What's your favorite Bush campaign pledge? Mine's "I'm a uniter, not a divider".
I'd thought that, given the huge and increasing polarization in the country and on the Hill, Bush had broken the "uniter, not a divider" promise.
I realize now I'd simply misunderstood.
A couple of excerpts from a WaPo story mentioned in SusanG's front page
story: U.S. Cites Exception in Torture Ban.
(Hey, how many of you thought to ever see that in a newspaper? Should Gore have run in 2000 on the "I don't like gross violations of human rights." platform?)
Anyway...
"Unfortunately, I think the government's right; it's a correct reading of the law," said Tom Malinowski, Washington advocacy director for Human Rights Watch. "The law says you can't torture detainees at Guantanamo, but it also says you can't enforce that law in the courts."
"I know it's a sad day when a federal judge has to ask a DOJ attorney this, but I'm asking you -- why should I believe them?" [Judge] Kessler asked Justice Department attorney Terry Henry.
A unitary government! See, I get it now. The FISA scandal, Alito's appointment (and the Meirs nomination), just about everything AG Gonzales says, GOP lawmakers desiring to change the FISA law to retro-actively clear Bush (at least in the public's mind), all those Presidential signing statements that boil don't to "Yeah, if I feel like it."... Republicans want to unite the government under the Executive.
Three separate branches are apparently too much trouble. Checks and balances get in the way of tax cuts, torture, borrowing money from our grandchildren, screwing up the environment... And all checks and balances are really good for is just few things.
Truth, justice, and the American way, for example. Trite - sorry - but true.
I guess if you don't give a damn about Americas other than your wealthy donors that's OK.
Now, I don't believe most Administration officials and/or lap-dogs only care for their wealthy donors. It's simply that widespread greed, incompetence, ideological blindness and an almost fanatical adherence to finding the best short-term political solution to every policy question just happens to make the Administration act as if it didn't give a damn.
But frankly I'd rather they really didn't care. Then they could get along with lining their pockets without, for example, getting us into a needless war... Until Darth Cheney's powers grew too strong, at least.