Tuesday PUSHBACK Thread

[EFerrari]

Here are some items that could use a response today:

Telling the Truth -- The Weekly Standard

Washington (The Weekly Standard) Vol. 014, Issue 31 - 5/4/2009 – Some Democrats, from the White House on down, are pushing the idea of a "truth commission," à la South Africa, to deal with the "harsh measures" used by the Bush administration in interrogating al Qaeda detainees. Good. Let's have lots of truthtelling. Please bring it on.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/weeklystandard/20090428/cm_weeklystandard/tellingthetruth_1

Cheney for President -- NYTs
Watching Dick Cheney defend the Bush administration’s interrogation policies, it’s been hard to escape the impression that both the Republican Party and the country would be better off today if Cheney, rather than John McCain, had been a candidate for president in 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/28/opinion/28douthat.html?ref=opinion

Experts: Tough to stop Bybee impeach moves -- UPI

WASHINGTON, April 28 (UPI) -- There's little U.S. President Barack Obama or Senate conservatives can do to halt impeachment proceedings against Judge Jay Bybee, analysts say.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/04/28/Experts-Tough-to-stop-Bybee-impeach-moves/UPI-34951240925424/

Despite Reports, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Was Not Waterboarded 183 Times -- Fox

The New York Times reported last week that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, was waterboarded 183 times in one month by CIA interrogators. The "183 times" was widely circulated by news outlets throughout the world.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/28/despite-reports-khalid-sheikh-mohammed-waterboarded-times/

Commentary: If people have to ask, then actions are probably torture -- The Advertiser

Several years ago, I asked a veteran journalist for advice. "I'm trying to figure out if I have an ethical conflict," I began.

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090428/OPINION/904280304/-1/rss01

Obama and the Dems: Look Forward or Back? -- Time

Torture, the economic collapse, the controversial firing of eight U.S. federal prosecutors, Vice President Dick Cheney's secret energy task force: there's no shortage of reasons to be scrutinizing the Bush Administration these days, and Congress is on the case on most of them. But from the Obama Administration's point of view, there are equally compelling reasons not to get distracted by public trials . . .

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1894222,00.html



(The story below will likely go viral; you might want to check your local paper. It's a good platform for supporting accountability for torture. )

Obama praises FBI, says country counting on it - AP, found in Tulsa World

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has gone to the FBI to praise the men and women there for remaining "one step ahead of all those who choose to step outside the law."

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=16&articleid=20090428_298_0_WASHIN338126



FYI: Tuesday, a CBS poll found that "most Americns oppose prosecution":
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N28313392.htm

but here's a Gallup poll that found they support prosecution:
http://politicom.moldova.org/news/poll-investigate-interrogation-tactics-199392-eng.html

FYI2 No way to comment on this (yet) but might be good to keep in mind if McTorture's comments get traction among the wingnuttery:

McCain differs with Cheney on interrogation memos

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Releasing classified memos showing whether harsh Bush-era interrogation methods yielded useful information from terrorism suspects is not necessary, Republican Senator John McCain said on Sunday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090427/pl_nm/us_security_usa_interrogatN

[BuyingThyme]

1. kcik

[EFerrari]

2. Damn you, Arlen Specter!

[EFerrari]

3. kick

[EFerrari]

4. And last call.

:kick:

[annabanana]

5. Late afternoon kick. . n/t

[BuyingThyme]

6. kcik