RE: The Torture Evidence Issue. Please consider this point. The torture

[Mike 03]

didn't happen on Obama's watch.

It does not reflect poorly on the United States. It reflects poorly on the Bush Administration.

What would reflect well on the U.S. now is for Obama to make this evidence public and apologize for it, and prosecute it.

What reflects poorly on Obama is for him to continue to practice the secrecy of Bush on this issue.

So, I think it is exactly the opposite.

We need, as a nation, to confess what we have done, clarify who the responsible parties were, say that we will never do this again, and make amends.

We are making things worse by trying to conceal evidence of these crimes.

ON EDIT:

I'm echoing what others are saying, and perhaps this does not merit yet another thread, but I just feel so passionately about this issue. I apologize for the repetition and addition of yet another thread. I'm just so shocked by some of the discussion here. It is so unlike DU, IMO.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

1. BUSH AND CHENEY SET THE FRAMEWORK FOR ALL KINDS OF MONSTROSITIES TO OCCUR

[AndyA]

2. I agree, and I think Obama is going to find his support slipping away quickly

if he doesn't get his shit together about this. He cannot cover up crimes without becoming complicit in those crimes. The cover up is just as bad as the crime.

He's a smart man, he needs to remember why he's in the White House: change and transparency. Continuing Bush's super secret policies isn't why we voted for him.

[mmonk]

3. There is no need to apologize.

[Uncle Joe]

4. I agree, Mike and I believe the troops would face less danger if there was open

accountability for this.

[G_j]

5. It reflects very poorly on the US (of enablers)

maybe not you or I....

[Robbien]

6. Obama is covering up torture

That is exactly what his decision today means. The detractors on DU want us to believe otherwise.

[Mike 03]

7. I almost NEVER kick my own posts, but I'm kicking this one, with all due respect, for your

consideration.

Please, think about this. Wouldn't it be a far smarter tactic to confess than to hide????

Obama has the chance of a life-time, to turn our reputation around and regain the respect of the world.

This is not an opportunity we can afford to lose, IMHO.

ON EDIT:

The whole world knows this is not Obama's fault, but Bush and Cheney. It's much better to just rid ourselves of their curse, come clean and move on.