Friday, September 15, 2006

"Clarity"?

I don't even know how he can bring himself to say this:


"The professionals will not step up unless there's clarity in the law," Bush said. "So Congress has got a decision to make: Do you want the program to go forward or not? I strongly recommend that this program go forward in order for us to be able to protect America."


That makes absolutely no sense, considering that the administration has sought to impose as little clarity as possible on the issue of detention and torture so as to allow CIA and military personnel to torture as freely as possible while still claiming to act within the law. I think the "professionals" have done as much stepping up as they've needed to, which is why people like Sens. Graham and McCain are coming out to oppose the administration's bill.

Update: Smarter and more important people than me think the same thing:

The new legal standard is indeterminate for both the prospective torturers and their victims. And that's precisely how the president wants it.

Welcome to America, land of the free.

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