First thoughts: Torture story rages on

Posted: Friday, April 24, 2009 9:13 AM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: First Thoughts

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Domenico Montanaro
*** Torture story rages on: Here are the latest developments in the raging political firestorm over torture and controversial interrogation tactics… U.S. officials tell NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski that the Pentagon and military are preparing to release as many as 2,000 photos -- including several dozen that apparently show alleged prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay and other military detention facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan. The photos, which have not been seen publicly, would be the first visual evidence of possible prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay, and they are being released in response to a federal lawsuit filed by the ACLU. (Per Mik, one U.S. official said the photos are "not as bad as those from Abu Ghraib,” but "they're not good.")… Also, we can report that at yesterday’s White House meeting with congressional leaders, President Obama signaled he’s not inclined toward establishing an independent commission to investigation the torture allegations. What’s more, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs added that Obama wasn’t in favor of a special prosecutor, either.

Video: The Pentagon is preparing to release new photos that show alleged prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay and other military detention facilities. NBC’s Jim Miklaszewski reports.

*** Plenty of questions: Still, despite what Obama said, Speaker Nancy Pelosi apparently didn’t back down from supporting a “truth commission” on the matter at the private White House meeting. Can the Obama administration calm the forces of investigation in Congress by promising that his attorney general will investigate? Or is this a case where he can't really stop Congress from investigating something? And what will the prison abuse photos, set for release next month, do to this argument? Will the public outcry increase to the point where a commission is inevitable?

*** Irreconcilable differences over reconciliation: There was another headline out of Obama’s meeting yesterday with congressional leaders: We're told the president made it clear -- to the chagrin of Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell -- that he was pretty much determined to roll health care into the budget reconciliation process. According to sources, Obama said he didn't want to see his health-care plan go down simply because he had only 59 votes in the Senate. McConnell apparently thanked the president for his candor, but warned him that he won't get much bipartisan support if he goes down that path. However, Rep. Paul Ryan (R) said that Democrats have the right to push health-care reform via reconciliation because they “won the election.” See below for more on that…

*** Al Gore, Newt Gingrich, climate change -- oh my: Today’s big political event is Al Gore’s testimony on energy and climate-change legislation that the House Energy and Commerce Committee is currently considering. But get this: According to The Hill, Newt Gingrich, an ardent opponent of cap-and-trade, will testify after Gore. You might want to heat up some popcorn… This could be entertaining. Also today, President Obama will deliver remarks on higher education at 1:30 pm ET.

*** Tedisco to concede? Late yesterday, there was some chatter that Republican Jim Tedisco might soon concede to Democrat Scott Murphy in the extremely close NY-20 special election. In fact, local Capital News 9 has a piece with this headline: “Sources say Tedisco concession likely,” although the actual story doesn’t advance that claim. Just asking, but if Tedisco does concede, does that put any extra pressure on Norm Coleman in Minnesota? The latest count has Murphy leading Tedisco by 401 votes.

*** Poll watch: A second-straight national poll shows a plurality of Americans believing the country is on the right track. Per the National Journal/AllState survey, 47% think the country is headed in the right direction, versus 42% who think it’s on the wrong track. The poll also shows that 61% approve of Obama’s job, and that plenty of people are uncertain about the state of the economy. Ron Brownstein writes in National Journal’s cover story that “fully 64 percent of adults said they think that today’s economy presents them with more financial risks that could endanger their standard of living than their parents confronted.”

*** Putting the “Lone” in the Lone Star State: As one of your Texas-born authors knows quite well, Texas is not only a state; it’s a state of mind. But we never thought we’d see this: A healthy minority of Texans -- as well as a majority of Texas Republicans -- say they want to secede from the union. According to a new DailyKos/Research 2000 poll, 37% of Texans and 51% of Lone Star Republicans agree with Gov. Rick Perry’s recent suggestion that Texas may need to leave the United States. Wow, just wow. Imagine the outcries of patriotism (or lack thereof) if Massachusetts or New York hinted at secession during the Bush years. Realize that Perry is the GOP’s most senior governor, and he leads the country's second largest state. Perry, of course, is expected to face off against against the more moderate Kay Bailey Hutchison in a GOP primary next year, and maybe his statement about secession was a brilliant move…

*** Off-message alert: Rep. Paul Ryan (R) saying yesterday that Democrats have the right to push health care via reconciliation because they "won the election" was the latest in what was a day of two parties off message. Speaker Pelosi held a press conference on bringing sons and daughters to work, and it turned into a press assault on torture -- what she knew and when she knew it. (That's all still unclear, by the way.) She reiterated her call for an independent commission, but her counterpart in the Senate says he's against it. Of course, Reid's and Pelosi's comments are a reflection of local politics: Reid is up for re-election in 2010 in a purple state, and Pelosi is from, well, San Francisco.

