Sen. Durbin's Regret for Remarks Not Enough for GOP

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-durbin20jun20,0,662632.story?coll=la-home-nation

WASHINGTON — A Senate Democratic leader is facing mounting criticism for recent comments he made comparing U.S. treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay to inhumane tactics used in Nazi, Soviet and Cambodian concentration camps.

Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), the assistant minority leader, subsequently said he regretted that his comments were misunderstood as criticism of U.S. troops. But Republicans have continued to call for a more forthright apology.

"He should certainly apologize," Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." "There's no comparison whatsoever."

[Larkspur]

1. Durbin should have stuck to his guns. His remarks were not out of line.

By caving in this little bit, Durbin has allowed the Reichwingers to smell blood and keep the attacks going.

[truebrit71]

6. Absolutely. He should have stood behind what he said.

It's not like he was inaccurate or anything...you know like being wrong about WMD's and imminent threats or anything....:eyes:

[bunkerbuster1]

13. It's not caving to set things straight.

He was quoted outrageously out of context, and he's merely re-establishing the context.

Beyond that, he's nothing to apologize for, and Katzenkiller Frist can shove his request up his toupee'd ass.

[Benhurst]

2. Keep telling yourself that, John. We're not fasists! We're not

fascists! We're not fascists! Our concentration camps are more like ... uh, 4-star hotels. We are NOT facists!

[indepat]

3. So if we are less bad than the Nazis, everything is honkydorey?

[reality based]

4. John McCain is an apologist for torture

I guess we should give him a break because his prison camp experiences may have damaged his moral compass. I suggest the Senatorial enablers of torture may need a little exposure to justice at the Hague.

[davidinalameda]

19. it wasn't the prison camps that damaged his moral compass

it's being a Republican in the time of the Bushies

you saw how he sucked up to Bush in the last 2 elections

the Bushies aren't Nazis, but they're working on it

[emanymton]

5. What Did Guards Do That The Nazis Didn't? Please Tell Me.

[shraby]

7. No matter what Durbin says, it won't be

enough to satisfy the republicans..they need to get the spotlight off the Downing Street Minutes in a bad way.

[confludemocrat]

12. That's correct, that's how he should think of it-and even say that!

These people have to be dealt with-do not back down. They are the worst.

[iamjoy]

20. I'll Tell You About The Nazis

I can't believe you even asked what they did that our guards didn't. Can we start with forced labor? How about the massive numbers of Nazi prisoners who died of disease and starvation? Then, we can look at them shoving prioners into gas chamber. Next, we can explore whether our men and women machine gunned scores of prisoners over a trench.

I would say those are things the Nazis did that our guards didn't.

[emanymton]

26. Glad We Agree.

Torture and prisnor abuse are wrong. Having military personal guard disappeared 'enemy combatants' gets USA ever closer to "where we do not want to be!" Once the actions are acceptable it is reasonable to expect aberrant behavior to continue and grow worse.

Shooting the messenger who reports the torture/abuse is just another form of censorship.

[Bucky]

23. The difference is in volume

Durbin did not, repeat not, call the guards Nazis. He said individual cases were so horrendous as to remind him of some things the Nazis did. His point was valid, but pretty easily distorted. He should have left it at "Stalin's gulags," since he didn't use the gulags for systematic extermination of whole populations (he used starvation for that). The gulags were used to torture and to detain indefinitely.

[dArKeR]

8. Don't forget to call Durbin today and tell him to grow a spine!

Washington, DC
332 Dirksen Senate Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
[phone]

Chicago, IL 60604
[phone]

Springfield, IL 62703
(217 ) 492-4062

701 N. Court St.
Marion, IL 62959

http://durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm

[redqueen]

9. Durbin has said enough. I hope he keeps his lips zipped

until these other pics, and maybe even the videos, are released. Let the GOPwhores rant and slobber... they'll be eating their words once the truth of what has been going on in these places is more evident.

[annabanana]

10. are these attacks PRE EMPTIVE strikes against outrage

when the "new" Abu Graib pictures get released next week?

Are they trying to have this fight before we get our ammo?

[moobu2]

17. That's it, this is a warning for anyone who speaks up loudly ..

That's the way they operate. They intimidate critics and accuse them of aiding the enemy and reward loyalty (dishonesty is a plus).

[confludemocrat]

11. Apologize for correctly talking about an OUTRAGE? That's an outrage

Stand fast Durbin, you have nothing to apologize for. They are WRONG, WE ARE RIGHT

[gratuitous]

14. Check what Durbin "regretted"

The headline is misleading. Durbin said only that he regretted his remarks had been misunderstood. He's standing by what he said, apparently, because it's the buttplug Republican noise machine that's trying to make out that what Durbin said equated our soldiers with the Nazis.

