Obama: We Won’t Torture (Except When We Have To)
[Guest post by DRJ]
Glenn Reynolds links this KnoxNews article that reports Obama is ready to end harsh interrogations, except to the extent he’s not:
“President-elect Barack Obama is preparing to prohibit the use of waterboarding and harsh interrogation techniques by ordering the CIA to follow military rules for questioning prisoners, according to two U.S. officials familiar with drafts of the plans. Still under debate is whether to include a loophole that would allow exceptions in extraordinary cases.”
How is this different from President Bush’s policy?
— DRJ
How is this different from President Bush’s policy?
Because, see, it comes from Obama — that polished, urbane, articulate man of exotic heritage. Not from that stupid, bumbling cowboy Bush.
JVW (bff0a4) — 1/16/2009 @ 9:00 pmUh, by all, uh, means, let’s not, uh, misunderestimate the, uh, Chosen One in his, uh, impressive understanding of, uh, the circumstances that, uh, require, uh, extraordinary efforts.
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 1/16/2009 @ 9:05 pmThis is by no means the first example of partisan hypocrisy involving BO, and it certainly won’t be the last.
Let me quote Ace from Ace of Spades—and this word will be used repeatedly over the next four to eight years:
Nuance.
Eric Blair (3e2520) — 1/16/2009 @ 9:14 pmIs anyone running a pool for when the first member of the far left (Kos, DU, MSNBC, the Columbia Faculty, the Vermont Congressional Delegation, etc.) is quoted as complaining that Obama’s policies are no differnt than Bush’s? I would take, oh, Lincoln’s Birthday in that pool.
Speaking of which, can any of us imagine how insufferable Dear Leader and his minions are going to be in celebrating the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth? I truly dread it.
JVW (bff0a4) — 1/16/2009 @ 9:15 pmResponsibilty is indeed a bitch, especially when you’ve got rhetoric to live with simultaneously.
Robert C. J. Parry (c08820) — 1/16/2009 @ 9:31 pmWhat’s funny is it won’t matter how frequently this hypocrisy occurs because narrative supersedes truth and/or reality. The Chris Matthews of the world will look at this and extol the brilliance of such a president to think of providing a provision for those extenuating circumstances! Everything Obama does is already by default deemed original and outside of the box.
The only thing we know for sure about Obama is that we don’t know for sure.
Dana (137151) — 1/16/2009 @ 9:41 pmDana, I sure wish you would quit being so cynical.
the naive John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 1/16/2009 @ 9:48 pmLuckily we’ll still have GITMO for a while for him to use as a torture facility in spite of his campaign ptomises.
daleyrocks (5d22c0) — 1/16/2009 @ 9:51 pmJohn Hitchcock, it’s the unintended consequence of HopeandChange.
Dana (137151) — 1/16/2009 @ 9:51 pmi say we all contact our Representatives, and demand his impeachment forthwith…..
right after he swears in of course.
i want my hope & change and i want it now! he promised it………….
redc1c4 (9c4f4a) — 1/16/2009 @ 9:53 pmredc1c4 – Would you mind waiting until after he gives me my free mortgage before impeaching him, please.
That’s a pal.
daleyrocks (5d22c0) — 1/16/2009 @ 9:57 pmDaley, how Chicagoan of you. I own my house free-and-clear. How dare you stick your hand out when I can’t. You offend me beyond all recognition (OMBAR) and you should be ashamed of yourself. I demand from you 10 Hail Baracks forthwith.
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 1/16/2009 @ 10:01 pmJohn – You can still ask for free gas, so you got that going for you, which is nice.
daleyrocks (5d22c0) — 1/16/2009 @ 11:16 pmAt 12:01 PM Tuesday, 20 January 2009 I am preparing for rainbows and unicorns to come flying out of my ass.
Obama promised!
Dr. K (4dd7c3) — 1/17/2009 @ 3:52 amWhat B. Hussein Obama is doing is called a “statue of liberty” play in football.
The real Obami will appear soon enough.
rab (7a9e13) — 1/17/2009 @ 6:09 amYou can still ask for free gas,
Only if you first fill your tires up to the appropriate levels.
Dmac (eb0dd0) — 1/17/2009 @ 7:17 amImitation is the sincerest form of flattery….
voiceofreason2 (adf3ef) — 1/17/2009 @ 7:28 amActually, The One deserves a break on this one. He just may have learned the lesson of NEVER ruling out any option.
Icy Texan (b7d162) — 1/17/2009 @ 7:39 amLooks like he’s voting PRESENT.
J. Raymond Wright (e8d0ca) — 1/17/2009 @ 8:27 amIt is going to be a bummer when he actually has to do something; like a decision or something. Even Slate is commenting on it.
Perhaps the Times should count its blessings. As of late, when Obama does speak, as he did on Dec. 7 on Meet the Press, Dec. 28 on 60 Minutes, and Jan. 11 on This Week With George Stephanopoulos, he tends not to say much. The closest Obama came to giving Stephanopoulos any news was when he answered a question about investigating torture and warrantless wiretapping under the Bush administration. Obama said, “We have not made final decisions.”
Can a president go four years without making a final decision ? We are about to find out.
