I'd like to formally apologize to Mr. Corn for directing people away from his blog for people to get a read of the conservative view of torture; but Andrew Sullivan lays it out in all its horror.
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/

From Reagan to McCain, conservatives have called the Bush Admin's actions illegal. The fact that Conservatives defend torture is what is driving folks away from the party in droves. They know that the rule of Law means nothing to the party on the EXTREME right.

Pew Shows this obvious point:
http://tinyurl.com/3cgtzy

Everyone seems to get it except the GOP (cf the Murphy Tedisco race in a GOP stronghold of NY).

Until the GOP and Conservatives in general can get their soul back from the fucked-in-the-head torture apologists that are still defending Bush (loudenmac&freddie types), they will continue to get their asses kicked at the polls. Enjoy that permanent majority Krazy Karl was always bragging about. Oh, wait.... Pffffft! ROTFL.

as for that WashPost story that Denmac was touting:

Small Businesses Brace for Tax Battle
Under Obama Plan, Some Entrepreneurs' Bills Would Soar

Gail Johnson, who owns an education company, would see her federal tax bill grow by about 19 percent if Obama's ...

By Lori Montgomery and V. Dion Haynes
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, April 27, 2009

Read the whole thing:
http://tinyurl.com/cra8d5

The folks that Denmac is worried about are in the top1% to 1.5% of wage earners in America. Again, as long as these guys remain the useful idiots of the super-rich, the GOP will remain a minority Tea Party.

Clint - tear 'em up!