Torture Update

post from DemConWatch on 21 April 2009 09:00:00 AM. © DemConWatch

Yesterday, 85% of you voted in our poll in favour of prosecuting the people in the Bush Administration who codified torture. Today, the Times is reporting that the Obama administration may accede to pressure and go ahead with hearings.

Over at Fire Dog Lake they've launched a petition drive to tell Eric Holder:

Given the seriousness of these crimes, we the undersigned call for Attorney General Eric Holder to immediately appoint a special prosecutor to determine if criminal proceedings are warranted for Justice Department lawyers who legalized these crimes, and the high level executive branch officials who ordered them.

Petitions must be signed by 9 a.m. Thursday, 23 April 2009, in time to be presented on the list.

To the hundreds of you who comprised that 85%, please consider letting your voice be heard in this meaningful way.

Torture is wrong.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.Demconwatchblog.com/diary/1369/torture-update

Digg this

ThinkFast: April 21, 2009

post from Think Progress on 21 April 2009 09:00:00 AM. © Think Progress

Congress is launching the ?mother of all climate weeks? today, where 54 witnesses will "testify on climate change legislation in three full days before the House Energy and Commerce Committee." Among the witnesses set to testify are former Vice President Al Gore, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

The debate over health care reform is intensifying as liberals are warning their Democratic allies to resist caving. Recently, more than 70 House Democrats "warned party leaders that they will not support a broad health reform bill that does not offer consumers a government-sponsored policy, and two unions withdrew from a high-profile health coalition because it would not endorse a public plan."

A new poll released yesterday found that 67 percent of Cuban-Americans "now support the removal of all restrictions for travel to Cuba, an 18-point increase from three years ago, when the same question was asked." Despite the community's "reputation for loyalty to Republicans, the poll found widespread approval for Mr. Obama," with 67 percent having a favorable or somewhat favorable opinion.

"House leaders in both parties were publicly mum" in the wake of a CQ report yesterday alleging that Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) "engaged in a quid pro quo with a suspected Israeli agent to advance her stature in Congress." Further, "the Republican messaging machine, usually quick to churn out e-mails alerting reporters to every alleged ethical misstep by a Congressional Democrat, stayed silent on the news."

Three Bush administration lawyers who signed the OLC torture memos -- John Yoo, Jay Bybee, and Steven Bradbury -- "are the subjects of a coming report by the Justice Department?s ethics office that officials say is sharply critical of their work." The office has the "power to recommend disbarment or other professional penalties or, less likely, to refer cases for criminal prosecution."

As of 8 am ET this morning, more than 3,000 of you have taken action to urge the House Judiciary Committee to begin impeachment hearings against Jay Bybee. Please join our campaign by clicking here.

Read The Full Article:
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/21/thinkfast-april-21-2009/

Digg this

Daily Futures Commentary April 21, 2009

post from Jutia Group on 21 April 2009 08:51:00 AM. © Jutia Group

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The general theme this week could be risk aversion as problems in the U.S. banking system resurfaced after several weeks of hibernation and triggered a massive migration to safe havens such as the U.S. Dollar, U.S. Treasuries, and even gold.

Equity markets are under pressure this…

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/jutiagroup/~3/tqpDjgKZCOI/

Digg this

NBC report on NY Times ' five Pulitzers ignores
military analysts report

post from Media Matters for America on 21 April 2009 08:44:55 AM. © Media Matters for America

On the April 20 edition of NBC's Nightly News, reporting on the awarding ofthe 2009 Pulitzer Prizes earlier that day, anchor Brian Williams stated that"The New York Times led theway with five, including awards for breaking news and internationalreporting." But Williams did not note that the Times' David Barstow was awarded thePulitzer Prize for investigativereporting that day"for his tenacious reporting that revealed how some retired generals, workingas radio and television analysts, had been[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/mediamatters/latest/~3/GqXNQBCuf-Q/200904210002

Digg this

KS-04: Inspired by Teabaggers, Democrat enters
the race for the 4th District

post from Kansas Jackass on 21 April 2009 08:44:00 AM. © Kansas Jackass

Robert Tillman has thrown his hat into the Democratic ring for the open 4th Congressional District[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://kansasjackass.blogspot.com/2009/04/inspired-by-teabaggers-democrat-enters.
html

Digg this

Inspired by Teabaggers, Democrat enters the race
for the 4th District

post from Kansas Jackass on 21 April 2009 08:44:00 AM. © Kansas Jackass

Digg this

CIA Exempt On Torture, But Not Lynndie England.

post from The Osterley Times on 21 April 2009 08:34:00 AM. © The Osterley Times

The photograph to the left is from the cover of a new book on Lynndie England by Gary Winkler, (his wife was kind enough to email this to me in advance of publication).

It couldn't be about to be released at a more apt time.

For as Obama and his administration put forward the argument that they must "look forward and not back" - and as they proclaim that it would be unfair to punish members of the CIA for doing things which they were told was perfectly legal - then we really are left with the dichotomy of how to compensate people like Lynndie England, who it would appear are almost certain to be the only people, from that dreadful period of American history, to have been punished for the fact that the Bush administration brought in a systematic regime of torture.

Is it remotely right that these low ranking soldiers should be the only members of the entire US establishment to have been punished for what was a systemic torture policy?

