The Torture Report

[Professor]

Got a serious question - how much of this was continued under Obama? Not a tu quoque. Since the GOP is hammering the report because it was put out by Senate Dems, I'm wondering exactly how much salt I need to imbibe with the report. For instance, if Obama put a stop to all of it as soon as he could, and the Senate Dems are hammering ONLY Bush, then I expect it might be a bit partisan (though, I would not discount it out-of-hand for that reason alone). However, if Obama continued them for a time, then I'm thinking the report (being that it would be criticizing something that Obama continued) would be far less partisan. In other words, if Obama continued the practices, I'd be far more likely to take the report's allegations at face value.

[Indy]

The other missed headline in all this is that if our national security hopes lie on the hope that we can torture a "ticking bomb" last-minute confession out of some jihadist at the 11th hour, our intelligence apparatus sucks.

That's like playing a completely crappy first three quarters every game and hoping you can hail-Mary your way to victory in the fourth.

Not sustainable. I'd go back to the beginning and start over again if that's what you're going to pin the hopes of the United States on.

[eynon81]

[Davethulhu]

[John Galt]

[Indy]

Yup. Obama also has continued the war in Afghanistan (for what?), has continued indiscriminate drone strikes around the world and we already know how he handles--or doesn't--NSA spying.

But as you're wiping the vomit off your lap after reading all this, understand this was a Dick Cheney & Co. production through and through. Of course Bush signed off on it, probably between hot wing servings while watching a Longhorns football game. "What is this? Oh, the Chenster said it was kewl? Fair enough, heh, heh... here ya go..."

[Philly]

Yep. Totally Dick Cheney's fault that obama maintained and actually increased our presence in Afghanistan. Because unbeknownst anyone but Indy, not only was Dick Cheney president for 8 years, he still is President!

[John Galt]

there was a great divergence between cheney and bush after the first term. condi became the trusted advisor. bush didn't even pardon the people cheney begged him to do, when bush would see him, for months before he left office.

[Mr. Shaman]

[Philly]