Assurances

Well, once again the presidency - even when the current one is the lamest of ducks - has demostrated its inherant power in our system. At least with a Democratic majority, tiny though it is, the rubber stamp responses are delayed slightly.

Perhaps it is better to have Mukasey at the Justice Department than to have Bush's recess appointment, whoever that might be. Schumer, Fienstein, McCain, Snowe and others seem to think they have assurances that the torture has stopped or will stop when Mukasey is in place. I am not assured, but I am hopeful. And as Sen. Fienstein says, at least he's not Alberto.

Still, my Republican friends, your Mr. Bush continues to drag our nation's reputation through the muck. There is no legitimate reason for our President and his appointees to refuse to call torture torture. By seeming to countenance torture as legitimate "interrogation technique" he defames our country, supplies our enemies with gasoline to pour on the flames of anti-Americanism, and endangers our soldiers. It seems obvious to me that the reason must be that this President is quilty of okaying torture and wants cover through redefinition of the term. This is nothing new, of course, tyrants have used such ruses throughout history.

Oh, well, in 443 days, perhaps, the recovery can begin.


Later Note: S.W. Anderson at Oh!Pinion has some good posts on this topic.