Jay Leno nails it

As we read the Bybee memo, and whatever comes out next (for there will be much more) I note that Jay Leno has already said it all. (June 10)

According to the "New York Times", last year White House lawyers concluded that President Bush could legally order interrogators to torture and even kill people in the interest of national security - so if that's legal, what the hell are we charging Saddam Hussein with?

Indeed. What more is there to say? The Bush administration has authorized itself to do everything Saddam did. And done it. From pre-emptive war to hostage taking to rape rooms.(Well, no poison gas yet, that we know of. But Reagan looked the other way when Saddam did it.)

And it presents a real problem: the IRC has pointed out that Saddam is, quite properly, being treated as a POW. But on June 30th, the occupation ends, legal fiction or not. That means all POWs without pending "penal charges" must be released.

So. What are they going to charge Saddam with?

•  Trespassing?

  Whose farm was that "spider hole" on, anyway?

  And he probably had some overdue library books in there, too.

  by Kagro X on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:02:43 PM PDT

  •  Actually...

    ...Bush is trespassing, too, so that won't work.

    I'd put my money on the overdue library books, cause you know Bush ain't never been to no "libary".

    by CoolHandLuc on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:43:23 PM PDT

•  To hear Bush tell it

  "Hating Freedom" is a crime, so perhaps they'll charge Saddam with being a Freedom Hater.

  by greebs on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:05:41 PM PDT

•  different interpretation

  I didn't see the clip you are referring to, but
  knowing Leno's style I interpret his statement
  as more of a question about why Bush hasn't simply
  ordered Hussein killed instead of charging him
  under the legal system.

  That seems more likely (to me anyway) than such an
  overt criticism of the president from this republican nutlicker.
  

  by jacobo on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:06:51 PM PDT

  •  Do you know for a fact

    that Leno's a Republican? He seems to make relentless fun of Bush and the war.

    by miasmo on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:12:17 PM PDT

    •  Funny

      I saw just the opposite.

      by Manix on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:14:22 PM PDT

    •  Letterman

      is the bush hater, with a great clip (or two) every night showing the Chimp's incompetence.  Letterman leans Democrat, but will not pass up a good laugh at the expense of any Democrat (Clinton was clearly fair game).  To me, Leno is a blatant Republican, but I cannot stand to watch him and have probably missed the rare critical joke against Bush.  Is Leno funny?

      by tomcat on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:41:53 PM PDT

    •  Can't say for sure, but...

      ... Jay's wife, Mavis Leno, made a sizable contribution to the campaign of (liberal, Democratic) Sen. Barbara Boxer. source: opensecrets.org

      Jay's routine is pitched to his audience, which is older and more conservative than that of Letterman or other late-night comedians. I don't think you're going to find out what Jay's real politics are by watching his show.

      by Alex R on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:57:31 PM PDT

      •  Yeah, but I think that's a...

        ...Carville/Maitland situation.  Leno is definitely a Rethuglican and annointed the Guvernator King of All California.

        by ultrageek on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 03:19:44 PM PDT

  •  hey

    he single-handedly led the recall effort.  He was Arnold's best PR tool, and whenever dubya is flagging he brings on FLOTUS and kisses her ass.

    by brandonp on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:17:28 PM PDT

  •  He's Neither

    I'd say he leans Republican, but only for the recall stuff. As far as I can tell, he's an equal-opportunity basher. Don't forget, he doesn't write every joke. He's got a whole team of writers. Perhaps they write more left leaning jokes, and he writes the more right leaning jokes.

    by Pluto101 on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:30:24 PM PDT

  •  I read it

    this way, too.

    by CoolHandLuc on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:46:09 PM PDT

•  You don't understand.

  We're "good" and they (whoever is not "with us") are evil. So anything we do is therefore good and justified because we're fighting evil. Why do you hate America?

  by miasmo on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:09:55 PM PDT

•  Wow

  Leno is a shill for Bush. Seems like every show he never misses a chance to slam Kerry and Democrats. He leaves Bush and Republicans alone.

  He perpetuated the 'Dean is insane' thread after Dean's speech where he yelled at the end of it. Yet he ignored the absolute fact that Bush is a delusional phsycopathic, sociopath.

  This must have been a show where he forgot who he works for.

  He'll be back to telling Clinton dick jokes and Kerry haircut jokes soon I'm sure.

  by Manix on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:12:11 PM PDT

  •  'psychopathic'

    by Manix on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:13:10 PM PDT

•  yes, but

  "Well, no poison gas yet, that we know of. But Reagan looked the other way when Saddam did it."

  Depleated uranium shells are poison, just not a gas!

  by Clark04 on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:16:59 PM PDT

•  Saddam will be charged

  with possesion of a concealed handgun.  Whoops, George has one now too.  

  by lapin on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:21:39 PM PDT

  •  Hey, yeah.

    Aren't handguns illegal in DC?

    You got a permit for that, son?

    by Kagro X on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:35:11 PM PDT

•  We can always charge Saddam with

  Voter fraud and election rigging.  

  Or stealing government funds to use for  political purposes.

  Or lying about weapons of mass destruction in order to force his country into a war.

  Or leaking the name of a covert CIA oper...oh, wait -- who was I talking about anyway?

  by PBJ Diddy on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 02:53:04 PM PDT

•  Saddam using p. gas WAS us using p. gas

  That's one of the things we loved about him- he could field test the war toys that we couldn't.  That's why we made the gas and sold it to him.  If he hadn't used it, Rummy would've shown up at his door and asked "why not?  Gas not poisoness enough for you?  Get on the stick, man, we don't pay you to not gas people."

  by blue florida on Mon Jun 14, 2004 at 03:46:48 PM PDT