LAT: (Sen. Lindsey Graham) Digging for Iraq Abuse Answers

[DeepModem Mom]

THE NATION
S.C. Republican Digging for Iraq Abuse Answers
Sen. Lindsey Graham rankles party elders with his pursuit of truth in the scandal that many others wish would fade away.

By Richard Simon, Times Staff Writer


WASHINGTON — Sen. Lindsey O. Graham knows exactly how to get under Democrats' skin. As a House member, he was one of the Republicans who prosecuted President Clinton during his impeachment trial.

Now the junior senator from South Carolina is giving the same kind of treatment to members of his own party.

While many Republicans would like to see the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal go away during this election year, Graham is among those who have pushed to keep the congressional investigation going. Otherwise, he argues, everything good that the United States has done in Iraq could be jeopardized.

"What are we fighting for?" he asked at a recent hearing. "To be like Saddam Hussein?"...

***

The tough questions he has hurled at the Pentagon brass at hearings of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on which he serves, seem a natural fit for Graham — who has been a military defense lawyer, prosecutor and now serves as a judge while holding the rank of colonel in the Air Force Reserves. He called the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal "the biggest breakdown of command I've ever seen in my 20 years as a military lawyer."...


http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-graham29jun29,1,3718449.story?coll=la-home-politics

[JohnOneillsMemory]

1. The irony. Decrying our own employee. "Let's not be like the hired help."

That would so unseemly to be caught red-handed in good old US state-sponsored terrorism. One mustn't be caught, must one?

"What are we fighting for?" he asked at a recent hearing. "To be like Saddam Hussein?"...

Um...no...we are Saddam Hussein. Always have been. But thanks for the due outrage, Senator.

[Disturbed]

3. Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal?

He can call it that as many do but what it really is remains covered up. It is Systematic Torture in Iraq, Afghanistan and Gitmo and in more that 24 Secret Prisons, approved by the Pres. on down. Americans mostly only see it as "abuse" of " a few bad apples". There have been rapes and murders carried out. The Military investigating itself is insanity!

[Judi Lynn]

2. Never expected to think well of this guy, but he's doing great now!

Is it possible he's beginning to wake up? If he has a trace of goodness hiding in there somewhere, this is, by god, the time to use it. It simply could NEVER be more important than it is now to start going after these criminals, and confronting them, asking for answers.

We don't want this problem left unchecked, extending into the future, as it will, since _Bush has opened the torture door, unless some strong Republicans step away from their circle jerk and try to put their party back on track.

[0007]

4. C'mon Graham turn the light on these cock-a-roaches

"He called the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal "the biggest breakdown of command I've ever seen in my 20 years as a military lawyer."

It isn't that hard to figure out is it?

[fsbooks]

6. by "breakdown in command" he must mean

the release of the torture information, not the act of it. The torture itself was simply encouraged and directed from the top.

[salin]

5. well the LA TImes messed up the photos for the story

story focuses on Senator Lindsey Graham (repub from South Carolina, former Impeachment House Manager)

but the pictures are of Senator Bob Graham (dem from Florida, former presidential primary candidate, former governor of Florida... etc.)

oops...

[Shopaholic]

7. Graham has turned out to be a much better Senator than I

even though he would be. If we had to have another Repug senator from SC, at least we got an independent-minded one. He and John McCain are pretty tight-Lindsey led his campaign in SC four years ago and I don't think Graham's a fan of * despite his claims that he supports the president. He has opposed the Repugs on several issues and refuses to completely spout the party line-although he still agrees way to much with them for my liking.

[yellowcanine]

8. Graham is still a weasel, imo. But even a weasel is useful if you have

some chickens that need killing.

On edit: mispelled weasel as weasal. Wouldn't want anyone to think I was a moran.:>)