Sunday Roundup

This week, being sent to the Principal's office took on a whole new meaning when we learned that the National Security Council's Principals Committee - which included Dick Cheney, Condi Rice, Don Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, George Tenet, and John Ashcroft - discussed and approved very specific details of the "enhanced interrogation techniques" the CIA could use against al Qaeda suspects, down to the number of times they could be slapped, pushed, deprived of sleep or waterboarded. Talk about hands-on management! The money quote on this sordid episode was delivered by Ashcroft who, after one meeting, said: "Why are we talking about this in the White House? History will not judge this kindly." And with that, Bush's Principals took a hatchet to America's principles.

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Comments

[themunz]

09:48 PM on 04/13/2008

The people have stopped listening to GWB and his gang, they are irrelevant to the future so why pay attention. This means that all the fresh information about what was really going on is met with a shrug of indifference. What needs to done is to make sure that the GOP is held responsible and forced to pay the political price.

[HearNoWeasel]

07:38 PM on 04/13/2008

Thanks for mentioning this latest jaw-dropper, Arianna.

Here we go, one more time, with a letter to Conyers' Judiciary Committee : www.restoreruleoflaw.com

Please sign on.

[normathumb]

06:33 PM on 04/13/2008

We should all be referring to the 'Stalinist wing of the Republicam party' which is over represented in the upper echelons of this current junta. What they have done with collateral damage, the "unitary presidency", the Patriot Act, secret prisons and torture, turning the Bill of Rights into a museum piece is traitorous and obscene. What will we say if we find the Chinese are waterboarding Tibetan monks? I would like to hear them try and distinguish themselves from the great practitioners of Cheney's "dark side". If we all call them for what they are, sooner or later they will have to respond with something other then challenges to our patriotism.

[artchess]

06:12 PM on 04/13/2008

How MANY people stop to think? ,and when they think what comes out as a product of that thought?.
i say to friends and strangers ENLIGHTENED THOUGHTS, WISE DECISIONS,from a sculpture i have made in 2001.

[zitlight73]

05:17 PM on 04/13/2008

If the Democrats somehow keep their majority in the next house and senate it will do so in spite of Pelosi and Reid who should then be immediately stripped of their leadership positions for want of any leadership qualities. The next order of business should be taking the office of Attorney General of The United States out of the hands of the president. Too many times in the last forty years this nation has seen crimes committed by the President or those in his admistration go un-investigated, un-prosecuted and unpunished by so-called top law enforcement officers in the country when in reality their nothing more than lickspittle accomplices of those who appoint them. This present administration which is no more than a fascist, mob of criminals is the result of this attitude that we're a nation of men and not laws that places the president and his cronies above the laws we subjects are under.

[cspanwatcher]

05:04 PM on 04/13/2008

I really enjoyed the exchange between Mayor Nutter and Tom Daschle.
you can hear the audio of some great clips at

http://inewstube.com/smm/nutter__obama_and_daschle_have_a_complete_disconnect.html

http://inewstube.com/smm/obama_supporter_daschle_lets_just_have_a_3rd_bush_administration.html

[Andres]

05:01 PM on 04/13/2008

I hadn't attacked Hillary until now (pat 2) But we expect this hypocrisy from those in the Conservative party that without necessarily being homophobic or xenophobic themselves, play on people's fear of the other to get the power to push through laws that are going to be detrimental to the poor and middle classes. But what about those few in the Democratic party that do the same? Hillary's affirmative answer to a question to whether immigration was what was hurting the African-American community was xenophobic and divisive. Obama explained that it's Bush's economic policies that have hurt the minorities and the underprivileged; That African-Americans as a community might still be at a disadvantage because of years of oppression. Obama could have hit her harder with her blatant lies about Bosnia, but he didn't, and she goes on to call someone who was a community organizer, whose economic policy is by far the most worker friendly "elitist"?
What is more "elitist", the anti-union stance Hillary took while on the board at WAL-MART? The Colombian Trade Deal that her chief strategist MARK PENN was lobbying for (that would hurt workers in Us AND in Colombia?) while she herself pretended to attack it? Just how hypocritical can you get?

Andres Useche
Si Se Puede Cambiar

[Andres]

05:00 PM on 04/13/2008

Until yesterday I had refrained from attacking Hillary because as a Democrat I think we should leave it up to McCain to try to sink this party in the general elections. I did expect McCain to attack Obama as an elitist while following Bush's truly elitist policies of tax breaks for the wealthiest of Americans and continuing to funnel Billions of dollars on a war based on lies. A war which only Halliburton and other contractors are profiting from. Barack Obama could've chosen his words more carefully, but the truth is that people are angry, sick tired and yes embittered by an economy rigged in favor of the Few and not the working classes. He dared to talk about something we don't always like to face: The worse the economy gets, the more scapegoating there is. Anyone hurt lashes out. Fairly and unfairly sometimes. Sometimes people hold on to what they believe to be certain, whether that is their religion or the sense of security they believe owning a gun, the government certainly isn't giving them that sense of security, economically or otherwise. Obama obviously wasn't blaming the people but the system that for so long has worked against them. A system that has driven people to react, to increase democratic turn-outs dramatically. The same people that have given Bush such a dismal approval rating and that recognize McCain offers more of the same. read part 2 on my reply:

[milo9]

04:31 PM on 04/13/2008

President's Bush's absence highlights his cowardice. A true leader would have been there and would have assured his lieutenants that it was his decision, and that he would take the blame, even it meant being tried as a war criminal.

