There He Goes Again!

Have you seen the bumper sticker/t-shirt/coffee mug that says if you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention?

“Vice President Dick Cheney made an unusual personal appeal to Republican senators this week to allow CIA exemptions to a proposed ban on the torture of terror suspects in U.S. custody, according to participants in a closed-door session.

“Cheney told his audience the United States doesn’t engage in torture, these participants added, even though he said the administration needed an exemption from any legislation banning “cruel, inhuman or degrading” treatment in case the president decided one was necessary to prevent a terrorist attack.”  From here Associated Press

Assassination, torture–hey, it’s just keeping all the president’s options open, right?  I mean, for a man who ran promising to restore morality to the country… (how about the bumper sticker “When Clinton lied, no one died”?)

Morality.  If you’re agreeing with this man, I’m begging you–go read your Bible again.  And stay out of the Old Testament.  If you’re going to quote God sending bears to eat children who mocked his prophet rather than Jesus saying love your neighbor as yourself, we just don’t have much to talk about.

“The White House initially tried to kill the anti-torture provision while it was pending in the Senate, then switched course to lobby for an exemption in cases of “clandestine counterterrorism operations conducted abroad, with respect to terrorists who are not citizens of the United States.” The president would have to approve the exemption, and Defense Department personnel could not be involved. In addition, any activity would have to be consistent with the Constitution, federal law and U.S. treaty obligations, according to draft changes in the exemption the White House is seeking.”  (bolding is mine)

How can torture be consistent with the Constitution?  And U.S. treaty obligations?  Did we sign the Geneva Convention?

Oh, right–it wasn’t GW who signed it!  He didn’t sign the Kyoto Accords either.

Wake up, people.  You ignored the coffee so long it turned to tar and the coffeepot caught fire and the house is burning down around your sleeping ears and your children are still in bed.

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