Mike K (2cf494) — 1/17/2009 @ 8:41 amWhat the left desperately wants to avoid asmitting is that Bush did what was needed to keep this country safe from terrorist attacks after 9/11 and when briefed, its leaders agreed with the steps. Obama is trying to preserve the options Bush had, by delaying the closure of Gitmo, maintaining the ability for enhanced interrogation procedures, and continuing wireless surveillance programs. Heads would be exploding all over the left if he said so explicitly rather than trying to score political points while keeping his options open.
daleyrocks (5d22c0) — 1/17/2009 @ 9:02 amdaleyrocks pretty much nails it: no Democrat wants to admit that Bush did pretty much the right thing.
In addition to all this, we have Obama now saying that it’s not essential to capture or kill Obama bin Laden, and that closing GTMO is harder than he thought.
He’s setting the bar quite low for himself, isn’t he?
Steverino (69d941) — 1/17/2009 @ 9:16 amDoes that mean that “half-White” men can’t jump either?
AD (108e20) — 1/17/2009 @ 9:35 amThis is the firmest evidence that the Democratic attacks on the Bush administration were not based on any principle. None. Nothing but craven partisan advantage in time of war.
And yes, I’m questioning their patriotism.
SPQR (26be8b) — 1/17/2009 @ 11:26 amHear, hear, SPQR.
To the extent that Obama continues the polices of Bush that I agree with, I will stand behind Obama. And I will challenge the Democrats who repudiated Bush over these policies to repudiate Obama.
If Obama continues policies of Bush that I disagreed with, I’ll oppose Obama. And I’ll still challenge the Dems who opposed Bush to oppose Obama.
If the Dems support Obama merely because he’s from their party, then their claims of patriotism are false.
Steverino (69d941) — 1/17/2009 @ 11:34 amThe Dems/Left in America lost all semblance of reasonableness when one of their own took King Arthur from them in 1963, and then Lancelot in 1968.
AD (108e20) — 1/17/2009 @ 11:54 am23 what is he really? The race thing should not have been an issue, but sure seems like the “world” and libmutants in general make black a huge deal. Blacks would have voted for him overwhelmingly if he was another algore or lurch as long as he was a lib. So he actually is 1/2 white, 3/8 Arab and 1/8 Black? That makes him an African-American? Funny how all the mixed breeds use whatever blackness they possess and think that makes them da bomb- halle berry springs to mind. Both berry and obama had abusive black daddy dearests who abandoned them. So isn’t Barry actually some kind of Octaroon?
aoibhneas (0c6cfc) — 1/17/2009 @ 11:58 amMLK jr., whose holiday is Monday said something about being judged by the content of your character and not the color of your skin. Democraps don’t embrace that one whit.
See, Obama would feel bad while doing it. That man will carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, don’t you know? That’s the difference.
Every Leftist KNOWS that Darth Cheney giggled over torture reports with his morning coffee.
Techie (6b5d8d) — 1/17/2009 @ 12:57 pmIt’s different because Pres Bush is honest about the policy whereas all we get from leftards and from the Obama campaign/transition team (redundant) are lies, banalities, equivocations, ambiguities and nuances that would make Joe Biden’s hair fall out, were it not plugged and glued in.
eaglewingz08 (c46606) — 1/17/2009 @ 1:08 pmIt doesn’t hurt to remember JC Watts is a race-traitor according to the congressional black caucus because JC Watts is a Republican. So color of your skin is only important if you are a member of the appropriate political party.
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 1/17/2009 @ 1:20 pmRacists!
daleyrocks (5d22c0) — 1/17/2009 @ 1:35 pmThe whole scandal over torture was part of the effort to consistently undermine Bush. When Obama’s agents start using coercive interrogation techniques, it will be pretty much OK, or at least ignored.
The fact is, coercion like waterboarding is useful and necessary, under very controlled conditions. That specific technique, while it certainly isn’t fun, leaves the subject physically unharmed. When used by skilled interrogators, people talk, and they tell the truth. It’s a small price to pay to save the lives of tens, hundreds, or thousands of our fellow citizens.
Tom Carter (b086c0) — 1/17/2009 @ 2:09 pmAt least he will keep it secret when he does authorize torture.
Dreadnaught (94c96a) — 1/17/2009 @ 6:15 pmDreadnaught, you may well be accidentally accurate.
The MSM, in its overwhelming desire to overthrow all conservatism and centrism and replace it with liberalism, will never do anything to outright harm a liberal POTUS. The member(s) of the intelligence community dealing in espionage will not do so, so long as a liberal POTUS is bringing the country in line with islamo-marxist ideology.
John Hitchcock (fb941d) — 1/17/2009 @ 6:22 pmROTFLMAO! I vote “Present” again.
J. Raymond Wright (e8d0ca) — 1/18/2009 @ 8:28 am[…] he’s going to end torture, right? “President-elect Barack Obama is preparing to prohibit the use of waterboarding and […]
Obama Changing a lot Less than You’d Think « Something should go here, maybe later. (1d5921) — 1/22/2009 @ 12:51 ambo is a faciast who should be put down asap are we going to wait for him to invite the muslams to overrun the us lets kill him now whyle we still can death to obama 09
ron bostic (f9a2b1) — 1/31/2009 @ 7:29 pm