"Every American should be outraged," says Roy T. Hardy, who represents Pfc. Lynndie England. The 22-year-old Army clerk became the international face of the Abu Ghraib scandal when photos of her in poses with naked Iraqi detainees shocked the world.
"Obama, who I love to death, is not going to punish CIA agents for doing what they were told to do," says Hardy, England's civilian lawyer, "when those torture memos gave them permission to do more than what was ever done at Abu Ghraib?"
Convicted in 2005 of maltreatment and conspiracy for posing in those pictures, including one in which she held a leash around a prisoner's neck, England has already served one and a half years in military prisons, and an equal time on parole.

And, as Lynndie England's lawyer points out, what she was doing in those photographs - which caused such revulsion around the world - was simply nothing compared with what the Red Cross have described the CIA as doing away from any prying cameras.

Don't get me wrong, I have always said that what I object to here is the fact that the low level grunts who carried out these policies were punished rather than the people at the top of the food chain who enabled and ordered torture to take place. So, this is not a plea for the CIA to face prosecution.

Eugene Fidell, who teaches military law at Yale University, says that "there is a bind between the fact that England did time, and the people who many Americans believe have done far worse are not going to be criminally punished."
"I wouldn't fault her for making the argument," he says. "But there's not much that can be done at this point besides changing the character of her discharge."

I disagree. The way to ensure that Lynndie England and the others aren't the only Americans convicted for what was official US policy is to prosecute Yoo, Bybee and those who set this policy in place. And I include Cheney and Bush amongst that number.

England has already done her time and that can't be given back to her. But it would surely offer them some consolation to see the people who gave out those orders face at least the equivalent of she and the rest went through.

Click title for full article.

Tags: Lynndie England, Obama, CIA, torture, Bush, Cheney

Read The Full Article:
http://the-osterley-times.blogspot.com/2009/04/cia-exempt-on-torture-but-not-lynn
die.html

Digg this

Dick Cheney paints President Obama as a "weak"
President

post from Crooks and Liars on 21 April 2009 08:31:27 AM. © Crooks and Liars

You can view this video right here by getting the latest version of Flash Player! DOWNLOAD (63)
PLAY (122)

Dick Cheney joined Sean Hannity last night on FOX in one of his "exclusive" interviews with FOX and claimed that President Obama's hand shake with Hugo Chavez along with his other trips out of the country are making him appear like a "weak" President which will lead the world to take advantage of him. Have you ever seen an ex-VP, who was basically booed out of the White House come out so fast and so vicious in the usual "politics of personal destruction?" It truly is embarrassing. Hannity as usual clipped Obama's statements and did his usual character assassinations in keeping with the hackery that he's known for.

Hannity: We have a President who's critical of our economic system, he's apologizing seemingly for our super power status around the world. Apologizing for America in general. It's been described as going on an "apologizing tour" and doesn't seem to like to tell the good story of America...
I guess I've been concerned the way we have been presented overseas..
Former Vice President Dick Cheney told Fox News Channel?s Sean Hannity that President Obama?s handshake with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ?was not helpful? and could lead ?foes? of the U.S. to ?think they?re dealing with a weak president.?
Cheney: I find disturbing is the extent to which he has gone to Europe, for example, and seemed to apologize profusely in Europe, and then to Mexico, and apologize there, and so forth,? ?And I think you have to be very careful. The world outside there, both our friends and our foes, will be quick to take advantage of a situation if they think they?re dealing with a weak president or one who is not going to stand up and aggressively defend America?s interests.

This was a very touching moment for the VICE, him being all worried for President Obama and all.

Read The Full Article:
http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/dick-cheney-paints-president-obama-weak

Digg this

Treasury lawyers: TARP recipients subject to pay
limits

post from AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth on 21 April 2009 08:28:00 AM. © AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth

Start the clock to see how long it takes the Wall Street freeloaders to file lawsuits, spending TARP money for attorneys along the way, of course. While this is good news - fair news, really - it's disturbing to read how ill equipped Treasury is to deal with this very important and very costly program. It remains unclear what part of "$1 trillion" Geithner doesn't think is important enough to hire more than 10 people to administer oversight. Unfortunately, Geithner does not appear to be improving though at least the Treasury legal team is providing decent news.

Treasury Department lawyers have determined that firms participating in a $1 trillion program to relieve banks of toxic assets could be subject to limits on executive compensation, contradicting the Obama administration's previous public position, according to a report to be released today by a federal watchdog agency.

The disclosure comes amid a congressional investigation into whether the administration is abiding by a law limiting lavish pay for executives at firms that have benefited from the $700 billion bailout for the financial system.

Speaking last month about the initiative to buy toxic assets, Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner said, "The comp conditions will not apply to the asset managers and investors in the program."

Let's hope it's Geithner who is wrong on his previous statement. Sooner or later he is going to need to step it up or move on.

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/MmLht8SNYEc/treasury-lawyers-tarp-r
ecipients.html

Digg this

You've Got to Give them Hope

I'm going to be out for awhile this afternoon (I'm catching a plane to Miami County, Kansas to get[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://kansasjackass.blogspot.com/2009/04/youve-got-to-give-them-hope.html

Digg this