In a CNN debate with Ari Fleischer, I said the United States executed Japanese war criminals for waterboarding. My point was that it is disingenuous for Bush Republicans to argue that waterboarding is not torture and thus illegal. It's kind of awkward to argue that waterboarding is not a crime when you hanged someone for doing it to our troops. My precise words were: "Our country executed Japanese soldiers who waterboarded American POWs. We executed them for the same crime we are now committing ourselves."

Mr. Fleischer, ordinarily the most voluble of men, was tongue-tied. The silence, rare in cable debates, spoke volumes for the vacuity of his position.

On Sunday, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, appearing on ABC’s This Week, underscored that President Obama had promised that CIA agents who acted in reliance on Bush-era Justice Department memoranda approving since-repudiated torture techniques would not face criminal investigation or prosecution. Then he went one step further, stating “those who devised the policy, he believes that they were—should not be prosecuted either.” A few hours later, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs reiterated Emanuel’s remarks as official policy. But during the course of the day on Tuesday the White House appeared suddenly to shift gears. President Obama, responding to a reporter’s question, declared that he was not prejudging a possible criminal investigation or prosecution of "those who formulated those legal decisions" behind the interrogation methods. What happened?

Well, I guess it's true. Americans really are revolting.

The United States of Fucking Over Everyone Else

WASHINGTON – Armed guards from the security firm once known as Blackwater Worldwide are still protecting U.S. diplomats in Iraq, even though the company has no license to operate there and has been told by the State Department its contracts will not be renewed two years after a lethal firefight that stirred outrage in Baghdad.

Private security guards employed by the company, now known as Xe, are slated to continue ground operations in parts of Iraq long into the summer, far longer than had previously been acknowledged, government officials told The Associated Press.

"The Justice Department"

The American government takes my money by force, uses it to torture PEOPLE to DEATH. And now, they will take my money by force to oppose lawsuits seeking JUSTICE.

FUCK YOU, OBAMA, FUCK YOU AND YOUR SICK ADMINISTRATION.

"We have been through a dark and painful chapter in our history," he said. "But at a time of great challenges and disturbing disunity, nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past.

The Justice Department will represent and pay any legal fees for CIA officers who are sued by other parties or who face legal proceedings in courts overseas.

WE? WE have been through a dark chapter??? NO YOU FUCKING COCKSUCKER - WE PUT PEOPLE THROUGH A DARK CHAPTER. ASSHOLE ELITIST AMERICAN MOTHERFUCKER. WE haven't been through shit.

And if we are going to represent CIA torturers, doesn't that mean WE CONDONE TORTURE???

For just one day, let's treat all Israelis like they are from Iran. And all Iranians like they are from Israel. And then let's just find out who's the bigger racist.

It's not a political decision. It's a legal decision.

Fuck Obama and his get out of jail free cards.

http://lawanddisorder.org/

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/04/16-10

So it’s also official:

Barack Obama is no Lincoln. He’s a Ford.

MCM

It’s official: No U.S. prosecution of Bush officials

Bad news for anyone hoping that President Obama might still be open to the possibility of prosecution of high-level Bush officials: It ain’t gonna happen.

That much was close to being certain before the torture memos were released Thursday. But the statement from Obama released with those shocking memos included this sentence: “In releasing these memos, it is our intention to assure those who carried out their duties relying in good faith upon legal advice from the Department of Justice that they will not be subject to prosecution.”

By singling out CIA interrogators to assure them they will not be subject to federal prosecution, I thought perhaps he was leaving room for future prosecution of higher ups. Given that he released such explosive materials almost without redactions, I thought perhaps he might allow himself to be influenced by shifting popular sentiment.

BUSH=OBAMA=USA

Senior Counsel to the 9/11 Commission: "At Some Level of the Government, at Some Point in Time...There Was an Agreement Not to Tell the Truth"

America - where seeking justice is frowned upon.
A frown that looks like having your house raided by 18 FBI agents.
Who funds the FBI?
And why shouldn't I kill myself?

Thomas Tamm

Thoughts, Obama?

WEALTH IS THE OPPOSITE OF LEADERSHIP
FUCK BLOOMBERG

When US Attorney General Eric Holder announced the impending release of three Office of Legal Council (OLC) memos regarding the authorization of "enhanced interrogation techniques" by the Bush administration, human rights advocates felt that they would soon possess evidence that torture had been approved at the highest levels of American government. The "torture memos," approved by former Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, were supposed to be made public last Thursday, but they were not.

It is now being reported by numerous sources that the OLC documents are being held hostage by Congressional Republicans, threatening to filibuster the confirmation of two controversial Obama appointees.

Defense Department Threatens Gitmo Lawyer With Jail for Writing to President Obama

We won, and now Rush Limbaugh is leaving New York forever.

Why is Limbaugh packing it in? In the new state budget, millionaires will now have to pay higher taxes than a trucker or a janitor. It’s a big victory for fairness—and for the schoolchildren, elderly, disabled, and homeless New Yorkers who were threatened by budget cuts.

This progressive win is just too much for Limbaugh to stand. He said on his radio show that New York “is probably going to celebrate that I'm not coming back.”

Well, here's your chance. Add your voice to the chorus of New Yorkers happy to see him leave us forever.

Add your message:

The Obama administration has confirmed the hiring of mercenary firm Triple Canopy to take over Blackwater’s contract to protect U.S. diplomats in Iraq. Part of the firm’s job will be to protect the “monstrous” U.S. embassy in Baghdad. We speak to independent journalist Jeremy Scahill, who’s also just revealed that administration is using Triple Canopy to protect U.S. diplomats in Israel.

WBAI facing demise?

"he's the only member of the Top 20 [BILLIONAIRES] whose net worth has risen during the past year"



NEW YORK (CBS) ― In a crippled economy that is seeing even the richest people on the planet losing large percentages of theirworth, only New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been able to weather the financial storm.

According to Forbes magazine, this year there are fewer billionaires on the planet, and the richest people in the world have gotten poorer. In the magazine's 2009 list of the wealthiest people, the total number of billionaires fell to 793 from 1,125.

Not since 2003 has there been a drop from year to year.

Yet, there's Bloomberg at No. 17. The mayor makes a salary of $1 per year, but he's the only member of the Top 20 whose net worth has risen during the past year. According to Forbes, this is due to a re-evaluation of Bloomberg LP: Bloomberg bought a 20 percent stake from cash-strapped Merrill Lynch last July for $4.5 billion.

Bloomberg, the man who refused to move into Gracie Mansion after being elected mayor, is still living as large as ever. He has expanded his posh East 79th Street townhouse, quietly buying up four of the six apartments in the building next door.

The mayor's home is now 12,500 square feet. To put it in perspective, media mogul Rupert Murdoch lives on Fifth Avenue ... in 8,000 square feet.