Bush defends interrogation program in Michigan speech

[JonLP24]

Source: CNN

BENTON HARBOR, Michigan (CNN) -- Former President George W. Bush on Thursday repeated Dick Cheney's assertion that the administration's enhanced interrogation program, which included controversial techniques such as waterboarding, was legal and garnered valuable information that prevented terrorist attacks.

Bush told a southwestern Michigan audience of nearly 2,500 -- the largest he has addressed in the United States since leaving the White House in January -- that, after the September 11 attacks, "I vowed to take whatever steps that were necessary to protect you."

In his speech, Bush did not specifically refer to the high-profile debate over President Obama's decision to halt the use of harsh interrogation techniques. Bush also didn't mention Cheney, his former vice president, by name.

Instead, he described how he proceeded after the capture of terrorism suspect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in March 2003.

"The first thing you do is ask what's legal?" Bush said. "What do the lawyers say is possible? I made the decision, within the law, to get information so I can say to myself, 'I've done what it takes to do my duty to protect the American people.' I can tell you that the information we got saved lives."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/29/george.bush.speech/index.html?eref=rss_politics

[UpInArms]

1. this crapweasel didn't understand the oath of office

was to protect the Constitution

he isn't worth spitting on - it would be a waste of spit

[saigon68]

15. "BRING EM ON" shouted the WAR CRIMINAL CHIMPANZEE

[Rhiannon12866]

2. He must have finally gotten the memo...

And then actually read it... :eyes:

[L. Coyote]

30. Bush, like Cheney, is doing PR in advance of the indictments, to sway opinion in the USA

and avoid extradition for the war crimes tribunals under the 'universal jurisdiction' of the UN Convention on Torture from 1984.

What Bush and Cheney are reading is Ronald Reagan's signing statement. Reagan was adamant about prosecuting torture! :rofl:

24 Apr 2009 - http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/04/reagan-on-torture-prosecutions.html
Reagan On Torture Prosecutions

From his signing statement ratifying the UN Convention on Torture from 1984:

The core provisions of the Convention establish a regime for international cooperation in the criminal prosecution of torturers relying on so-called 'universal jurisdiction.' Each State Party is required either to prosecute torturers who are found in its territory or to extradite them to other countries for prosecution."

Reagan was adamant about prosecuting torture, but also prosecuting inhuman treatment that some might claim was not full-on torture.

[IrishBuckeye]

3. The American people needed someone to protect us from you Bush

George W. Bush, you took us down a road of failure and you wouldn't change the course even as disaster overcame us with both your domestic and foreign policies. George W. Bush understand that not only did you fail to protect us, but you were the one who harmed us and history will never forget that, it is to be your legacy. Your denial of this does not change this reality, it only allows you to fall asleep at night. May you one day realize what you did to our country and when you do if you have a soul you will never have a restful night again.

[struggle4progress]

4. If he started chirping about this, he must be nervous

[No Elephants]

5. Prosecute, Mr. President, as the United Nations Convention Against Torture requires.

[Turborama]

6. "Not everyone at Lake Michigan College was there in support of the former president"

Not everyone at Lake Michigan College was there in support of the former president. A handful of protesters from "World Can't Wait dot org" held signs and demanded that President Obama release torture photos and documents. They also say they want President Bush and his administration prosecuted for war crimes.

"These people are war criminals and we're allowing him to speak at Michigan college and get paid $150,000. How does that make us feel in Michigan where we're loosing all of our jobs and he's getting paid $150,000 for a war criminal to speak?" asked Bush protester Bruce Fealk.

Protesters say they came today to face President Bush and hold him accountable for his actions. Their efforts are part of a group of protests happening this week across the nation. President Bush did address his dissenters by defending his decisions as president.

From: http://www.fox28.com/Global/story.asp?S=10442041

[Senator]

7. Impeachophobia Has Consequences -- Bushcheney Still Reigns

Unless prosecuted, and quickly**, bushcheneyism is Obama's and our children's legacy as well.

We remain a War Criminal Nation, perhaps in perpetuity.

--

** No, time is not on our side. The longer it takes, the more "political" is the appearance. Of course the DC conventional wizdumb is the reverse. But that is nearly always the case.

---

[zbdent]

8. This is a man who has had Secret Service protecting his ass since 1980

except for, maybe, 1993-1999 ...

so he wouldn't have any idea what it was like to actually have to worry about his own safety ...

[jimlup]

9. Bush was a convient yahoo for smarter but evil people pulling his strings

What a total ass.

[pjt7]

10. Even in this controlled setting

I'd be suprised if no citizen booed this clown of b.s.

