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.”
BVM,
I take it all back about you. There is no one who underlines the points that I’m making about the President than you and you do it with such a complete lack of awareness. Thank you.
Who is more erudite than Turley? Who has his finger on the pulse of the body politic? Xenu? No, THE BODY.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9yfMdNC6cQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejahDWoYk2A&feature=related
I was just posting it for the benefit of those who haven’t seen it.
My hair is gone already.. OnionHead
BVM, I’ve already seen the Orly Taitz chain letter a half dozen times. Remember, if you don’t forward it to at least 10 people in the next 15 minutes, all of your hair will fall out by tomorrow morning.
To: State of Texas and other states
My name is Dr. Orly Taitz, I am an attorney representing over 130 members of the US military, 10 state representatives, ambassador Keyes and other citizens, questioning legitimacy of Mr. Barack Hussein Obama aka Barry Soetoro for presidency. Among them are following citizens of the State of Texas:
LTC Chetwin Hurd
SGNT Morgan Samuel Ward
Capt. Ralph H. Jenkins
SGNT Jeffrey Wayne Rosner
LCDR Jeff Graham Winthrope
Mr. Richard D. Sanders
Mrs. Jody Brockhausen
While doing research of this case, I’ve uncovered a number of instances of suspected illegal and criminal activity by Mr. Obama and his supporters. As an officer of the court I have a solemn duty to report such activity to the law enforcement and demand immediate investigation, subpoena of the records and prosecution to the full extend of the law.
Mr. Obama has availed himself to the jurisdiction of the state of Texas as he put his name as a candidate for president on the ballot here and additionally he came and campaigned here.
Please see attached reports, that should help in your investigation. Reports contain a computerized image of Certification of life birth for Mr. Obama and Certification of Selective Service and statements from experts, showing those documents to exhibit numerous signs of forgery.
It is my understanding that in the State of Texas forgery is a class C felony that carries up to 10 years in the state penitentiary. On two counts of forgery Mr. Obama might be facing up to 20 years in jail in the state of Texas alone, since those counts run consecutively. Since Mr. Obama has availed himself to the jurisdiction of 50 states with similar statutes, he might be facing 1,000 years in state penitentiaries around the country on forgery charges alone. Additionally, there are numerous counts of suspected fraud, voter fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, corruption of a public official, intimidation, interference with the system of justice, social security fraud, tax fraud, perjury and other related crimes. As the National Security is at stake, I would request your immediate attention to this matter and expedient report with a report number of the suspected criminal activity and subpoena of Mr. Obama’s vital records, such as his original vault long version birth certificate in Hawaii, passports from Indonesia and Kenya, immigration records, certification of selective service, school registration from Occidental College, Harvard university and Columbia University.
I am attaching a 164 page dossier of suspected illegal activity. You can find more documents for download on my blog http://www.OrlyTaitzEsq.com
Sincerely,
Dr. Orly Taitz Esq
26302 La Paz ste 211
Mission Viejo Ca 92691
29839 S. Margarita Pkwy
Rancho Santa Margarita Ca 92688
ph. w- 949-586-8110 c- 949-683-5411
fax 949-586-2082
No need to impeach Obama, he was and is a War Criminal. He should not have been on the ballot and could be arrested at any time… the sooner the better. He is not the president, he is a criminal, elected fraudulently.
Hopefully, vindication in this case means PROSECUTION !
Jill,
Are you and/or constitutional lawyer Greenwald conspiring to bring impeachment hearings against Mr. Obama? And if so, how did you, just a no-count, influence Mr. Greenwald?
Mike S.,
roflmao
Jill,
Well you and Glenn convinced me. Let’s cut to the chase and impeach him now. That’s the ticket.
Here is direct evidence that Obama is protecting Cheney and himself from accountability for torture by the US.
“Obama administration threatens Britain to keep torture evidence concealed
Ever since he was released from Guantanamo in February after six years of due-process-less detention and brutal torture, Binyam Mohamed has been attempting to obtain justice for what was done to him. But his torturers have been continuously protected, and Mohamed’s quest for a day in court repeatedly thwarted, by one individual: Barack Obama. Today, there is new and graphic evidence of just how far the Obama administration is going to prevent evidence of the Bush administration’s torture program from becoming public.”