*** Obama and the BCS, Part II: Yesterday, we gave President Obama a little grief for seeming to backtrack on his stance for a playoff in college football when he invited the Florida Gators to the White House to celebrate their national championship -- despite earlier stating that USC, Utah, and Texas had legitimate claims to the title, too. Well, in his remarks to the Gators, Obama did hold true to his position that college football needs reform. “I don't want to stir up controversy. You guys are the national champions,” he said yesterday, per the White House. But he added, “I'm not backing off the fact we need a playoff system. But I have every confidence that you guys could have beat anybody else. And so we'll see how that plays itself out.”

Countdown to Obama’s 100th day: 5 days
Countdown to NJ GOP primary: 39 days
Countdown to VA Dem primary: 46 days
Countdown to Election Day 2009: 193 days
Countdown to Election Day 2010: 557 days

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Comments

I want someone to tally how many news stories, web posts, interviews or Op-Ed releases are from GOP or conservative people next week. I have been tracking this website and by far any GOP talking head gets more leads, and hardly any Democrats are making headlines outside the President. I asked yesterday, where are all the Democrats?

Chuck, WA (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:19 AM)

Nice job Obama, releasing those so called 'torture' documents. That really stoked the fires of bi-partisanship in Washington. Now the Republicans will be all buddy-buddy with the Democrats for that half-a**ed attempt by Obama to yet again smear the Bush administration. Yeah, right.

Obama is controlled by his left-wing nut base. He can't help himself but to bow to them, mostly because he's one of them.

Danille, VT (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:22 AM)

I love watching the Media compare the waterboarding done to known terrorists to save american lives, with the waterboarding done to the marines, navy, army & air force.

They say that it was harder on the terrorists because they didn't know that it wasn't going to hurt them.

So, now we have to tell terrorists that we wont hurt them? WTF

Did Obie tell the three boy pirates that he wasn't going to hurt them before he gave the order to shoot???

Did he tell the women and children hanging out with the taliban in Pakistan before he "ok'd" the firing of hellfire missles at them?

Obama's Other Face (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:24 AM)

By all means you silly texasss folks - succeed, I'm kind of tired of you being the big old bully in the back of the bus. Besides, if we get rid of you then we might finally rid our country of this oil addiction, since that is your only contribution to our society, I say it is way past time to let both go. Since my ancestors made a big mistake by defending Texasss at the Alamo - I'm one decendent who says that was their big mistake, and I'm only too happy to let go of a group of people who treated their two best citzens (Janis Joplin and Stevie Ray Vaughan) like dirt.
Maybe Mexico will take you back? Now that's a novel idea, one I really do like.

Union Baby, Tennessee (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:24 AM)

see if dick chenney would have kept quiet like former president bush, we this story would not be at the front of the news.

DICK CHENNEY YOUR A OLD DUMB ASS THAT SHOULD HAVE KEPT YOUR MOUTH SHUT.

DICK CHENNEY YOUR SHOULD WRITE ON THE BLACK BOARD
I WILL KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT 1000 TIMES. THEN MAY BE YOU WILL GET IT.

Jeff D Evanston IL. (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:25 AM)

Hey stupid..RPC poll has the country on the WRONG track at 58%
guess you left wing idiots can't read

DUMP GE STOCK (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:27 AM)

I love these phony polls about if America is on the right track. 3.5 million people have lost their jobs in the last 5 months with no end of that trend in sight, and the polls show we're on the "right track"? What track might that be?

Highway to H*ll (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:28 AM)

Gov. Perry should be hit with charges of treason and inciting rebellion against the US government.

For a sitting politician, esp. a governor, to suggest secession is asinine to say the least

Joe - STL (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:28 AM)

"McConnell apparently thanked the president for his candor, but warned him that he won't get much bipartisan support if he goes down that path."
===================================================
The Congressional Republicans have demonstrated that the President won't get much bipartisan support no matter what path he follows, so this comment is pretty hollow.

