The President was absolutely right in calling Water boarding a "mistake"

[Perky]

The actual investigation has not even started yet. and him giving his views taints any jury pool.

ANd even if it doesn't calling a former president and Veep "criminals" would be the controlling news cycle for weeks because it sets up a talk show war without end,

Let Holder get all the evidence gathered "by the book". FOllow the rules of evidence... Follow the leads, and indict when you are ready. Without it appearing to me mandated by the president.\ of the passionate demands of the electorate. Justice, true justice, must be blind to the passion of partisans.

The only way this work is if the process is fair to the accused. We can't simply dispense with the notion of a presumption of innocence, because it is inconvenient to our interests. The torturers.....er I meant the accused are entitled t their day in court. without the President saying they are criminals in prime time,

Obama understands the balance of powers, he understands the law, he understands the power of the presidential voice and he went as far as he could,


Come on people, insisting it is criminal without a real investigation, is pretty darn close to the attitude lived out over the past eight years.

[Schema Thing]

1. He didn't call torture a mistake. He called the writing of the torture memos

(not even the memos themselves) a mistake.


Big difference.

But you're right that he needs to not interject himself any more than he absolutely has to.

[Perky]

4. good point

[stillcool]

2. I think he should stay as far away...

from it as possible..but should take all kinds of heat. It would be great if Congress was on the hot seat as well, but for some reason that never seems to happen.

[AtomicKitten]

3. He wasn't "right" --- he did the right thing

He was being apolitical.

Nobody asked the magic bullet (an homage to new ConservaDem Specter) question and that is What is AG Holder doing with it?

Valerie Jarrett reiterated tonight that AG Holder is on the case.

And hoocha-hoocha-hoocha an incriminating email leaks out today referring to an Executive Order from Junior "sanctioning torture."

I do not agree with Jonathan Turley who said on Rachel tonight that Pres Obama should have called it a crime. He handed it over to AG Holder and stepped back. He did exactly what he is supposed to do, the right thing at the same time remaining apolitical. He really does have skills.

I am hopeful.

[crimsonblue]

5. It wasn't a mistake...

Nobody in the Bush Admin went, "Oops... did we just torture?". Instead, the Administration willfully created the torture program, and then found a "legal" basis upon which to stand. However, the DOJ must have been run by complete idiots, because the UN Convention Against Torture specifically and universally forbids torture, abd it also specifically states that "No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat or war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture."


It's bullshit to say that waterboarding was a "mistake". It was systematic and intentional.

[RichGirl]

6. It can be systematic and intentional and STILL...a mistake.

You can cheat on your taxes systematically and intentionally...KNOWING...that it's a mistake and hoping you don't get caught.

When you are speeding, you KNOW you're speeding and you KNOW it's a mistake...and you do it anyway. I think Rachel was wrong in her speeding analogy. She implied that it's a mistake OR a crime, but, of course, all crimes are also mistakes.

[crimsonblue]

10. mistake implies accidental causation...

Spilling milk is a mistake. Tossing a glass of milk in somebody's face isn't a mistake. The Bush Administration clearly knew what it was doing when it implemented its torture regime; why else would there be so many memos that detailed it to such minute levels? They knew what they were doing was evil and illegal; EVERY lawyer learns the Geneva Conventions and Convention Against Torture in law school. It is a matter of accepted fact that competent civil rights and law enforcement lawyers know that there is no justification for torture, and also that certain torture methods are illegal.

[RichGirl]

7. I think President Obama is doing exactly the right thing.

If there is going to be an investigation then you have to start with an "innocent until proven guilty" kind of attitude. If the Pres came out condemning and judging BEFORE an investigation, it would look bad and undermine the investigation.

[annabanana]

8. I know I know..... but I'm still all antsy waiting..

I want to see some movement..

[Peacetrain]

9. In order not to prejudice future prosecutions..the President has to walk a fine line..