C.I.A. director John Brennan said in a statement that the agency "made mistakes" but the policies were "legal."
“Detainees were subjected to enhanced interrogation techniques (EITs), which the Department of Justice determined at the time to be lawful and which were duly authorized by the Bush Administration,” he said.
Well,
"Isn't that special?
John McLaughlin, who headed the CIA under President George W. Bush, said of the EIT's
“We went to the Department of Justice at least four times to make sure that what we were doing was not torture in a legal sense and that it was consistent with the U.S. Constitution.”
I'm not sure which U.S. Constitution they were reading, and I'm not a Constitutional scholar (though I have seen the document in Washington's once respectable Capital Building), but I don't recall the passage about torturing people being perfectly acceptable. They may have been reading the
Tea Party's.
Thankfully, as a result of the brave Democratic Senate's official investigation into this deplorable reading of our once cherished Constitution and the events which it, apparently, authorized comes some possible consequences. Unfortunately, they are not being talked about by our cherished President, who wanted to redact a great deal of this report. They are being talked about by
Ben Emmerson, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on counter terrorism and human rights or Baher Azmy of the Center for Constitutional Rights
Few have defended Obama more than I before the Nov elections. Now, however, I feel it's entirely appropriate to take a hard, honest, look at why he's perceived to have failed us. Not doing so could very well cost Democrats even more losses in 2016 (including Obama's chair).
The Millennials began a new era of political accountability. It was no longer just about intention but, also, of delivery. Their views were largely produced by the very expectations parents and colleges put upon them. They also influenced their younger siblings and campuses. Now we have to deal with their expectations for us and Obama is not measuring up.
There is only one thing Obama can do that could redeem him in their eyes but I doubt that he will. That thing is to order the arrest of Shrub, Dick, RUMsfeld, Gonzalez and Tenant. Possibly others, as well, but at least them. How appropriate that you can use their names to write this sentence: The latest Tenants of our nation's Capital, drunk with power, have used their Bushy Dick to fuck us all.
I wait with baited breath.