Nashville_fan (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:29 AM)

FR: Imagine the outcries of patriotism (or lack thereof) if Massachusetts or New York hinted at secession during the Bush years.

Outcrys? Bush would have rolled out the Red Carpet for those states to leave the union. Sell them to Canada for $20 each.

HTI-OK (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:30 AM)

Torture is bad and college football playoffs would be good. That's what I think, anyway.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:32 AM)

"A healthy minority of Texans -- as well as a majority of Texas Republicans -- say they want to secede from the union. According to a new DailyKos/Research 2000 poll, 37% of Texans and 51% of Lone Star Republicans agree with Gov. Rick Perry’s recent suggestion that Texas may need to leave the United States"
====================================================

Na Na Na Na

Na Na Na Na

Hey Hey Hey

Gooooooooood Byeeeeeeeeeeee!

P.S. Don't let the door hit ya on the way out! :)

Nashville_fan (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:32 AM)

Lynn Wheatly (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:33 AM)

How come so many republicans are scared to know the truth behind the torture done in their names? I hope it is your kid or grandkid that is tortured someday by an enemy and not mine...I really don't think my kids should pay for your stupidity and ignorance.

Rick, CA (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:34 AM)

According to sources, Obama said he didn't want to see his health-care plan go down simply because he had only 59 votes in the Senate. McConnell apparently thanked the president for his candor, but warned him that he won't get much bipartisan support if he goes down that path.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ohh like he’s gotten so much support from them up to this point! What a bunch of clowns… it’s no wonder so many people HATE clowns!

Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:35 AM)

Looks like the Bernie Madoff clone has learned a lesson from sore loser coleman's losing recount battle to steal the election. Let's hope that Tedisco proves to be an honest repugnant one and one who knows when to do the right thing for the people. Way to go NY-20!

Yippee pictures at 11PM! I can't wait to see the 2,000 photos of torture that should be hung in the repugnant one's hall of shame. Man it is so much fun to watch the repugnant ones squirm as they slowly get tortured into telling the truth about torture. Last week they got a taste of memo torture and next month they'll get a dose of photo torture.

As always another great week here at First Read as we get treated to so many great articles and Obama supporter comments. Thanks First Read crew for making First Read the best website for political discussion. Oh and thanks to the repugnant ones who post their nonsense here as you show how desperate you are trying to personally attack Obama supporters or try to post fake comments by abusing our names. Your desperate attempts to defend your evildoers is so funny to watch, your phony whines of impotent rage are just so cute.

Prosecute War Criminals Bush and Cheney!
In Obama We Trust!
In First Read We Trust!

Eric, Salinas, CA (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:35 AM)

Will someone please tell cheney to just STFU? Or better yet lets give him to one of our european partners running one of those rendition camps that don't torture.

Cheney is a clown (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:36 AM)

Nancy Pelosi supports Truth Commission? First thing the Commission should do is find out what story Pelosi believes, the one where she knew about the CIA techniques for collection information from the terrorists, or the story where she knew nothing about the techniques.

Pelosi seems to have Selective Memory Syndrome, just like Hillary.

I Forgot (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:36 AM)

A DailyKos/Research 2000 poll???? Really? Really? I think as this money mess keeps unwinding there's a greater chance of New York being declared a state sponsor of terror than Texas leaving the union.

Dave, Tn (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:37 AM)

Do the school kids in Texas not recite the Pledge of Allegiance like the rest of us?

One nation, under God
INDIVISIBLE

David, Tallahassee FL (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:37 AM)

The president needs to let this story gradually die out as a mainstream topic, leaving it to be played out - as usual - on the extremes of both parties. The economy is how he will retain those sky-high approval numbers.

http://www.political-buzz.com/

matt (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:38 AM)

"Can the Obama administration calm the forces of investigation in Congress by promising that his attorney general will investigate? Or is this a case where he can't really stop Congress from investigating something? And what will the prison abuse photos, set for release next month, do to this argument? Will the public outcry increase to the point where a commission is inevitable?"
==================================================
Hmmmmmm . . . why is the media monitoring "public outcry" instead of doing their jobs as investigative journalists?

If the public is okay with it, does that mean that it doesn't matter what the law says?

Are we a nation of laws or do the laws change just depending on who breaks them?

Is the media slow to follow this story where it leads because along the way, they too will be indicted as being once again willingly blind to the facts of the case?

