Dodd Ridicules "Genius" in the White House

Maybe he's just trying to save his seat, but in an interview with several bloggers, Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn) said what I think many of us have wondered.

"I don't know who the genius was in the room that night when they were discussing this," the Connecticut Democrat said of the four torture documents declassified by the Obama White House. "But if you are going to make the decision to release the documents, I presume every one of us here would the have a follow up question, which is: Well, what are you going to do about it? And if the answer is nothing, we are just going to release the documents.... Some of us in the room would say, 'Well wait a minute, you have a problem. If you are going to release them then you are going to have to answer the next question, what are you going to do with them?'"

It isn't enough just to release the information. Yes, we must have full disclosure. We must know what was done in our names, what is the full truth of what happened. But we are not asking for retribution. We are asking for justice. If no one is above the law, if we are truly a nation of law, then we must follow the law wherever it leads us. President Obama has done much to repair our image in the world. The respect that President Bush squandered is slowly being redeemed. But if the crimes of the past administration are allowed to go unanswered, then we are bound to repeat them.

The whole point of Nuremburg was to ensure that what happened in Germany under the Nazis never occurs again anywhere in the world. Permitting torture for expediency's sake begins the slippery slope and we become no better than those we fight.

You can read Sam Stein's piece in the Huffington Post here

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k

We don't want retribution. We want justice.

How long does this conversation go on? And at what point do the talking heads and Republicans finally catch sight of the mirror and see how foolish they really are?

Ex-vice president Cheney has stated that yes, we waterboarded. The recently released OLC memos listed 10 different procedures that certainly meet the definition of torture according to those who read them. The FBI Director was so certain that the activities described in those memos was torture that he refused to allow any employee of the FBI to participate. The recently released Senate Report states that torture occured. More documents state that two detainees were waterboarded over 200 times in a period of 1 month.

It's pretty clear that torture occured.

Eric Holder, during his confirmation hearings in February 2009 stated unequivocally that, "yes, waterboarding is torture."

Thus, I am stunned to hear Mr. Holder, the Democratic leadership, and President Obama dancing around the issue, continuing to use the phrase "enhanced interogation" and talking about the need for a thorough review, proper analysis, and complete understanding of everything that occurred before any decisions about prosecutions are made. President Obama states that pursuing this is retribution. What? Criminal prosecution is retribution? This, from a constitutional lawyer?

We do not want retribution. We want justice. We are not too busy. Congress had the time to impeach President Clinton. They had the time to investigate everything that the Clintons ever did including anyone who ever associated with them (and I would add, found no wrongdoing, ever - oh excuse me. President Clinton lied under oath about having sex). I think we can take the time to investigate the Bush administrations commission of war crimes.

This issue will not go away. We will not be quiet. As Americans, torture was done in our name and as such, we have the right to hold those responsible accountable.

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k