And John McCain, of all folks in the public eye, should probably have a slightly better appreciation for what Durbin said. Unless of course, he's willfully misinterpreting Durbin's remarks for own his political pandering. I really, really don't get the "hero" label that McCain has somehow acquired.

[emanymton]

16. Durbin Said 'American' At Gitmo, White House Changed Wording ..

"to men and women in uniform."

No need to apologise. State sponcered torture is not an American value!!



Bush Lied. people Died. Media Cheered.

[auburngrad82]

15. Why do we always apologize???

We need to start standing by our comments. This wishy washy crap is making me contemptuous of the Democratic party and I've never voted Repug in 45 years. I'd like to see some of these guys grow some hair on their nads for a change. I'm tired of apologizing.

[wallwriter]

18. Comparing people to Nazis is fine when Santorum does it...

[Media_Lies_Daily]

21. The GOP is trying to shift attention away from the DSM.

[Dr Fate]

25. Has Durbin made the DSM an issue?

??

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

22. Durbin PLEASE WAIT FOR THE NEW ABU GHARIB PICTURES!!!!

Don't back down anymore Durbin! The new Abu Gharib picture release (to happen soon) will VINDICATE YOUR POSITION and comments.

JB

[Dr Fate]

24. Too bad top DEMs are too afraid to talk about "the memo."

We could make that the focus insteadof this BS.

Oh well- suggesting that DEMs define the issues is called "DEM bashing" here at DU, so I'd better shut up.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

27. You got that right. Any criticism of the Dem leadership is verboten.

I'm sick of pussy Dem apologists. Our leadership, save for a nice number of House members and a handful of Senators, are more interested in their own necks than in SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER. If things don't improve, I'm leaving the party and voting independent.

JB

[iconoclastic cat]

28. I just emailed him. I asked him not to apologize for being correct.

[Burried News]

29. Durbin needs to talk about Warner and his failure as a Chairman

Senate Armed Services Committee has not:
Followed up on torture
Released the remaining photographs
Investigated the role of civilian contractors aka mercenaries
Explained why troops are in Humvees instead of Tanks and Personnel Carriers (we don't want the world to see us as storm troopers (oops am I allowed to say that? let me check with the ADL)

http://www.adl.org/PresRele/HolNa_52/4734_52.htm

[OzarkDem]

37. Agree, Dems need re-education

about how to deal w/ Repub attacks by flipping the issues back on them.

I'm puzzled, back in the early 1990's, this kind of strategy for dealing with unjustified attacks was taught to every candidate running for office from dog catcher to city councilman. Here's a quick refresher Senator Durbin:

Step 1 - flip the issue back to the attacker - point out his failure in dealing with the issue at hand. Step 2 - Continue to reiterate the attacker's failure to deal with the issue - Step 3 - Repeat Steps 1 and 2 until everyone is tired of hearing about it (communications rule #1 - when the public begins to complain about hearing your message, it means they are just beginning to pay attention)

I fail to understand how so many of our Dem leaders in Congress seem to have forgotten the lessons of Political Debate 101.

[fooj]

30. Bullshit! I don't hear any of them apologizing for the senators

that refused to sign the lynching amendment! How grievous is that! Totally unacceptable!

peace.

[leesa]

31. Who cares what the GOP thinks. They are the sleaziest of the sleazy.

Truth hurts, don't it?

[madmark]

32. You don't apologize, you go on the attack again against the BS

policy until the policy is dead. As if Durbin's words are worse than our country deciding not to apply the Geneva Convention to these people so we can torture and degrade them with impunity, with no trial, for perpetuity, and then trumpeting this decision to the world. What PR could be worse than that. You know there are advantages to being the good guys, and we are pissing them away.

[dArKeR]

35. I agree! Why are our Senators such wimps? I called Durbin and told him

not to apologize.

[digno dave]

33. Any Nazi comparisons, including Durbins, are foolish

It diverts attention away from the issue, which is a bad thing.
We're also at teh point where any Nazi comparisons are meaningless becasue they are cast about arbitrarily by both sides.

[SoCalDem]

34. THIS is why you NEVER apologize for saying the truth

Shame on Durbin for falling for their oldest ploy:(

[progressivebydesign]

36. You'd think McCain would have more insight into torture..

.. having been a victim of it himself. I guess he feels that guards pissing on you, being deprived of all senory experiences, and otherwise abused is okey dokey as long as it's the good ol U S of A. Is that the name of that tune, McCain??