P.S. Nancy Pelosi's statement yesterday about what she knew about torture rang a little hollow . . . me thinks a lot of people went along with the Bush Administration to get along . . . and now everybody wants to point fingers and play dumb (its the Washington way) . . . sad but true.

Nashville_fan (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:40 AM)

Teleprompter, whine, hate, socialist, want to secede, hate my country, hate the president, he destroyed the economy - the collapse last year didnt really happen, whine, hate, too much taxes - doesnt matter if not a single tax has increased and I just noticed my tax reduced on my recent paycheck but I'll still whine.

J. Richter (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:41 AM)

Once torture allegations and the coinciding proof is let out of the box, you can't put it back in. An investigation must go forward and the AG is bound by the law and duty to investigate, charge, and punish all those implicated.

Condi Rice, who failed at her job as Chief Security Advisor by totally ignoring the intel about an attack on America, has even more blood on her hands in the toture allegations. She carried enough water for Bush and Cheney to fill an ocean. If the subsequent investigation warrants that someone goes to jail, I would not be surprised if Condi went the way of Scooter Libby, as a scapegoat for her partners in crime.

J. Ellis, Virginia (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:41 AM)

Don't mess with Texas..
OK they know how to make their own messes...

ALL BY THEMSELVES!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P93-5YnzcTQ

BJ, CA (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:42 AM)

Let’s see if Sean Insanity takes up Keith Olberman’s offer to be tortured… ooops… I mean water boarded for charity. I can only hope that Keith is the one to actually attempt to drown the little bastard with that g*d awful liberal ‘kool aid!

Me thinks the loud mouthed coward won’t go any where near this! After all within the party of G’no’P integrity is not something they concern themselves with!

Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:43 AM)

Keith Olbermann said Wednesday night that the Bushies were "frustrated" that none of the captured 9/11 suspects had confessed to being allied with Saddam Hussein using legal interrogation methods, so they used torture to make some of them say there was such an alliance -- false information that was then hyped (especially by Cheney) as a justification for war with Iraq.

If what Olbermann said is true, the scandal is far more than a case of overzealousness by CIA and Bush officials in defense of the nation against possible new terrorist attacks after 9/11. Concerns about another terrorist attack would at least be a mitigating factor in judging the culpability of the authors of the toture memos. But if the Bush regime deliberately used torture to extract false confessions for political purposes that is exactly the same reason that the Communist Chinese used waterboarding and other "harsh" interrogation methods on US soldiers during the Korean War.

Houston (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:43 AM)

Republicans must be so proud!

The anti-earth party
The pro-torture party
The succession party

And just why is it that the republicans can't seem to gain strong and widespread support?

Chris - IL (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:44 AM)

Wow, lots of stuff to talk about today. First of all, it's about time the torture information becomes public so that citizens can see just exactly what the Bush administration did with our trust.

"McConnell apparently thanked the president for his candor, but warned him that he won't get much bipartisan support if he goes down that path." Does ANYONE think the Administration was going to get ANY bipartisan support on health care reform regardless? If anyone doesn't understand the meaning of disingenuous the GOP leadership seems determined to teach people who can' even spell it the meaning of the term.

Elections and public opinion continue to tell the tale, yet conservatives still act like and in many cases believe they're the majority. When does reality set in?

Would any of the conservatives who love to shriek about "left-wing haters" like to acknowledge that liberals were openly accused of treason for 8 years but Rick Perry and all secessionists are actually speaking of treason? Try to spin that any way you want, secession is an issue that was settled in 1865.

John B, Des Moines, IA (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:44 AM)

Tedisco and Coleman in Minnesota are both LOSERS and they know it. They should both drop out now, before they make bigger FOOLS of themselves than they already did.

gepa (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:45 AM)

Why is it that Algore will "testify" but not debate anyone on global warming? He's shied away from many challenges to a debate. Probably because he can't back up his propaganda.

KLM in MI (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:46 AM)

'...Rep. Paul Ryan (R) said that Democrats have the right to push health-care reform via reconciliation because they “won the election.”...'

Exactly !!
ROLL THOSE SUCKERS !!
The Republicans will NOT add any positive aspects to Health Care, they'll only DELAY

What's WRONG with THIS PICTURE ?????

D Anders Texas: :’… If Sambo keeps up his idiotic moves, and his anti America foreign policy people will never want to see a democrat again. You got what you saw, Bill Ayers, G Damm America Wright, what a bunch of suckers to elect this fool, Bo is better than Sambo….’

