Accountability for "Torture" -- Can Obama continue to dodge the issue?
With Speaker Pelosi being caught up in dissembling about her involvement with Bush administration torture policies, the republicans have leaped on her as a special gift from heaven to divert attention from the larger issues of investigating torture under Bush itself. Minority leader Boehner is seeking to ratchet the pressure of the Pelosi diversion even further, calling for her to recant her accusation of CIA lying or to apologize:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/17/pelosi.torture/index.html
I agree that there is no excuse for Pelosi, or any of the other pols who have dissembled, been complicit, etc., on both sides of the aisle. But with the level of stench getting out of control -- and with the shifting political alliances and cabals seeking to blame and CYA -- what it does say is 1) there must be a process of accountability and 2) the process needs to be removed as far as possible from the politics. This begins to look increasingly like an independent prosecutor, or a special commission with subpoena powers, since too many of the principals are now clearly tainted.
And I agree Obama has the marks of someone whose default position in "national security" matters seems to be the "safe", conservative option, upon which specious logic he has sought to stifle calls for accountability, certainly as may involve the need for his personal action. Still, sooner or later it seems he will not be able to avoid putting his thumb down somewhere, due to the stench and inherent conflicts of interest mentioned, which are only likely to get worse now that the finger pointing and name calling have begun in earnest. Much as he would like to put inquiries off the table, things seem like they are spinning out of control from the political perspective.
For better or worse, Obama is the only one who can instigate a process potentially above politics.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/17/pelosi.torture/index.html
I agree that there is no excuse for Pelosi, or any of the other pols who have dissembled, been complicit, etc., on both sides of the aisle. But with the level of stench getting out of control -- and with the shifting political alliances and cabals seeking to blame and CYA -- what it does say is 1) there must be a process of accountability and 2) the process needs to be removed as far as possible from the politics. This begins to look increasingly like an independent prosecutor, or a special commission with subpoena powers, since too many of the principals are now clearly tainted.
And I agree Obama has the marks of someone whose default position in "national security" matters seems to be the "safe", conservative option, upon which specious logic he has sought to stifle calls for accountability, certainly as may involve the need for his personal action. Still, sooner or later it seems he will not be able to avoid putting his thumb down somewhere, due to the stench and inherent conflicts of interest mentioned, which are only likely to get worse now that the finger pointing and name calling have begun in earnest. Much as he would like to put inquiries off the table, things seem like they are spinning out of control from the political perspective.
For better or worse, Obama is the only one who can instigate a process potentially above politics.
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