Lunch Break -Obama obstructing justice edition

A tonic for tough times: A friend emailed me that she thought Susan Boyle had "has shifted the world consciousness." I am both prone to broad statements like this and wary of them . In this case, I can certainly see her point. Go on, then...watch Susan Boyle again....and again... Make sure the hanky is handy. I have now watched this 4 times in 2 days and welled up each time. I think I'll keep this clip handy - it is better than zoloft and/or rum. Boyle is a blessing....and a tonic.


Politics and Media Headlines 4/17/09

Obama Denies Habeas Corpus (video at the Colbert Report)
Barack Obama helps America escape from the Bill of Rights lovers who keep humping the leg of habeas corpus. (01:53)

Obama won't charge CIA officers for rough tactics (AP)
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, CIA operatives were allowed to shackle, strip and waterboard terror suspects. Now, President Barack Obama has assured these operatives that they will not be prosecuted for their rough interrogation tactics. At the same time, Obama's attorney general offered the operatives legal help[*] if anyone else takes them to court over the harsh interrogation methods that were approved by the Bush administration. The offer of presidential support, however, did not extend to those outside the CIA who approved the so-called enhanced interrogation methods or any CIA officers who may have gone beyond what was allowed in four legal memos written in 2002 and 2005 that the Obama administration released Thursday.
The Nuremberg standard is that people are responsible for their inhuman actions, even if they thought those actions were approved by a higher authority. Obama does not have the power to override Nuremberg.

*That's you and me, folks. We the taxpayers will be giving legal help to criminals, if anyone dares try to sue them. - Caro

Toobin describes torture memos as "shocking and appalling stuff," which were "totally without legal support" (video at County Fair, Media Matters for America)

Bush Memo Footnotes Define Waterboarding As Torture (by Sam Stein at the Huffington Post)
A Bush administration memo from 2005, intended to establish a legal basis for aggressive interrogation techniques, contains a footnote that actually describes waterboarding as falling within the administration's definition of torture. The footnote, found within one of the Office of Legal Council memos released by the Obama administration on Thursday, suggests that officials in the previous White House likely knew that they were torturing terrorism suspects at a time when they claimed to not be involved in such a practice.
The crimes are obvious. The need for punishment is obvious.-Caro

Quote of the Day (by Susie at Suburban Guerilla)
A little unintended humor from President Obama: "The United States is a nation of laws. My Administration will always act in accordance with those laws, and with an unshakable commitment to our ideals. That is why we have released these memos, and that is why we have taken steps to ensure that the actions described within them never take place again."

Tortured Logic: Obama Writes Off Old Crimes While Promoting New Outrages (by Chris Floyd at Empire Burlesque)
I know that some are holding on to the hope that Obama's carefully worded statement leaves open the door to prosecuting the actual instigators of the crimes-the top officials of the Bush Administration... but I believe this is wishful thinking in the extreme… (F)ocus closely on this astonishing phrase: "...we must resist the forces that divide us, and instead come together on behalf of our common future." It is clear in the context of his statement that "the forces that would divide us" refers to those who are calling for the instigators and perpetrators to be prosecuted. They are the ones insisting on the disturbing, disunifying course of "laying blame for the past." But what, in the name of God, are America's "core values," if they do not include prosecuting people who order and commit the high crime of torture?

And cannot every criminal on the face of the earth now claim the Obama defense: "Surely, your honor, nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past. So let's forget the fact that I (raped/murdered/robbed/tortured), and move forward, shall we?"...In the overblown, self-regarding prose that has become his trademark, Obama lauds himself and his administration for their fealty to the "rule of law" in releasing the memos. But of course, the "rule of law" also dictates that those who have planned, ordered and committed torture be prosecuted. The law has no special dispensation for crimes that might be "too disturbing" to prosecute.

Obstructing Justice By Any Other Name (by Deacon Blues at The Left Coaster)
Mr. President,...if you plan to extend this unwillingness to prosecute torturers to those who wrote and approved the war crimes policies, then you have not only enabled future war crimes, but you've prevented the highest law enforcement agency in the land from enforcing our own laws and the Geneva Convention protocols. In other words Mr, President, you yourself will be obstructing justice. And if you go that far, for any reason, you are no better than George W. Bush.

Click here for more politics and media news headlines.

Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com


Transvestites and Vegans and Comedy, oh my: A friend gifted me/ blessed me with a ticket to see Eddie Izzard at a small venue in West Hollywood called Largo. Beforehand we ate at Real Food Daily - a vegan place that will stop cold any judgement you may have about vegan food. Dinner at RFD was, as always, delicious. We then headed down the street to see 2 hours of Izzard's new stuff. We ended up in the first row (I am a bragart!) and he was, of course, so funny I did actually cry on occasion. Which leads me to say - no doubt, I will have to remain in one large city or another until the last possible minute before civilization collapses..Though I am a home body by impulse, I really do love living in a place where amazing vegan dinner, followed by brilliant transvestite stand up is a possibility.

Enjoy some Izzard from Dressed to Kill: