GOP Senator To Dems: If There's Blood, It's On Your Hands, Too

If Democrats insist on probing the Bush administration's program of detainee torture, they'd better be careful, a senior Senate Republican said Tuesday, because they might find blood on their own hands as well.

"To sit quietly and to let this happen and then to come back later and say people ought to be prosecuted criminally, not just here in the United States but perhaps internationally, to me is inconsistent, to say the least," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).

"If people are going to start looking for responsibility and accountability, I think you'd also have to look at the members of Congress who were in those classified settings who approved those same interrogation techniques," Cornyn told reporters.

President Obama is open to investigations of senior Bush administration officials involved in torture, he said Tuesday, but only if the investigations are bipartisan. Senate Republicans gave every indication that he can forget about that idea.

"What happened to him talking about not looking backward, but looking forward? I would ask that question," said Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.).

"I think it's a huge mistake," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) "If we start criminalizing legal advice given to a past president, advice you might disagree with, that's on the margins of legal thought in your opinion, you've really harmed the presidency. The last thing in the world we want to do is retroactively go after a bunch of lawyers who were motivated by trying to protect the country. I disagree with their analysis, but I don't think you should go to jail because I disagree with you. That would be the most chilling thing I could imagine."

Graham offered the president some advice. "There'll be no points gained with the public and it'll hurt the president," he said.

Cornyn's warning went further, encompassing Democratic leaders who received classified briefings.

"I happen to believe these were novel legal questions in a time of great danger to our country and I don't believe we should be looking backward to point the finger of blame. I think we ought to do, as the president said, look forward," he said.

But, if questions are going to be asked, let them be asked broadly. "I think you'd also have to call into question the chair of the intelligence committees in the House and Senate who were briefed on these interrogations techniques and question their judgment," he said.

Cornyn said he wasn't necessarily suggesting that Democrats should have spoken out publicly, because the briefings were classified, but that they should have been more forceful in private meetings with the president.

"There is a certain responsibility to speak up if you object," he said.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), meanwhile, hailed Obama's openness as a step in the right direction. "I agree with President Obama: an examination into these Bush-Cheney era national security policies must be nonpartisan. This is in line with what I have proposed through an independent Commission of Inquiry," he said. "Unfortunately, Republicans have shown no interest in a nonpartisan review. Nonetheless, the consensus to review these policies is growing, and I will continue to develop this proposal."

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Comments

[tundramonkey]

03:38 PM on 04/24/2009

Under these circumstances I would risk any Democrat knowing that the GOP ran all three branches of government during these atrocities. If Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Hastert, Boehner, Yoo, Bybee, and others costs us a Pelosi, a Harman, or a Rockefeller, then we haven't lost a thing and we will have regained some national pride for having followed our laws and seen justice done, no matter the cost. All Americans want is justice-who wants to live in an America that is a joke and a sad, hypocritical lie run by cynical political operatives like Rove and snuff porn perverts like Cheney?
If Eric Holder cannot find the sand to follow the law in a timely and fair manner he needs to step down right now and be replaced by someone with the moral courage, decency, and love for country that is needed to pursue the investigation, prosecution, and appropriate punishment for these war crimes. If Obama and Congress do not see fit to follow the law, they need to step down or be impeached as well regardless of the political cost to any one side. They swore oaths to protect the Constitution and the law of the land from all enemies, foreign and domestic; what is greater threat than gross disrespect for those selfsame laws?

[chrisincalif]

03:37 PM on 04/22/2009

Don'tcha just love that the same party that hounded President Clinton for *years* over an affair, a personal rather than Presidential matter, is now warning everyone to look away from the tatters of our Constitution, secretly shredded during the last 8 years? These opportunistic hypocrites brought us years of Special Prosecutor (for what?) madness, a stained blue dress (DNA!), demanding that a President answer questions about his sex life to a grand jury - uproar over uproar. Over sex. I still can't figure out what exactly was a crime worth millions of dollars of investigation.

But now - with evidence of international war crimes committed by the highest officials in our country, we should all just "be careful" and move forward and forget it and whistle in the dark. They are neither shamed nor embarrassed....

Listen, Senator Cornyn et al ~ John McCain himself confirmed that waterboarding is torture. The public doesn't give a rat's patootey if there are Democrats involved. We still want the truth, all of it, and we want *everyone* who committed a crime to be charged, and we don't care to which party they belong. This is not about politics, not a witch hunt like Clinton's neverending persecution. These are war crimes - for God's sake, is there no one left in your party who cares about this country and on what it was founded?

Let's charge & try them before others do our job for us.

[Lemeritus]

04:42 PM on 04/22/2009

Well said!

[AirForce Vet]

12:30 PM on 04/22/2009

What would this chicken hawk know about blood? No offense to those who did not serve in the military, but this clown was absent, period. His service to this country can be questioned even as a Senator. Corncob serves the interest of Corncob. It seems as though many of these non-serving Congressman have a lot to say about blood and sacrifice. He states that if we start investigating, then the Democrats may find blood on their own hands. I don’t care about party politic or hands. I care about those people that have been subjected to our heinous hospitality and I care about the torturous actions that have been done in the name of this nation and its people. These actions have not made us any safer but it has displayed to the world our hypocrisy. It seems as though many of these talking head Republican are concerned about their own failures. It seems, as though many of you Republicans have a lot to say now, but what were you saying when these methods took place. Mr. Corncob, I think you should concern yourself with doing what is right for this nation instead of worrying about someone’s hands, unless you’re concerned about your own. Let the handcuffs fall where they may even if a pair may be waiting for you

[b1rd67]

01:49 PM on 04/22/2009

Ooh Rah! This is about honor, and protecting those who are still in uniform. How can we expect our brothers and sisters who are still serving to be treated humanely if they are ever captured if we don't hold accountable those who are repsonsible for torturing in our name?

