Sam Donaldson Spars With Liz Cheney Over CIA Torture Investigation (VIDEO)

Sam Donaldson and Liz Cheney spiritedly debated the decision by Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate whether or not torture occurred during CIA interrogations of terrorist suspects. Cheney took the position that this matter had already been investigated, with the conclusion being no illegal activity had taken place.

Donaldson countered that the investigations had been undertaken by the Bush Justice Department, an agency that became notoriously political during Bush's administration, and that a fresh investigation is needed.

WATCH:

Comments

[bandit6765]

05:07 PM on 09/03/2009

Wow a lot of you seem to forget about the innocent people killed on 9/11. I understand the point of view that we shouldn't torture innocent people but lets look at two points:

1. These people were not U.S. citizens.
2. They were military combatants who were captured in a military setting.

I suppose we should have just killed them right there and then on the field of battle rather than taking them prisoner ?

American lives and security should not be taken lightly.

[goodpyr]

06:11 PM on 09/28/2009

Bandit 6765.
It's your claim that it's alright to torture military combatants?When you capture them they become
prisoners and fall under the protection of the Geneva Convention.
We weren't Japanese citizens so it must've been okay for the Japenese to torture us,right?

[VOLTRON]

03:59 PM on 09/03/2009

They don't consider waterboarding torture, but let's see how well they would handle it happening to them. Let's see then if they would consider it torture.

[Anthony Anderson]

10:17 AM on 09/03/2009

I dont get why they even have her on, except to expose the blatant sheep mentality and absolutism of the cheney/bush mindset.

She is an intellectual peon, and the other people at the table know it. If her daddy wasnt a part of the illuminati, she wouldnt be there.

[cornelison]

08:43 PM on 09/02/2009

She can't win an argument by telling the truth.

[swimbiker]

12:00 PM on 09/03/2009

When does she plan to start telling the truth?

[freedomfighter1]

02:23 PM on 09/02/2009

I am fed up with the people who always find it in their hearts to defend Bu sh and Che ney for their crimi nal acts. If one of us 'common' people vio lated the law, there would most definintely be punishment. And that cliche 'the ends justifies the means'...well that little ditty wouldn't work for US now would it? How can a person acheive the vice presidency and use it to hide in the shadows and violate the law? I thought Cheney was to use that job to be a good example to the American people. Instead he helps drag our name through the mud with every ill egal act he condones.

[eilish]

10:48 PM on 09/02/2009

He did really well in the federal government for 40-odd years making money through big oil. All he had left was uber power and really, really enjoying hurting people.

[lwilkerson50]

12:21 PM on 09/02/2009

denicci1977

- Thank you for that comment. You are right. If they didn't do anything wrong, then what's the problem?

I mean they have been preaching that what they did was needed, if they are truly telling the truth, let the investigation begin, come out and let us know how much it actually helped us.

Because (from my understanding) they got creditable info before 9-1-1 and messed that up.

[gevan]

11:05 AM on 09/02/2009

In Cheneyworld there is NO LAW that can't be broken in the interests of protecting the lives and forturnes of the American peoples. This pinnacle of moral relativism is not to be trifled with by mere mortals of the Sam Donaldson variety.

[demofem]

09:10 AM on 09/03/2009

The truly frightening part of that for me is that Cheney seems to genuinely believe that he and his like-minded 'troops' are qualified to make the call about which laws to obey, as though individual people can just wing it if they think the nation is threatened. Apparently, for them, the Constitution, the rule of law, traditional national norms and values, the Geneva Conventions, the Nuremberg trials, the ICC...it's all been just a long useless process of left-wing, lilly-livered naval-gazing when real men can just make these momentous decisions about torture and life and death by a gut feeling they have about who might be harboring information. So far, I haven't heard Cheney rule out ANYTHING if he thinks it's in the interests of protecting Americans from harm. I wonder if there IS anything he wouldn't think we should do? Anything that would be too low? And if that's the case, he's messing with the very DNA on this country, trying to change us into a people and a culture that we are not and should never want to be. And don't get me started on the daughter...

[regularmess]

10:04 AM on 09/02/2009

Torture should never be sanctioned or codified. There is no discussion. It's like we're rehashing arguments of whether gravity exists or something--very weird. It's been so long, but does anyone remember this? http://thehappeningstory.blogspot.com/. Give it 6 minutes and it'll change your mind.

[tweedledeedumb]

09:14 AM on 09/02/2009

If you don't let other people talk it mans your telling the truth ....right???

