A recent poll shows that 68 percent of Americans know that waterboarding is torture and roughly 60 percent oppose it used against terrorists. There are few areas of politics with such clear agreement. Yet, the Democrats refused to fight on the issue and stepped in to protect the nominee from what was clearly false testimony. Why? It is the one question that is not being asked by the media. The answer seems to be that some members knew of the waterboarding but failed to go public. Moreover, if confirmed as a war crime, democrats would be forced to take action against President Bush. The silence of senators on any knowledge of waterboarding is particularly worrisome since it is a crime. As a crime, they should not be yielded to demand of secrecy by the Administration. The president cannot classify evidence of a crime that he ordered. For the poll, click here
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As posted on the Attytood site: waterboarding is “death of the American soul”. To allow it, changes us.
No other issue of the day so stains our national honor.
After years of sneering at the “europeanization” of American mores, this current administration has europeanized us like no one before: by allowing our values to be trampled in the dust and adapting a cynical amoral realpolitik code of action that tolerates torture, pre-emptive wars, intentional deceptions to the public and rule of the individual over the rule of law.
Thanks indeed to this administration for bringing old world sophistication to our shores.
Anyone who doubts that waterboarding is torture should be willing to try it.
I have an unpleasant sense of what it must be like from being knocked over by large waves in the ocean when I was a child.
Thanks for your appearances on Countdown. Always interesting and enlightening.
Professor Turley, I’ve mentioned you in the comments section of my article in this week’s History News Network (hnn.us). My article is about Federalist #8.
http://hnn.us/articles/43815.html
I am relieved to read your words:
“The president cannot classify evidence of a crime that he ordered.”
In other words, if there is a classified meeting in which members of Congress are informed of classified info, and told the means of obtaining that info – if the means is illegal (i.e., torture) are they not then obligated to come forward and declare the President a criminal? Since they did not, they are now in ‘CYA’ mode. So, they will not take action against the President or Vice President because in doing so, they will reveal their own criminality, is that right?
Can the American people grant Congress immunity so they can pursue the crimes of the White House?
What Congress needs is not immunity but integrity. The Framers gave them ample authority and the president gave them ample grounds for investigation and potential impeachment.