Just curious as to why you refer to Obama as Sambo ??
Is that how they talk in your Klavern ?
Your bro’s sound like real cool cats…..
Are you a dittohead, too ??

Do you approve jojo ? Richard, Washington ? Pete, Salinas ? Sailor Moon/MoonDawg/Plastic Pam ?
God help us ?? KLH ??

Is this legitimate political discourse ??

Grant, Carlsbad , CA :'...My rate on existing balances with Citibank went up nearly 70%, from a reasonable 8.99% to 14.99%. The choices were to pay off the balance or abandon my access to the remaining credit lines (I am not maxed out)...'

Grant, a suggestion:

Go to Bankrate.com !!

Find a bank that charges less than the Mafia
Shop around

Personally, I always pay off my balances
If you have a balance on your credit card at the end of the month.... You're living beyond your means

But, if you do carry a balance go to BANKRATE.COM

Good Luck !!

MSierra, SF (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:46 AM)

Let the whole world know of the evil, meglomania and machiavellian ways of Cheney. This individual has the temerity to continue to appear on right wing FOX news and other apologist/enabling establishments to defend abhorent torture. History has shown that other such tortures like waterboarding committed by "bad apples" in the military were courtmarshalled/prosecuted. Cheney and lawyers need to be held accountable and disbarred if found guity PERIOD. The ends never justifies the means because we as nation we were the exception UNTIl FASCIST EVIL SADISTS WERE IN CHARGE. Eric Holder needs to open pandora's box and hold them accountable and not allow the GOP TO PLAY POLITICS AS USUAL.

Juan, FT Lauderdale,FL (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:47 AM)

More flip-flops from Barry Hussein. What is he trying to distract us from now???

Flipper (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:47 AM)

Admit it Perry, you can't handle a dark skinned man running the country.

Jim, Santa Cruz (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:49 AM)

But without bipartisanship, thats all that means is that when the Republicans win again, and they will, all this boondoggle spending the Democrats are doing to pay off their special interest groups will just be rolled back, because, well, the Republicans won.

Exactly Lynn. Just like the rolled back the surplus Clinton left at 2000 into double the deficit in 8 and increased the size of government even further. Are we naive today or what? Fiscal discipline and small government are ideaological election year republican slogans only. Of course they'll continue to win races here and there as long as the gullible idiots continue to buy into those worthless slogans that are not sound in the first place and are never followed in actual governance. And when those slogans dont work, they'll just throw in religious and social issues that should not be government's business into the equation. They'll stop winning the better our education system gets.

J. Richter (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:49 AM)

Obie - dazed and confused. No direction. Run by MoveOn.org ... this guy is passionate about being stupid.

Rantz (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:50 AM)

GI Jane was a WAR MONGER !
It turns out she was a CRIMINAL, too

Nancy Pelosi shines like a STAR in this case

From yesterday's MyDD:

Whatever Happened to AIPAC Jane?

by Charles Lemos, Thu Apr 23, 2009 at 02:03:23 AM EST

Oh this AIPAC Jane saga just gets better and better, well, unless you're AIPAC Jane. Who knew she harbored hopes of an Ambassadorship? I'd send her to Lesotho in a heart beat in the hopes of you know getting a real Democrat to represent the California 36th Congressional District but what did Lesotho ever do to us to deserve such a shrill?

From the New York Times:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged for the first time on Wednesday that she had been briefed by the Bush administration "maybe three years ago" that Representative Jane Harman, Democrat of California, had been picked up on a wiretapped phone conversation as part of a government investigation.

Ms. Pelosi said she had been barred from telling Ms. Harman about the recorded call.

She also said Ms. Harman was apparently not a target of the surveillance, and insisted that the incident did not factor in her decision to deny her colleague the top post on the House Intelligence Committee after Democrats won the majority in 2006.

That decision is still a source of friction between the two Californians, who are both powerful and wealthy women, and yet in other ways as different as the districts they represent. Ms. Pelosi's district covers most of San Francisco , while Ms. Harman represents parts of the West Side of Los Angeles and beach areas to the south.

Their tussle over the committee post was back in the spotlight this week after reports that Ms. Harman had been secretly recorded agreeing to intercede on behalf of pro-Israel lobbyists, who were under investigation for violations of the Espionage Act, in exchange for help in pressing Ms. Pelosi to give her the intelligence job.