There is nothing I hate worse than chickenhawk politicians!

Semper Fi from a Marine Corps Vet!

[Greywolf Borealis]

11:52 AM on 04/22/2009

Senator Lindsey Graham says "who were motivated by trying to protect the country.' Isn't that the same justification the same bush/cheney regime used to start the war in Iraq? 4274 of our young people dead to date and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians dead; whose hands are their blood on, Lindsey? We, the People want to see justice, not another republican Nixon coverup of the facts. We want to know who, what, how, where and when torture was inflicted in our names. And we want those who were responsible to be brought to justice.

[kanester]

11:44 AM on 04/22/2009

Oh no! More useless GOPyak. Using Cornwad's analogy, my grandparents (and parents since they were born in the early 1930s) are guilty of Nazi attrocities since they knew what was going on to the Jews (gypsies, developmentally disabled, gays, etc.) in Europe but didn't leave America to stop it.

"Wait, though!" I bet Cornwad would argue. "It wasn't common knowledge among the American population about the Nazi death camps. So they weren't responsible." Duh! We the People (as well as the Dems in Congress during the Bush years) were told by the Bush administration (and this lie was supported by GOP representatives in the know) that "America's not torturing prisoners."

Cornwad, torture belongs to Bush, Cheney, Gonzo, Tenet, Feith, Wolfowitz, Yoo, etc. AND EVERY MEMBER OF THE GOP IN CONGRESS. We won't forget and won't let you change the narrative. So go ahead and retire. You're over.

[zest]

11:34 AM on 04/22/2009

So if everyone is torturing on the Brooklyn Bridge then it's ok?

[b1rd67]

11:30 AM on 04/22/2009

"I think you'd also have to call into question the chair of the intelligence committees in the House and Senate who were briefed on these interrogations techniques and question their judgment,"


OK do it. I don't care what party, if they approved torture, they should be prosecuted.

"I think it's a huge mistake," said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) "If we start criminalizing legal advice given to a past president, advice you might disagree with, that's on the margins of legal thought in your opinion, you've really harmed the presidency. The last thing in the world we want to do is retroactively go after a bunch of lawyers who were motivated by trying to protect the country."

SO, if they write a legal opinion stating that it is OK to molest children, should we give them a pass because they were just providing legal advice to the president? What if they said it was OK to cut off a thief's hand, or to have every member of congress sent to Guantanmo? Would you still want us to "look forward"?
We won't call it sexual abuse, we'll call it "man boy love". We won't call it "amputation", we'll call it "the theft disarmament program". We won't call it "unreasonable search and seizure", we'll call it "the congressional relocation program"
A crime is a crime, I don't care who committed it, what euphamism you call it or how many so-called "lawyers" write fairytale briefs arguing that it's OK?

[apauline]

11:20 AM on 04/22/2009

Graham offered the president some advice. "There'll be no points gained with the public and it'll hurt the president," he said.

Senator Graham, as a citizen, I want to know what happened and oh by the way, President Obama will gain alot of points from me and my circle of friends. How dare you speak for the public, how in the heck would you know how the public feels? Maybe the people in your state won't appreciate a honest assessment of what happened, but I'm sure other Americans will. If it hurts the President.....so what, will it help the American people? When, pray tell, will you politicians stop thinking in terms of politics and think about the people you serve?

I'm putting my "POINTS" on President Obama, I trust his judgement.

[vippy]

11:18 AM on 04/22/2009

This cowardly Texan wants to share the blame yet has the nerve to criticize the other party.
I agree, the DEMS were pushed into giving Bush everything he ever wanted and I wonder just how
was that done? But Bush denying openly that the USA did not torture and his party members looking
on and not standing up for the oath of office they took is beyond my comprehension.

[Clearing-Brush]

11:17 AM on 04/22/2009

THIS WILL NOT GO AWAY! The moral Americans can not allow this to be swept under the carpet. Laws were broken and justice must be served if we are to continue clamming that we are a nation of laws. Otherwise, what are we?
A legal opinion does not change the law!

[Liberalforsure]

10:03 AM on 04/22/2009

What amazes me is that the rethugs impeached Clinton for a lie yet want the country to forgive the criminal actions of bush, cheyney and et al.

[jhw22]

09:56 AM on 04/22/2009

What my dear Senator Cornyn (sarcasm) fails to realize is that we don't give a horse's hiney who had their hands in this. Torture is wrong whether it's condoned by a Republican or a Democrat. So threaten all you want; we want this looked into despite who all may go down because of it.

Jennifer

[ayc]

10:41 AM on 04/22/2009

Exactly. Do any of these guys get that, in this case, party is not the main point?

[bbrecht]

09:55 AM on 04/22/2009

Wrong is wrong, no matter who did it.

[brandnewstuff]

09:29 AM on 04/22/2009

Lets make sure the People Business come into Texas where the State is Corrupted ALL Bushies
Texas AG Texa GOV Rick Perry and Then the sadest excuse for being a man-Sen. John Cornyn-

[brandnewstuff]

09:27 AM on 04/22/2009

When Rethugs hurt their own watch them all kill there own party-from the inside outside-
MC LOVING IT______________________________________________________$$$$$$$$$$$$