Vice President Dick Cheney continued his campaign to get the nation to embrace torture this weekend. He appeared on CBS’s Face the Nation. He insisted that they were “not in the torture business” despite previously admitting to using waterboarding, a well-known torture technique. It may be that he believed that this was more of a passion or calling than a business enterprise. I discussed the interview on this segment of Countdown.
Cheney adopted the image of a virtual Don Quixote of torture: “If I don’t speak out, then where do we find ourselves? … Then the critics have free run, and there isn’t anybody there on the other side to tell the truth.” The truth, of course, is pretty bizarre in the mind of Dick Cheney.
In perhaps the greatest argument for Obama and Holder to stop protecting Cheney and others from investigation, Cheney reaffirmed that he is proud of the torture program: “No regrets,. I think it was absolutely the right thing to do. I’m convinced … that we saved thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of lives . . . 20 or 30 years from now, you’ll be able to look back on this and say this is one of the great success stories of American intelligence.”
I expect that 20 or 30 years from now, people will ask how a man who helped design this nation’s first torture program would be allowed to walk around freely — giving interviews on the merits of war crimes.
Cheney is continuing the effort to shape the debate on whether torture was successful. The media is helping with this effort by pursuing the issue on whether a war crime was nonetheless productive. Cheney again called for the release of memos and insisted that “I personally know of, written by the CIA, that lay out the successes of those policies and point out in considerable detail all of — all that we were able to achieve by virtue of those policies.” Again, he ignores (like most reporters covering the story) that it remains a war crime regardless of how useful it might prove for a country.
Notably, while Majority Leader Harry Reid insists that the fact are still not clear on torture despite the confirmation of Bush officials of waterboarding and the admission by many that it was torture, Cheney again showed that there was no question on the core facts on who is responsible for the orders: “I certainly, yes, have every reason to believe [President Bush] knew — he knew a great deal about the program. He basically authorized it. I mean, this was a presidential-level decision. And the decision went to the president. He signed off on it.”
Torture is just one scene of the movie which, it seems, is missed for it’s other parts and whole.
Considering the U.S. became a police state in 2001, meeting most if not all of the criteria for dictatorship, including deep, uniform deception and illegal wiretap beginning only a month or two after the coup, I find it unbelievable that Premier Cheney continues serving up Neo Con Reality like it was legitimate. Only in a Leninist-Straussian reality could such outrageous ideology survive the sniff test. Yet, there it is.
Oh, I get it: Cheney wants to say hello to the jury pool and Fox’s market share, while we the people find reconciliation. Is that it?
I thought Cheney’s eight year rule and dream of a living, functioning PNAC at the expense of lost liberty, justice, and equality were supposed to have come to an end in November. Yet, there he is, making believe his murderous protections racket somehow had a noble cause.
I want to see Cheney in a court of law, delivered there by any means, and tried, not just for torture, but for subversion, treason, murder, fraudulent preemption, theft, and more.
http://www.light-to-dark.com/preemption.html
Cheney and Obama are playing bad cop/good cop. Cheney is free to claim: they never tortured, if they did torture it was a good thing to do, and they never tortured. By now if Obama or Holder planned prosecutions they would have done so. Holder could have started the investigation and Obama could offer pardons or let the chips fall where they may. Meanwhile Obama claims he’s the good guy. He doesn’t believe in torture.
If that were true he would have put an end to torture in Gitmo, stopped renditions to Bagram and other black sites, and insisted on the right of habeas corpus for all our detainees. He would not have argued in the 4th circut that all former officials in the bush administration should be given immunity from prosecution for torture of our detainees. He would have given the evidence requested by Binaym Mohamed in his trial against torture in the UK. He would have told Holder appoint a special prosecutor. He has done none of these things except to argue in favor of immunity for bushco. He and Cheney simply act as each other’s protector. Cheney says anything he wants with no consequences. Obama gets to look good by saying he repudiates Cheney while doing nothing to really repudiate either the man or his actions.
So Cheney’s trying to fluff-up some make-believe jury pool and further spin public opinion? Why does he even bother? No one but a few retards from Abu Graib will ever be prosecuted.
Meanwhile, W. is listening to FogHat and building model airplanes in his garage. Sure, from time to time he’ll take a break to watch Barney lick himself,but that’s really the most disturbing part of his life from now on.
No one will ever pay the piper on this one. I used to give my wife crap for saying she’d never let our kids go in the service. I don’t anymore. I have to assume they’ll be sodomized if captured. Thanks Dick. Thanks President Obama.
“I expect that 20 or 30 years from now, people will ask how a man who helped design this nation’s first torture program would be allowed to walk around freely — giving interviews on the merits of war crimes.” JT
Mike A. supplied the answer.
We’re just waiting for the the Col. Jessep moment.
Who plays the role of Special Prosecutor?
Go CHENEY… please continue to shooting your mouth off!
M72 stated:
Predictions are worthless!