[Hephaistion]

08:51 AM on 09/02/2009

As Prof. Turley says : torture is a war crime against the Geneva Conventions and will attract the condenmnation of the ages. It will live in the historical record with the Salem Witch Trials, the Spanish Inquisition, the Witchcraft Craze of the 11th and 12th centuries.....etc..... and those simpletons who even discuss whether "it worked....we got information" don't get the point.
It doesn't matter whether it worked; the usurpation of the law has been used as a matter of policy by the State; do the citizens of the USA understand the enormity of that ?

[BuckCarson]

11:34 AM on 09/02/2009

That's real cute and valid. The question is whether torture occurred. The waterboarded three people and gave the others second hand smoke. Please give us a break with your platitudes.

[lammassu]

11:48 AM on 09/02/2009

You're kidding right? You're actually trying to vindicate torture caused by a department of the Federal Government? Sorry, Buck this elephant isn't going away until there's a REAL investigation by people OTHER than those responsible for ordering the CIA to torture in the first place.

[jules23]

12:12 PM on 09/02/2009

Firstly, all the appropriate sources say waterboarding is torture. If it wasn't torture than why use it? *Yawn*

Secondly, if you bother to do any reading on what was done, at Gitmo or Abu Ghraib, you know that prolonged stress positions, gut punching, sleep deprivation, restricted diet, mock executions, stripping prisoners naked, threatening them with dogs, all occurred. These are all forms of physical and psychological torture, especially when done for prolonged periods of time. If these things weren't why don't the police use these same techniques when investigating criminals? There have also been reports of rape.

An investigation into this is crucial for the USAs moral standing in the world, for the next few decades.

[jorgec]

03:35 PM on 09/02/2009

Well, the laws of the Geneva Covention didn't seem to be in place when they be-headed Americans! Exactly who condemned that!

[jules23]

08:56 PM on 09/02/2009

What on earth is the point you are trying to make??? Anyone who was caught decapitating americans would surely be prosecuted or disappeared to Gitmo. No one is spreading love for the terrorists here. Is the basis of your argument, that we are fighting a stateless enemy who doesn't follow the law, therefore Americans don't have to follow the law? This is an extremely superficial argument.

[demofem]

09:17 AM on 09/03/2009

EVERYONE condemned that. Because there are depraved people who do evil things isn't a reason to join them in their depravity. I come from a military family, and I'm quite sure my father did not fight to protect a nation so that we could torture people. He did it to protect a nation that is BETTER than that.

[terramartom]

08:08 AM on 09/02/2009

Of course arrogant/ spinless Liz Cheney would disaggree.
Her Dad could soon be going to prison from all the hidden information when it comes to light.
GOOD!

[TheAbidingDude]

08:00 AM on 09/02/2009

Why are there so many shows with so many disingenuous guests? Seriously why does Keith Olberman continue to give Rush and Rush Jr. (Glen Beck) all that air play. Why do we constantly air dribble about Chuck Grassley and all the other "know nothings" who continue to spout lies and get air time.

It is entertaining to a point but then it becomes tragedy when "Deathers, Birthers, granny killers, forced abortions, medicare robbers, socialized medicine, rationed care, torturing, political hacking ammunition marking, gun banners spout anything outlandish and get a crowd of conspiracy nuts yelling (for now violence later) and screaming.

We elected a good man to the office of president who sees challenges and seeks solutions even though he knows he must run a gauntlet of dark politic strewn with rocks of deceit. They wailed about the bailout and as imperfect as it is the economy is better and much of the money is coming back with interest yet not much is remembered about the barrage of hate Barack endured over a mess he did not create.

Now it's Health care and the only question facing congress is whether we help those in need of health care get treatment and keep their home at the same time. I'd prefer the US not become another Calcutta of old with people dead on the streets and a caste system that says the majority shouldn't even try to live in decent conditions because they don't deserve it.

[imsosure]

05:07 AM on 09/02/2009

Cheney ought to be fitted with a muzzle.

[carl99e]

04:10 AM on 09/02/2009

Looks like Daddy has gotten her and her husband some good jobs at the government. She is just trying to pay back the favors. Unfortunately, she may ruin her own future by doing so. It is her prerogative to do so. But you gotta love the Cheney's whom I affectionately call America's First Family of Crazy!!!

[1nessinall]

04:06 AM on 09/02/2009

can any body explain to me why she gets on these shows....... oh, and why we should take her word on anything