Torture? Rudman to the Rescue-By Ray McGovern: 'Clear Plan-Go Thru Motions-Let EVERYONE Off'

[kpete]

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2009/050609a.html

By Ray McGovern
May 6, 2009

The announcement in mid-March that CIA Director Leon Panetta had picked former Sen. Warren Rudman to act as CIA “liaison” with the Senate Intelligence Committee during its “review” of interrogation and detention practices has drawn virtually no criticism from the Fawning Corporate Media (FCM).

Yet, it is a dead give-away as to how congressional leaders plan to go through the motions for a year or so, and then let everyone off the hook.

Why let everyone off the hook? Because congressional leaders, Republican and Democratic alike, were informed of the Bush/Cheney administration plans for torture — perhaps not chapter and verse, but enough to be complicit in their silence. Both parties have amply soiled the dirty linen that could be hung out.

So here’s the plan. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, looking toward reelection in 2010, calculates that the last thing he needs is a bonafide investigation that would make him vulnerable to Cheneyesque charges of being weak in the “war” on terrorism. These days, if you take a hard line against torture, you can be made to appear soft on terrorism.

Worse still, other prominent Democrats like Sen. Jay Rockefeller and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were given intelligence briefings on interrogation, warrantless eavesdropping, and God knows what else. And they let Bush and Cheney run right over them with nary a whimper.

..........................

more at:
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2009/050609a.html

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[Supersedeas]

2. and you know that DiFi had a hand is this as well

[PufPuf23]

7. DiFi's husband, Richard Blum, had great benefit

in no bid MIC contracts in the 9 figures during the 1st term of GWB.

[bobthedrummer]

10. And he's made another killing on taking over bank foreclosed homes-kick

[seemslikeadream]

3. I guess we'll have to have the international court air our diry laundry for us

[pleah]

4. K&R

That is exactly what is going to happen, imo. I hope I'm wrong.

[bobthedrummer]

14. I hope so too...

[formercia]

5. The boys are good at co-opting people

There are so many ways.

[bobthedrummer]

13. Yep, and they have quite an economy of scale-kick

[bvar22]

6. A Whole Bunch of Democrats....

...sat on the Senate Armed Services Committee Investigation of the abuses at Abu Ghraib in 2004.
They were shown classified photos and videos of murder, rape, and other torture.
They KNEW for a FACT that Torture and other War Crimes were systemic,....and yet kept their mouths shut, and (for the most part) remained supportive of the WARS.

These are the Democrats who are complicit by turning a blind eye:

Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) Ranking Member
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.)
Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.)
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.)
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.)
Sen. Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii)
Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.)
Sen. Mark Dayton (D-Minn.)
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.)
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.)
Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.)

[bobthedrummer]

15. A lot of DLCer's-kick

[Senator]

8. This Is Why Justice Souter Should Preside Over Our War Crimes Tribunal/Inquiry

(http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=5572518">to repost from earlier)

Our unprecedented dilemma demands an unprecedented solution**.

The torture and other crimes of the bushcheney years are only partially a "legal matter." There are the foreign relations to consider, the military aspects, perhaps judicial review, and even the actions of congressional leaders of both parties.

A combination Commission of Inquiry and Nuremberg-like Tribunal could actually be achieved.

A Supreme Court Justice may literally be the only one with enough gravitas and independence to confer legitimacy on the introspective process our once-great nation must force itself to endure.

--

Justices Souter and Stevens are really the only public non-partisans we have.

Additionally, this tribunal needs more than the current whitewash buzzwords "full authority to issue subpoenas." The power to obtain and disseminate information is a far cry from the necessary power to DO some damn thing to meet our treaty obligations and enforce our domestic laws.

--

** It's not completely unprecedented because Justice Jackson was recruited from the Supreme Court to preside as chief United States prosecutor at Nuremberg. It's unique in that we'd be applying the same standard to ourselves.

==

[bobthedrummer]

9. kick

[bobthedrummer]

11. .

[bobthedrummer]

12. k+ "'Ugly' Questions for Gen. Myers" by Ray McGovern (5-14-09 Common Dreams)

"Tuesday evening offered an unusual opportunity to question the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (2001-2005), Air Force Gen. Richard Myers, at an alumni club dinner."
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/05/14-2

[Supersedeas]

16. Leon Panetta -- continuing the Tenet legacy

[bobthedrummer]

17. k

[spanone]

18. personally, i don't care what letter is behind their names....