________________
Even those predictions emanating from the astute, learned attorneys/lawyers within this blawg?
Tell me it aint sO, mespO…
‘…He insisted that they were “not in the torture business” despite previously admitting to using waterboarding, a well-known torture technique. It may be that he believed that this was more of a passion or calling than a business enterprise…’
*****
Patty,
Get out of the way of what?
—–
Gyges,
We can support ‘the effort’ by standing aside while he finishes the job of shooting himself in the foot ‘all by his Onesies’.
Other similarly prescient historic predictions:
“The Titanic will be an unsinkable ship”
–Harland & Wolff Shipyard
“Dewey Defeats Truman”
–Chicago Tribune
“This `telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a practical form of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.”
– Western Union internal memo, 1878
“Television won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.”
– Darryl F. Zanuck, head of 20th Century-Fox, 1946.
“Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.”
– Lord Kelvin (1824-1907), ca. 1895, British mathematician and physicist
“There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home.”
– Kenneth Olsen, president and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977.
Predictions are worthless!
Mikes A and S,
I have to wonder if Cheney doesn’t just honestly believe that he’s right and that he didn’t break any laws.
Patty,
Get out of the way of what?
Mike Appleton,
Thank you for your prompt reply. I guess an invocation of his 5th Amendment rights might help him, at some point.
I know my questions seem self-evident; however, I simply have never seen such a high-ranking public official acting so brazenly and with such assumed impunity. This is a terrible example for young, impressionable people in our country and an excellent propaganda-recruiting tool for others.
FFLEO, whatever Mr. Cheney says is admissible, unless it’s said in private under one of the privileges (husband-wife, attorney-client, patient-psychotherapist, etc.). His speaking publicly represents a calculated decision that the government has neither the political will nor the moral courage to go after him.
Mike Appleton,
Cheney’s speaking out is poisoning any potential trial jury pool—if that would even apply in any potential case against him—however, can all of his statements be used against him or do they fall within the inadmissibility rules regarding hearsay evidence?
Nothing else makes any sense, unless he is just a brazen and corrupt fool.
Thanks.
I agree with Mike S. that Mr. Cheney, who has spoken more words in the past month than he did in the eight previous years, is making a desperate effort to portray himself as an American patriot. I can think of no groups other than the Hannity and Limbaugh crowds who will buy it. Perhaps the White House is playing its own version of water torture, periodically releasing a selected memo that contradicts the most recent Cheney assertion. We should encourage him to continue his public appearances. After all, he is convinced that he is smarter than all of the government’s lawyers. Perhaps he’ll eventually have a Jack Nicholson moment and dismissively remind us that we can’t handle the truth.
We can either assist Mr. Cheney in his attempts at making the ‘non-business torture’ defense or kindly stay out of the way.
p.s. mespo, I’m makin’ carmel corn with peanuts
– you still want the jujubes?
…vindicate…truth…intelligence…success…virtue…
The number agreeing with him on the meaning of those words dwindles with each new Cheney utterance.
Keep talking, Mr. Former Vice President.
John.P:
I am adding a little more to that info you put oou there for us.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/09/AR2009050902489.html?hpid=moreheadlines
I would relish the opportunity to stick a dirty, smelly, gym locker sock in that man’s mouth–virtually speaking, of course.
This is interesting to say the least. Since when in history have you ever heard of a VP making decisions such as this. His calls come a little to late to impress the American Public.
They had to Intel so to speak. I read somewhere on this site about America and Pearl Harbor and that we were not prepared. I believe that the American people trusting our governments word about it being a surprise attack rings hollow. They knew something wa brewing and that is why the oldest of ship were left in port. They somehow or another had over 100 ships that left Pearl on Thursday for maneuvers.
The Towers were unfortunate as well. They knew that we were at risk of attack. I don’t think that they cared as somebody wanted to run the oil business of Iraq. Do I believe that some people would lie to get their way, Yes.
Cheney should be indicted as the War Monger as he is. Nothing more, nothing less. I think that it should be tried over seas as I do not believe that the American people would get a fair showing of his acts.
Do I want our people to suffer further repercussions because of Cheneys’ selfish actions No. I do not believe that Bush had a clue as to what was really going on. I think he was a mere puppet for Dick to control.
The link below says: “The White House has decided to declassify and release a classified 2004 CIA report about the torture program that is reported to have found NO PROOF that torture foiled any terror plots on American soil — directly contradicting Cheney’s claims.” (my emphasis)
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/torture/white-house-to-declassify-holy-grail-torture-report-that-could-undercut-cheney/
What ever happened to his FOIA policy “don’t ask,don’t tell” which he confused with military policy?
That is the Ferengi way as expressed in the Rules of Acquisition. The 11th Rule of Acquisition is “me like, me take”:
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/05/life-in-ferengi-home-world.html
I see this as Cheney realizing that he is in danger of prosecution and trying to head things off at the pass. The more he talks the better things will get for our side. He probably has worse approval ratings at this point than Brittany Spears.