While the two women do not display overt hostility, Ms. Harman seems to have never quite gotten over the slight. Colleagues say that since Ms. Pelosi, 69, thwarted her ambitions for a more prominent role on security issues, Ms. Harman, 63, has grown weary of Congress and has been eyeing a post in the Obama administration, perhaps as an ambassador.

Those hopes may be clouded by revelations about the taped call. Ms. Harman has forcefully denied the accusation that she offered to aid the operatives for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, known as Aipac.

While Speaker Pelosi suggests that AIPAC Jane wasn't the target of the surveillance but in 2005 the FBI was in fact investigating whether AIPAC Jane, an outspoken supporter of Israel , may have improperly influenced an ongoing Justice Department probe of AIPAC. In October 2006, AIPAC Jane dismissed the investigation as "laughable" yet here we are again and I am pretty sure no one is laughing even if the amusement factor is quite high.

Even more bizarre, if that's the right word, according to David Corn over at Mother Jones who finds that former Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez isn't exactly denying the most recent allegations against him, that is that he killed the FBI inquiry because AIPAC Jane, then the ranking Democrat on the intelligence committee, could help the Bush administration defend its use of warrantless wiretaps. Quid quo pros galore. In Washington of all places.

I think it fair to note that Jane Harman is a player, a heavy hitter in Washington politics and even if I find her brand of blue dog politics less than savory, it doesn't bring much satisfaction asking whatever happened to AIPAC Jane. Or does it?...'

Why did Israel want her to head the Intelligence Committee ?

Will charges for espionage be dropped ??

MSierra, SF (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:53 AM)

I am so tired of the Republicans defending torture, going so far as to say waterboarding is not torture. If you watched Morning Joe today and listened to Joe & Pat Buchanan you would think waterboarding was legal and President Bush is above the law. General David Petraeus has stated vehemently that waterboarding is torture and is not legal. Do Joe and Pat disagree with our most trusted General? The Republicans are wrong on this issue and they know it that is why they protest so fiercely. President Obama released these tapes because he was forced too due to a freedom of information act brought by the ACLU. Do you really think the President would have released the tapes if he had the choice not to release them, I doubt it.

Dottie Swarthmore PA (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:53 AM)

Isn't John Hoeven of North Dakota the GOP's most senior governor...?

Carl, Chicago, IL (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:54 AM)

Union Baby, Tennessee: '...two best citzens (Janis Joplin and Stevie Ray Vaughan) like dirt.
Maybe Mexico will take you back? Now that's a novel idea, one I really do like....'

Don't forget Molly Ivina, Jim Hightower, Bill Moyers...... LBJ !!

We've had some great Texans !!

MSierra, SF (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:56 AM)

Democrats have no interest in bi-partisanship, because, well, they "won". But without bipartisanship, thats all that means is that when the Republicans win again, and they will, all this boondoggle spending the Democrats are doing to pay off their special interest groups will just be rolled back, because, well, the Republicans won.

Obama certainly has brought a new tone to Washington. Tone-deafness.
Lynn Wheatly (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:33 AM)
======================

LOL....special interest groups. You are right the GOP would never do that. They would never invest into War-War profiteering. They are the party of Principal and wise spending....

Rogue Nation,Wv (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:56 AM)

"Do the school kids in Texas not recite the Pledge of Allegiance like the rest of us? One nation, under God INDIVISIBLE" David, Tallahassee FL (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:37 AM)

They do; but it comes AFTER the virginity pledge and prayer circle, so people are pretty much tuned out and desensitized to any further 'pledge' honesty.

(sorry, the joke was too obvious)

Clara Kansas City, MO (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:58 AM)

"Just asking, but if Tedisco does concede, does that put any extra pressure on Norm Coleman in Minnesota? The latest count has Murphy leading Tedisco by 401 votes."
------------------------------------------------------
Nope. It just means that the Senate seat is 1000x more critical to the GOP than a Rep seat in a blue state- 6 years vs. 2 years. They are already stretched thin bankrolling Norm. They can cut Jimmy 'Disco loose without too much trauma.

"Will the public outcry increase to the point where a commission is inevitable?"
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Boy, I hope so. For the "patriots" around here that think President Obama should just let the torture inquiries blow over, think about this: we are the UNITED STATES of AMERICA! We are supposed to be better than those cave-dwelling rats on the other side of the world. We can't pretend that this betrayal of American values by our own government wasn't that big of a deal. Those of us that truly love our country want to see its reputation around the world restored.