[liberal N proud]

11. Dick called him with orders to repeat what Dick says

But since he is standing by his man, let him go to fucking jail as well.

Convict them all.

[Hubert Flottz]

12. "waterboarding, was legal"

In case someone out there hadn't noticed, Bush rarely, if ever, tells the truth.

[NewJeffCT]

23. Nope, in his eyes

If the president does it, it's not illegal. Remember, Condi had basically said as much about Bush a few weeks ago.

[L. Coyote]

32. He is claiming, "Waterboarding six times a day, every day, was legal" because

Because it produces immediate results!

What are we, his herd of idiots? Not any more, Herr Bush.

[Jeep789]

13. So he is still stupid... nt

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mdmc]

31. welcome to du my friend

from the north..

[annabanana]

14. "The first thing you do is ask what's legal?" Bush said.

The first thing you do is beat the crap out of everyone you round up... THEN you tell your legal department to "make it legal". .

SOP for corporate lawyering..

[Vinca]

16. Arrest his ass. End of story.

:mad:

[AndyA]

17. George Bush is a LIAR.

He LIED about the reasons to go to war in Iraq. Regardless of the intelligence being flawed or not, he knew it was flawed and STILL TOLD LIES to start the war. He's a WAR CRIMINAL.

He LIED about Valerie Plame. He did not keep his word and fire everyone involved in outing her. She was a covert agent, and was outed for political reasons...to get back at her husband. That's TREASON.

He appointed cronies who were unqualified to bag groceries to top jobs in his administration. As a result, they padded their bank accounts with cash, and allowed Americans to suffer and die because of their irresponsibility and/or greed.

Anyone who is still stupid enough to believe anything Bush says is too far gone to worry about. They are sheep, and would gladly follow the idiot in front of them over the cliff.

PROSECUTE THE WAR CRIMINALS!

[Stuart G]

18. I wonder what Mancow would have to say about this??

I live in the Chicago area and never listen to his show. I wonder what he would say about the Chimps latest attempt to defend what is indefensible.

[47of74]

19. Now Bush puts his foot in it

[orbitalman]

20. What a total AssWipe.

Why would anyone attend one of his speeches these days and why would the news media (CNN) give him coverage? is way beyond me.

[mbperrin]

21. Gulags and torture. Those are the correct terms.

At one time, we criticized folks for having them. WHO knew they were essential??????????????

Gulags and torture. Release those photos of the rape of children now, and then let's talk what's legal.

[NewJeffCT]

22. Is somebody else now scared of prosecution, like Chicken Cheney?

I hope so.

[CubicleGuy]

48. So, he's saying he was "in the loop"?

Did his plausible deniability just evaporate?

Did he just stick his foot in his mouth for good?

[Betty]

24. cheney's sock puppet is doing as his master bids.

took him long enough.

[florida08]

25. these guys

are like a plague on society. It's always after 9/11 with them..well we needed to you protect us BEFORE the attack you moron. How do we know if anything you did protected us after! Yeah Cheney gave him the order..get your ass out there and start defending us cause if I go down so do you. Too bad the shoe didn't hit him in the mouth.

[mbperrin]

27. In other news, Charles Manson defends "helter-skelter."

Next hour, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, and Jeffrey Dahmer defend "looking for love in all the wrong places."

Indict, arrest, try, convict, and execute ALL the Bush war criminals now, starting with *.

[JayMusgrove]

28. What the hell is he doing out of Texas? I though we got rid of him!

He's just making more trouble for the President. Get him off stage with a hook.

Why can't he tell us the information they got to save lives? If they told us, and if it were true, maybe more lives would be saved.

[Amonester]

40. Cheney told him he will 'spill the beans' and point to him...

as soon as he'll get busted for war crimes, and that he won't have to get waterboarded for that too...

[Psychic Consortium]

29. Bush speaking out will backfire on many levels. nt

[madrchsod]

33. his law not the rest of the civilized world`s law.

to bad no one will ever be held accountable.

we have elected cowards that would rather look away than to bring to trial those responsible.

[pjt7]

34. Check this out

As for why he chose the Economic Club in Benton Harbor for his largest domestic speech yet?

"That's a simple answer," he told the standing room only crowd. "My father spoke here in 1995. My mother spoke here. My brother Jeb spoke here in 2007. I just want to say, thanks for finally having me!"

America's biggest loser has done not ONE thing in his life, on his OWN.

[democracy1st]

35. crook

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

36. More from the great deceiver

The former president received a noisy standing ovation when answering a question about what he wants his legacy to be.

"Well, I hope it is this: The man showed up with a set of principles, and he was unwilling to compromise his soul for the sake of popularity," he said.





