ITMFA

Did this really sink in?

I ask myself, as much as anyone else. It’s almost too stunning to react to, and – at the same time – I can’t say I’m surprised.

So we have a bunch of blustering cowards playing Josef Mengale in the office of the Presidency of the United States. Not grimly turning their heads away from something they thought distasteful but necessary, but actually sitting around and debating and deciding which acts of torture, and in which potential sequences, they would like to inflict by proxy on the people they rounded up and declared “enemies.”

And far be it from me to defend John Ashcroft, but just as in the now-famous hospital bed scene, it seems that only he had enough shreds of decency left to be ashamed:

Then –Attorney General Ashcroft was troubled by the discussions. He agreed
with the general policy decision to allow aggressive tactics, and had repeatedly
advised that they were legal. But he argued that senior White House
advisors should not be involved in the grim details of interrogations, sources
said.

According to a top official, Ashcroft asked aloud after one
meeting: “Why are we talking about this in the White House? History will
not judge this kindly.”

You got that right.


ABC news followed up with the Idiot in Chief to get his reaction, which was: “What’s the big deal?”

Well, let’s see. Setting aside the obvious moral vacancy evidenced by such behavior, I’m thinking that this could rise to the level of a conspiracy to subvert both U.S. and international law!

As I have said repeatedly, I understand the pragmatics of the decision not to move to impeach this President and Vice-President, but I think it sets a precedent that may ultimately cause long-term harm to our system. This is the latest in a long list of behaviors on the part of this administration that as its direct aim the goal of making established law and the structures of our government subordinate to the will of the Executive Branch. If these are not impeachable offenses, what are?

And it really slays me that the underpinning reluctance to impeachment arises out of the ridiculous misuse of it by the Republicans against Clinton. So if I get right, by pursuing the false criminality of a Democratic President, they made it impossible to pursue the REAL criminality of a Republican? What freaking genius. What freaking fools are we.

The ACLU is calling for a Special Prosecutor. Thank God for the ACLU.

ALSO NOTE:

Digby has compiled a truly wonderful contact list I've added to the Action roll. It includes a lot of print media contacts from all around the country that others don't have.