As I know more of mankind I expect less of them and am ready now to call a man a good man upon easier terms than I was formerly.
Sens. Dianne Feinstein of CA & Charles E. Schumer of NY sell out the US Constitution
The man refuses to say that water-boarding is torture when it is clearly labeled as such by our own government and countless other organizations including other governments and international agencies.
Mukasey refuses to say its torture not being he lacks a security clearance but because he doesn’t want to open Mr. Bush and his cronies to the legal battle that would ensue when the extent of Bush’s “interrogation” processes are discovered.
Again, America’s elected officials act in a manner unbecoming to their country by under minding the laws they helped to create.
My only question is… what dirt did the Reps / the White house dig up to “change” these Democrats minds? What special backroom deal totally screwed over the American way of life and high ideals?
susanne dabney said,
November 3, 2007 @ 4:28 pm
Sold out again. Here’s the big one, and there are no possible excuses for dragging our country deeper into the mire of the world’s hate. No possible excuses can any enemy have if they torture our own soldiers. I am ashamed. I will remember this, and use any effort I can find to make your betrayal known and your names despised for what you have done. There is nothing Bush can do that will hurt as much as you two so-called democrats have done if you sink this vote.
Please, I beg you, pray to God, that you will put your brain in gear and don’t bring down the blame for torture on the head of the Democratic party. If Bush does worse, at least let Democrats come to power with some credibility for trying to do what is right.
susanne dabney said,
November 3, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
1.
susanne dabney said,
November 3, 2007 @ 4:28 pm
Sold out again. Here’s the big one, and there are no possible excuses for dragging our country deeper into the mire of the world’s hate. No possible excuses can any enemy have if they torture our own soldiers. I am ashamed. I will remember this, and use any effort I can find to make your betrayal known and your names despised for what you have done. There is nothing Bush can do that will hurt as much as you two so-called democrats have done if you sink this vote.
Please, I beg you, pray to God, that you will put your brain in gear and don’t bring down the blame for torture on the head of the Democratic party. If Bush does worse, at least let Democrats come to power with some credibility for trying to do what is right.
Tom said,
November 3, 2007 @ 6:11 pm
I think you need to do more research on this and at least TRY to be somewhat objective.
Robert said,
November 4, 2007 @ 6:39 pm
Tom… what research have you done? By saying I should do some you are inferring that you have conducted your own and it conflicts with my statements. Would you care to share? It would be easier to have a real discussion if you could provide the info that’s helping to shape your opinion.
I have done research on this topic and if anything proves my point its the fact that one of the arguments these two Dems are giving for supporting this man, is that Mukasey is the “best possible candidate” that we could hope for from this Administration, however he was not their preferred choice and they hold doubts to his objectivity…
What does that mean? It means that instead of doing the right thing and voting against this man, thus FORCING Bush to put someone into office that will not give him a green light on his back room CIA instructions that these Senators feel its ok to side step the very real fact that waterboarding is torture! Here’s a link you should read.
http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/2007/10/waterboarding-is-torture-perio/
It contains excellent first hand accounts of what waterboarding is and is not and uses several extremely reputable sources.
Tom said,
November 5, 2007 @ 10:30 pm
Rob…Are you aware that Senator Schumer recomended Mr. Mukasey to the President as a candidate for AG ? Bush could have ignored this and submitted some ‘neo-con’ as a candidate. But he looked at Mukaseys record and decided to nominate him. The person that Schumer…the DEMOCRAT recomended. It seems that in some peoples eyes Bush is dammned no matter what he does !!
Have you read the letter that Mukasey sent to the committe members? In case you havent …here is a link.
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/national/20071031_Mukasey.pdf
In the letter he clearly states that waterboarding cannot be used by the United States military because it violates the Detainee Treatment Act.
He also clearly states that ‘torture violates the law and the constitution’ and the President may NOT authorize it and that he is bound by the same constitutional restrictions as any other government official.
I am not going to argue what waterboarding is or is not. Mukasey stated that those techniques were ‘repugnant’ to him on a personal level and that most Americans would agree.
The office of the AG is responsible for many many things. It is not a government office dedicated to cases involving waterboarding. I am glad that Senators Schumer and Feinstein are able to see the big picture and not be blinded by the partisan floodlights of ‘waterboarding’.
Robert said,
November 6, 2007 @ 12:14 pm
Tom,
I have read that 4 page letter and what astounds me is that through all of this he is unable to say the very well known fact “waterboarding is torture”. Yes, he says the Military is barred from using waterboarding but that treaty has no control over the CIA and other security agencies that are the primary interrogators of our “detainees”.
First Bush labeled them “detainees” to get around the Geneva conventions (THAT WE HELPED WRIGHT) then they use CIA agents to get around the treaty you mentioned. When will it become clear that this admin is finding every loop hole and in many cases creating new ones so they can break the law? Torture DOES NOT WORK and it is AGAINST AMERICAN VALUES!
Mukasey refuses to connect waterboarding and torture together because he KNOWS the US is doing it and that would cause Mr. Bush a whole slue of problems. These types of reasons, I feel, are political, un-American and under handed.
We prosecuted the Japanese for conducting waterboarding!!! Yet Bush thinks its ok for his people to do whatever they want.
Many people, many Dems supported Mukasey BEFORE he went through the nomination process, before he went through the hearings. That’s what the hearings are all about. Being able to ask the candidate the tough questions and judge their responses.
Show me a man who has never changed his mind on a position and I’ll show you a fool…
Just because Schumer originally recommended Mukasey does not mean he has to stick by him when new information about his stance comes out.