Corrupting Power

Dan Froomkin of The Washington Post has been outdoing himself this week. I was still mulling over his column from Tuesday and here it is Friday -- and he’s done it again. I guess this is just the price I pay for retirement. I’m in full summertime mode. I work outside from sunup until I’m too tried or it’s too hot and -- I’m done. The rest of the day I’m free to read.

Mr. Frromkin’s articles are lengthy enough but I have time to explore them. I’ve been trying to come up with a way to condense what I’ve found. Obviously, I’m not having much luck. I realize that those who aren’t retired don’t have the same amount of time so I’ll just point you to the articles and let you read what you can.

Tuesday’s article was Battered Congress Syndrome

I found the section entitled “Bush on Trial” most interesting. A military lawyer said this is his closing arguments:

"Sadly, this military commission has no power to do anything to the enablers of torture such as John Yoo, Jay Bybee, Robert Delahunty, Alberto Gonzales, Douglas Feith, David Addington, William Haynes, Vice President Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, for the jurisdiction of military commissions is strictly and carefully limited to foreign war criminals, not the home-grown variety. All you can do is to try to send a message, a clear and unmistakable message that the U.S. really doesn't torture, and when we do, we own up to it, and we try to make it right."

Let me pull two names out of that pile for you -- John Yoo and David Addington. They’re the subject of today’s column by Mr. Froomkin.

Contempt of Congress

He (David Addington) and fellow witness John Yoo, the main author of what's become known as the torture memo, offered nothing but non-answers. Their refusal to acknowledge as illegal abhorrent conduct that is beyond the pale even for this administration -- such as torturing a detainee's child or burying a detainee alive -- suggested that their only goal yesterday was to say absolutely nothing of any substance whatsoever, no matter what they were asked. That or their souls are entirely hollow. Or both.

I’ve tried to watch some of the videos cited in Mr. Froomkin’s article but it appears my aging computer is having trouble with YouTube. I’ll point you towards one entitled “7 and a Half Minutes of Torture”. It is Mr. Yoo, talking in circles, trying not to answer a question. From what I’ve been able to watch, Mr. Yoo’s evasiveness is only exceeded by Mr. Addington’s arrogance.

In what you might think is an unrelated matter, I’m providing a link to a floor speech by Senator Chris Dodd. I hope this blog catches you on a Saturday morning with some free time on your hands. Please, if you can, take a few minute out of your weekend -- more if you can spare it -- and watch this speech. I’ve linked the short segment. You can find the full speech in the “related” links on YouTube.

Dodd Fillibusters FISA

If you’ll listen, you’ll hear the connection with the stories above. I’m sure you will see the “push back” from the Administration this weekend if you haven’t already. Judge it for yourself. If you have the time, explore both of Froomkin’s articles and take the time to watch those videos too.

It’s surreal to me -- living in American and listening to talk of revoking habeas corpus, retroactive immunity and legalizing torture. But it’s all too real. Don’t close your eyes. Take a good hard look.

Don Brown
June 27, 2008