Broder's concern about torture trials

Broder is making the case that Bush and Cheney are so special that letting them get away with employing torture is more important than upholding the rule of law.

The standard excuses:

1)They had access to secret information. What right does the ignorant average citizen have to question officials with top level security clearances?

2)Obviously the torture was implemented in good faith. It was safe, legal and effective. It was implemented after all legal interrogation methods were found to be unsuccessful.

3)It was an overreaction to 9/11. Panicked officials felt they had to do what was necessary to protect the public. Prosecutions are hindsight, Monday morning quarterback acts of self righteousness.

Who cares if these excuses aren't true. Since when are MSM journalists concerned with the truth? One must ask, why does Broder insist on holding extremely powerful officials to such a pathetically low standard of conduct?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/02/AR2009090202857.html">Why Holder is Wrong

"Why does Broder insist on holding extremely powerful REPUBLICAN officials to such a pathetically low standard of conduct?"

Because you know he doesn't hand those breaks out willy-nilly.

I'm still waiting for the M$M to latch onto a story about some tax cheat/adulterer/criminal who Obama may have gone to elementary school with (and hasn't seen in forty years). Any statute of limitations seems to apply only to the Republics. With Dems, they'll go back to Biblical times if it suits their purposes in nailing a (D) to the wall.

Thank Dog they're (mostly) so willfully ignorant. Imagine the Hell we'd be living if they had several like Rachel Maddow on their team.

by way of fearmongering and propaganda. This feeds the authoritarianism to the point where patriotism is redefined as support for torture.

Broder has often been pushed as an independent, if I've under stood this correctly?

IMO, he was a fence sitter who will change sides to stay with the power and the money.

There are laws against torture, no matter how much SECRECY you wrap it in!

The time for Bush/Cheney to have "overreacted" was BEFORE 9/11 . . . when everyone was

warning them about a terrorist attack!!!

Why is the burden of responsibility on Holder to overlook torture laws? Who ordered CIA and military personnel to break torture laws in the first place? Who put CIA and military personnel in legal jeopardy? That would be Bush and Cheney. The point being that high ranking officials truly concerned with the welfare of their subordinates wouldn't have betrayed them in the first place. Yet with the help of propagandists like Broder the whole issue is twisted to the point where upholding the rule of law is equated with doing "irreparable damage." That is bizarre. Why doesn't Broder mention the damage already done by the use of torture? Soldiers paying the price due to retaliation for torture policies and threats made worse by increased terrorist/insurgent recruiting. American citizens viewed as cowards who are willing to go along with criminal policies in return for claims of increased security.

The assumption is that Bush and Cheney told the truth when they claimed legal interrogation methods weren't working. The public evidence refutes their premise. This is extremely important because if this central Bush/Cheney claim isn't true it means the entire foundation of the torture program is without merit. Which in turn means Broder is defending the indefensible.

THIS is Repug "values" --- sickening!!

Of course, you're correct -- but the media is often now a right wing insane

asylum -- and it's a one-way street where their point of view is framed and

public opinion is is not requested.

IMO, most of the soldiers would probably admit that torture didn't work --

if they could actually tell us what went on.

I think in cases like this, our best bet would be to go for Truth Hearings????

But, why is anyone reading Broder? I don't get it!

PS: But by all means, I hope we get prosecutions --- especially of higher ups.