Hey Bush, do you think you might have compromised your soul when you ignored warnings for 9 months of an impending attack that would kill thousands of Americans and other nationalities?

And your "principals" that allowed you to ignore the hurricane - the great wind - Katrina, so you didn't have to interrupt your vacation?



Bastard


: edit to add Bastard! :

[Magleetis]

37. FUGWB

You un-american piece of shit. Go back under your rock.

[MidwestTransplant]

38. Yes valuable intelligence was gained like how Saddam was working with AQ

[sellitman]

39. GWB, You are a war criminal.

Fuck you and everyone who supports torture.

[AzDar]

41. Yep, I still despise this war-criminal fuck. Just checkin'.

:grr:

[bfealk]

42. Protesters Greet Bush in Michigan

Source: Fox 28 South Bend Indiana

Not everyone at Lake Michigan College was there in support of the former president. A handful of protesters from "World Can't Wait dot org" held signs and demanded that President Obama release torture photos and documents. They also say they want President Bush and his administration prosecuted for war crimes.

"These people are war criminals and we're allowing him to speak at Michigan college and get paid $150,000. How does that make us feel in Michigan where we're loosing all of our jobs and he's getting paid $150,000 for a war criminal to speak?" asked Bush protester Bruce Fealk.

Read more: http://www.fox28.com/Global/story.asp?S=10442041

[Kolesar]

43. "I am sure we can arrange an honorarium from the student fund"

[saigon68]

44. "BRING EM ON" shouted the WAR CRIMINAL CHIMPANZEE

[No Elephants]

45. Investigate and prosecute, please, Mr. President. So,

Bush says he'll say nothing at all about Obama bc he (Bush) did not appreciate it when other Presidents criticized him, does he? Guess Bush is telling us indirectly that he has absolutely nothing good to say about this administration so far.


BTW, the only time any former President or VP criticized Dummya was Preident Ford and President Carter, each of whom very mildly critized the pre-emptive invasion of Iraq (with no exit strategy), one time each. Two mild comments in 8 years and Bush makes it sound as though he had to endure what Obama has been enduring from the Cheney duo.

Meanwhile, whenever asked, Bush lets us know indirectly that he has nothing at all good to say so far and Cheney has turned into motor mouth, so Bush does not really have to say anything directly anyway. From what I'e read, Bush never delivered bad news himself, anyway. Even when he was owner of a team (thanks to the Saudis), he had someone else fire folks.

These people are utterly false, repugnant and repulsive. The fact that they still have fans in Michigan or anywhere else tells us all we need to know about said fans.

[raccoon]

46. Good going, Michigander protesters! nt

[Trocadero]

47. No, the FIRST thing you do is DEFER to your EXPERTS, who were following the legal Army Field Manual

[paparush]

49. Hey, NumbNuts, your job was to protect and defend THE CONSTITUTION!

[underpants]

50. I get a "I don't really care" half-measure from his quotes

which is completely typical of him

[slampoet]

51. Benton Harbor is 92% black. How many black people were in Bush's Audience?

[Turborama]

52. Check out the queue in this video...

I think it'll answer your question... ;-)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x317945

[slampoet]

56. WOW. Not only are 99.9% of the audience white and over 55 but also the protesters are too!!!!

[tavalon]

53. Honestly, Bushy, if we want to hear you talk,

we'll subpoena your ass.

[florida08]

57. LOLOL

couldn't read any further..best post of the day :applause:

[Aslanspal]

54. LIAR! Bush is trying to get away with this just because he was President

He is trying to bluff the people again...and thinking they will give him a pass ...and to just trust him because he was the POTUS.

He is a Liar....and those are talking points...he did not give a rats ass about protecting us...that memo in bold

"BIN LADEN LIKELY TO ATTACK" was ignored


the PRICK is a Liar!

[oldironside]

55. What's the Constitution Worth?

As a Brit I'd like to say that there are many things to like and admire about your country - for example, Rachel Maddow (sigh). Since my country doesn't even have a constitution (it's all done on precedent and interpreted by constitutional "experts" like Lord Cringe-on-all-Foursley) I think I justly can feel jealous of you. However, I feel I must point out that the Soviet Union also had a model constitution guaranteeing rights and freedoms. The question is this: Is your constitution your basic law (as the Germans call their constitution, based on yours) or just a collection of pretty words that can be forgotten when the going gets tough. Bush seems far closer to Stalin in his interpretation than he does to Ben Franklin.

[The Hope Mobile]

58. "This country does not torture!!!"

Yup - right!

[Enrique]

59. then why did he stop the program? n/t