Suburban Mom paying attention, IL (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:59 AM)

A healthy minority of Texans -- as well as a majority of Texas Republicans -- say they want to secede from the union. According to a new DailyKos/Research 2000 poll, 37% of Texans and 51% of Lone Star Republicans agree with Gov. Rick Perry’s recent suggestion that Texas may need to leave the United States.
---------------------------------------------------

It's amazing how the lunatic fringe of the extreme right, which is heavily represented in Texas, can turn on a dime from feigning super-patriotism to talk of treason just because they lost an election fair and square.

Houston (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:59 AM)

Why is it that Algore will "testify" but not debate anyone on global warming? He's shied away from many challenges to a debate. Probably because he can't back up his propaganda.
KLM in MI (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:46 AM)
_________________________________________________

Let's see, is global warming real or not? Virtually every scientist in the world has said it is real and it is man made.

And hand full of pro-big oil republicans say it isn't real or at least that it isn't man made.

Being that I'm scientific in nature, I've got to go with the republicans on this because they know their stuff. There is no way big oil would not be telling the truth. Besides, I remember back in the 70s, 80s, and 90s these same republicans told us we couldn't clean up the air with dramatically driving up energy costs and killing business. And as we can all see, big business died and electricity is no longer affordable.

Chris - IL (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:59 AM)

Obama is controlled by his left-wing nut base. He can't help himself but to bow to them, mostly because he's one of them.
Danille, VT (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:22 AM)

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In case you mised the TWO YEAR LONG campaign, let me remind you that Obama was elected because of promises to bring a "New era of transperancy to Washington."

He is following through on that promises, as well as many others.

How can we claim the moral authority in the world, while doing despicable acts?

How can we claim the moral authority in the world, when our own citezens do not know what's going on behind the curtain?

Ted, Mid Michigan (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 10:03 AM)

Admit it Perry, you can't handle a dark skinned man running the country.

Jim, Santa Cruz (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 9:49 AM)

George Soros isn't dark-skinned.

Whitney P., NJ (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 10:03 AM)

I bet that repugnant one Ryan saying that the Democrats have the right to use reconociliation to avoid any Senate fillibuster is going to get called out by Mount Lushmore and he will soon be groveling for forgiveness from Viagra Boy.

Being from texas isn't a state of mind, it's a state of mindlessness! With so many of the braindead there wanting to secede we can see how false their patroitic fever is. With patriots like them we don't need enemies do we? When us Democrats were the minority never once did you hear a Democratic governor or any politician whine about secession. We didn't like the policies of War Criminal Bush but we never thought about secession as a viable option. I say send in the federal troops and arrest prickly perry if he persists in treason.

Maybe Chuck Todd could pester Robert Gibbs at a WH press conference on the BCS backtrack. It sure looks like Chucky T. and Gibbs have good rapport even though Chucky T. asks tough questions. The other day it looked like they were having a private conversation while the rest of the WH press corp watched. Chucky T. is doing some fine work at the WH press corp. Hey get Chucky T. to ask which NBA team he thinks will win the NBA Finals this year. I'm surprised we haven't heard Obama pontificate on the NBA playoffs since he's been on a roll predicting the winners in other sports.

Arrest Perry for Treason!
In Chuck Todd We Trust!

Eric, Salinas, CA (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 10:03 AM)

I still defy you righties who clam that torture (call it what it is) produced credible information to tell me where BIN-LADDEN is. If the practice worked, why deny it, then try to defend it, then try to throw as many people under the bus about it?

And to you so-called Christians out there clinging to your guns and bibles claiming that it kept you safe, here's a little biblical tidbit. JESUS CHRIST WAS TORTURED. He was whipped to the point where skin was stripped from his back, beaten to a bloody pulp, forced to carry a heavy cross, then nailed to that cross at the wrists (not the hands as is often depicted) which would restrict his breathing, starved, dehydrated, and finally pierced in his side with a sword. Granted, this is far worse than waterboarding, but not much worse than some of the other methods described in the memos. So does this mean that it's ok that this was done for Jesus (never mind the biblical or historical implications), or that it's ok BECAUSE it was done to Jesus?

http://jawillie.blog.com

jawillie, Philadelphia, PA. (Sent Friday, April 24, 2009 10:04 AM)

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