The Sunday talking-heads news shows became venues for wrangling over torture yesterday. First, former VP Dick Cheney spoke with FoxNews’ Chris “I Love You Man” Wallace, in a fawning interview that Atlantic magazine blogger Andrew Sullivan says was “like a teenage girl interviewing the Jonas Brothers.” During the interview, Cheney let the world know that Attorney General Eric Holder’s investigation of CIA torturers “offends the hell out of me,” to which you really want to reply, “Good, because you and your insane policies offended the hell out of most of the world for eight long, torturous years. What goes around, etc, etc.”
Next up, on CBS, Sen. John McCain — hardly a leftwing softie — said the use of torture not only doesn’t work, it violates international law and actually helps al-Qaeda recruit new members. McCain is opposed to Holder’s investigation, saying it would hurt CIA “morale and effectiveness,” but reiterated his story of a conversation he and Sen. Lindsey Graham had with an imprisoned “high-ranking member of al Qaeda,” who told them that pictures of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib had helped his organization “recruit thousands of young men.”
This article appears in Aug 25 – Sep 1, 2009.
The only way to show Americans and the world that it will never happen again is to hold the people who did it and the people who authorized it, and the lawyers who facilitated it accountable.
who cares if it lowers the morale in a secret agency that is pretty much out of control.
Thank you, Dick Cheney, for saving the United States of America. But seriously, folks….
It sure is fun watching poor old Dick Cheney stumbling all over the right wing airwaves, desperately trying to poison the jury pool and dodge a VERY long stretch in a federal prison. I only saw clips of his “interview” with Chris Wallace on FOX Noise on Sunday. Someone described it as a starry-eyed teenage girl interviewing one of the Jonas brothers.
It sure is funny observing the meltdown of Dick and Liz (Cheney – not Burton and Taylor). The trillion dollar hammer is about to hit the fan. They’re like cornered rats. Oh, man! I’m lovin’ this!
Don’t take your eye off the Cheneys. For your best entertainment bargain, these two are the show that should not be missed. We’re talking essential viewing here!
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Tom Degan, Goshen, NY
One can only hope that Bush and Cheney go to prison for their war crimes.
Still betting it never happens though.