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/
Dredd,
Good summation of the new world order and I agree, JT did a great job cutting through the many surrealistic “arguments” going viral at this time! Glenn Greenwald’s update on how the US press treats the journalists the US imprisons and kills is a study in US surrealism as well.
This is the new strategy? To prove that without torture there can be no democracy and freedom in the world?
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/05/gop-strategy-to-prove-torture-works.html
Professor Turley was great on Keith Olbermann last night.
I post this link,for Eugene and Liz Cheney had a little showdown this morning on,Morning Joe.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/11/AR2009051102670.html
I think Cheney’s too arrogant to contemplate tactics aimed at addressing any potential criminal prosecution. He may just be a sad, lonely irrelevant old man who doesn’t understand that his opinions (warped or not) no longer carry any weight, merit or interest with anybody at all. Unfortunately, the MSM didn’t get that memo.
rafflaw:
We’re getting the word out. We are after all the closest thing there is to the Algonquin Round Table. I wanna be Harpo! 🙂
Great article Mespo! So true. I think Mr. Sorensen needs to read Prof. Turley’s blog more often to witness attorneys who have been crying wolf on the torture issue for a long time.
Interesting article about Ted Sorensen, Esq., JFK’s speechwriter, excoriating lawyers for standing idly by while the Constitution burned under Bush:
Sorensen says lawyers too silent on torture
By DON WALTON / Lincoln Journal Star
Too many American lawyers remained silent while the United States conducted illegal torture and the Constitution was violated by disregard for the rule of law, Ted Sorensen told law graduates Saturday.
In a commencement address at the University of Nebraska College of Law, his alma mater, Sorensen urged the graduates to act with courage and embrace integrity in their professional pursuits.
“Most of you as new lawyers will soon find it easy to make a buck but find it hard to make a difference,” he said, according to an advance copy of the speech obtained by the Journal Star.
Sorensen, who served as President John F. Kennedy’s speechwriter and chief adviser, said illegal tactics promoted to defend the country actually weakened U.S. national security.
“Yes, torture gets results,” he said.
“It has resulted in easier, swifter, more successful recruitment for terrorist organizations among the millions of young Islamic fanatics who are willing to use the one weapon against which an open society such as ours has no sure defense — suicide bombing.
“It also resulted in a sharp decline in America’s standing among allies who might otherwise have provided intelligence and other forms of help.
“It has cost us the respect of other countries that we enjoyed, which protected us against attacks from abroad.”
Sorensen, who turned 81 on Friday, grew up in Lincoln and graduated from the College of Law in 1951.
“Intellectually and morally dishonest lawyers (in the Department of Justice) disgraced not only their country but their profession” in claiming that waterboarding and other forms of torture were legal, he said.
“In a country based on the rule of law, in which no man is above the law, whatever his rank or title, no man can undertake, authorize or immunize unlawful conduct,” Sorensen said.
“Our current wonderful president cannot promise the CIA practitioners of torture that they will not be prosecuted,” he said.
“With all those now exposed of complicity in torture pointing fingers of blame at each other,” Sorensen said, “it is clear that the guilty include political ideologues, cowardly bureaucrats and inexperienced psychologists, all of whom plead ignorance of the law.
“But what about the lawyers?” he asked.
America’s best military leaders do not support torture because they know it will lead to its use against U.S. military personnel, Sorensen said.
“They know that the moral authority of the United States, its traditional ability to occupy the moral high ground in an international conflict, is an important part of our security,” he said.
“More important than the worthless statements extracted from torture’s victims who will cry out anything to halt it.”
Shame doesn’t quite cover it.
Former Federal LEO:
Predictions are worthless!
________________
Even those predictions emanating from the astute, learned attorneys/lawyers within this blawg?
Tell me it aint sO, mespO…
****************
Alas it is true.
Cheney is spewing his crap not because he truly believes in what they did. He is saying it because he is worried that he just may have to answer to a higher authority, a Federal Court or a court in Spain. All his talk only provides additional evidence that he knowingly authorized and ordered the torture of detainees. The only thing standing in the way of Cheney and the the rest of the torture cabal is the political will needed to proceed.