Bush has always lacked the courage of his convictions.

[straightshooter]

04:23 PM on 04/13/2008

Ronald Reagan's view of George "W" in his diaries, recently edited by author Doug Brinkley and published by Harper Collins:

"A moment I've been dreading. George [Bush Sr.] brought his n'er-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the political one who lives in Florida; the one who hangs around here all the time looking shiftless. This so-called kid is already almost 40 and has never had a real job. Maybe I'll call Kinsley over at The New Republic and see if they'll hire him as a contributing editor or something. That looks like easy work."

From the REAGAN DIARIES------entry dated May 17, 1986.

[Casanavelaw]

10:31 PM on 04/13/2008

My God! What a beautiful quote. I'm developing a little respect for Reagan.

[Libsrule]

03:50 PM on 04/13/2008

I keep wondering why the cowardly democrats just REFUSE to do a thing about ANY OF THIS?

What would it take? Darth Cheney beating a child to death on live TV???

Hell even then I would bet Nancy and the rest of the cowards in Congress would all claim they missed that and as a result could not hold even investigations AND after all, that happened in the past and they just want to go forward.

No wonder this prez just thumbs his nose every minute of the day at the congress because he knows they are just the biggest cowards this country has EVER SEEN.

The Founding Fathers must be shaking their heads saying, "Why did we even bother?"

One more quick thing Arianna. You HAVE to know I am a fan and love your site, BUT why are comments always being closed, like on the Polar Bear post? The last person to post got to state a lie about the UK banning Gore's Inconvenient Truth which is of course a complete load of BS.

So what gives on the closing of comments???

[BabyBoomer]

03:30 PM on 04/13/2008

Ms. Huffington:

Don't you think it's time for Nancy Pelosi to put impeachment back on the table. It seems the only entity actually forcing our government to act as a democracy is the ACLU. I do believe we have enough evidence of criminality to start an impeachment inquiry. Considering the Military Commissions Act has granted immunity to anyone in our government possibly committing war crimes, it behooves the American people to hold the "principals" accountable for breaking our laws as well as international laws governing the use of torture. Considering the Yoo memo and the meetings in the White House of the principals who approved of torture, I believe it is time for us to act.

We, of the "left wing fringe" have been watching patiently and lawfully, while:

1. We were robbed of our rightful president in 2000.

2. Despite numerous warnings, George Bush ignored the threat of Al-Qaida and left our country
vulnerable to the worst attack in our history.

3. We were lied into a war for oil.

4. Our treasury was handed to the rich.

5. Our economy has been wrecked.

6. Our standing in the world has been damaged.

7. Our Justice Department is corrupt.

The fact that this president is ignoring the will of America to end this war is enough for a "vote of no confidence". To accept that we are stuck in this quicksand until the end of this year is tantamount to acquiesence. Impeach for the sake of our country!

[Danny]

10:05 PM on 04/13/2008

Yes, impeach them all ( Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rice, Rusmfeld, Feith, Wolfowitz, Perle, C. Powell, Tenet, Miers ...), and at least the top two. This will stick to their historical, presidential record. It cannot be "pardoned" away. For their disregard for the Constitution, and their egregious abuse of power, and treasonous behavior on outing a CIA agent, starting an illegal war, directing torture, spying on innocent Americans, using for-hire mercenaries to intimidate us, allowing the financial system to bankrupt us, Katrina, the abuses of the Department of Justice and the Attorney Generals of the states, stealing and manipulating elections, subverting the contents of our airwaves, lying and thieving all around. ...

And after they have been impeached and found guilty, imprison them. And let a new era begin in the United States.

The French used to call us "les Americains". Recently they are referring to us as "les Etatsuniens", to differentiate us from the other "Americains".

[leftLibertarian]

02:19 PM on 04/13/2008

Ms Huffington:

There is only 1 thing to be done.

Unfortunately, the Democratic Party is too feeble to do that which is to impeach the criminals Bush and Cheney.

[MajorKong]

02:16 PM on 04/13/2008

You know things are really scary when John Ashcroft is the voice of reason in the room.

[DavidF07]

02:04 PM on 04/13/2008

We have seen that the Democrats in the House are cowardly. In a just society, impeachment actions would begin now.

I wonder what would keep agencies in Europe and other law-respecting countries from arresting former Bush officials - and, I hope, a former vice-president - for the war crimes they have committed?

[guatemalatimes]

02:48 PM on 04/13/2008

I am a liberal, but I just don´t understand what is the matter with the left wing media??

Do you hate women? Do you hate yourself?
Do you think the media - people as yourself – are giving Hillary a fair deal?

Do you think you can get over yourself enough to see what you are doing and why?

I feel sad for women and men journalists that have gone on the "destroy Hillary" wagon. Not because they like Obama, but because of their small little egos will not allow them to think one millimeter into the future and the consequences of their actions.

I feel sorry for American if you and this group of people are the ones forming the public opinion.

Good the Americans are getting so screwed, by the right and by the left and independents.

The republicans are at least honest enough to say clearly that all they care about is greed.

But the intellectual left "elite" is pathetic in their pretension of importance - relevance- at no matter what cost to your country.

What a pathetic bunch of people you have become. Sulking spoiled teenagers.
Grow up, and fast, or there will be no country left for you to opine about.

[nyboomer]

06:28 PM on 04/13/2008

How is your rant appropriate to this topic? This is a discussion of illegal pursuit acquiesence of torture.

While it may appear that Hillary is a tortured soul. it still remains a discsussion about the current administration.