Obama/Reid Fail: Justice vs Retribution

President Obama and top Democrats lead by Harry Reid have shown a complete failure to understand the importance of justice in our country. Aside from our national identity as a moral beacon for the world, we are a nation of laws. Bush's administration, members of the CIA and those under their command broke the law of our nation. Allowing them to escape punishment for their crimes is unconscionable. According to the NY Times:

At a meeting of top Democrats at the White House Wednesday night, President Obama told Congressional leaders that he did not want a special inquiry, which he said would potentially steal time and energy from his ambitious policy priorities, and could mushroom into a wider distraction by looking back at other aspects of the Bush years.

The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, and other top Senate Democrats endorsed Mr. Obama’s view on Thursday, telling reporters that they preferred to wait for the results of an investigation by the Senate intelligence committee expected sometime “late this year.”

This is a cruel joke at the expense of the American people. We voted - heavily - for change. We voted in people we expected to uphold the law, human rights, and our constitution. Instead we've gotten mollycoddled fopdoodles with all the bravery of an icterine soaked whelp with its belly up and throat exposed. Spineless just doesn't begin to describe the kind of people who abandon respect for the rule of law and the people literally tortured through it for the sake of respect from an opposition so entrenched against you they speak of revolution at a moderate tax increase for the wealthiest Americans. You may was well succor a brick wall in hopes it will bend out of the way when you attempt to run through it.

Bravo to Patrick J. Leahy and Nancy Pelosi for taking a stand in the face of Obama and Reid's stupidity:

“I don’t think there is a division among Democrats,” Mr. Reid said. “Justice must be served. Retribution should not be a part of what we’re talking about.” He said that it was premature to act without facts to be provided by the intelligence committee. “They will make a public report,” he said. “I hope that it will come toward the end of this year.”

But Ms. Pelosi, at a news conference attended by many youngsters visiting the Capitol for Take Your Child to Work Day, reiterated her position – shared by many of the more liberal Democrats in the House – that a panel should be named to investigate the Bush administration legal memos that allowed waterboarding and other harsh techniques.

The division between top Democrats threatened to open up a debate that would distract from Mr. Obama’s agenda one way or another.

Mr. Obama's agenda should be derailed if this is the true face and heart of it. The President would do well to find the courage to take to heart the words of Fox News anchor Shep Smith:

We are America! We do not fucking torture!

AMEN.

Republican's Huge Boehner About Torture

To sum up Boehner and his spokeman Michael Steel (via HuffPost):

Boehner: Yes its torture, but letting people know we broke a host of laws and trampled on human rights is a political decision, not a legal or ethical one. I'm sure you've read our talking points? Now that terrorists know for sure no backsies that we use waterboarding, they can practice drowning and stay one watery step ahead of us! (Innocent people will just have to suck it).

Reporter: Hey we all know this will never be prosecuted, but shouldn't we at least know what crimes won't be prosecuted.

Boehner: OMG 9/11 9/11 9/11. Plus these techniques toootally worked scouts honor (tru patriots won't read the shitload of studies that prove otherwise).

Michael Steel: Right honorable Senator Lord Boehner used the word torture cause them there dirty liberals use it to, but he didn't mean it!

And there's the funny thing about Republicans and Democrats.
When Republicans say we don't torture, they mean "uh that stuff is a-ok".
When Democrats say we don't torture, they actually mean it.

What Does America Stand For?

Jesus's General points to a depressing post on torture by Ian Welsh:

I don’t think America stands for anything particularly noble at this point. I’d be happy to be convinced otherwise, so if commenters have ideas, I’d like to hear them.

I should add, on the original question I’m willing to bet that within a couple years we’ll find out that whatever he may have said about stopping torture, torture has continued and will continue under the Obama administration. Less of it, doubtless, but still torture.

Ian is absolutely right. The title of his post is "Obama’s Refusal to investigate torture tells us that America is a land of men, not laws". I'd go further. Obama, in refusing to prosecute the anyone from the former administration for the laws they clearly broke, is actively assisting in the breakdown of the rule of law.

This is a bitter disappointment from a man who inspired and moved me during the election. Now that he's in office, he's lost his spine and his vision.