Qualifying

Years have gone by since the allegations of waterboarding have come up. I remember the answers - no, not that I know of, we can't tell you because it's classified, etc. I remember the confirmation hearings, where Hayden refused to state whether he considered waterboarding to be torture. I remember the Bush apologists offering the excuses - that it didn't happen, that even if it did, who cares, that it's ok because it saved American lives (although killing abortionists theoretically would save american lives as well, so perhaps we should kill all MDs to keep them from becoming abortionists, in the national interest), or that it doesn't matter because it's not torture, though they wouldn't want it to happen to them.

Of course, yesterday, Hayden admitted that yes, we did waterboard (hence his refusal to answer the question during confirmation), but we only did it 3 times, and lo and behold! IT WORKED! We saved american lives. And we know it, because we still have Americans.

Today, to further justify the "odious practice" (as Representative John Conyers called it), General Mukasey clarified that when we did it, it was perfectly legal, though it "probably" isn't now. How convenient. I actually like Larry Cox's (of Amnesty International) answer, that this is the "gold standard of double standards."

I understand that this is all coming out now because this is an election year and the President is a lame duck, and to do so now exposes the crap to the public, while still guaranteeing him an impeachment-proof year for people to rattle and bitch and moan about how he gets away with it while nothing ever really comes of what we have treated as torture when other nations have done it, and what has gone on by our own nation "legally" with the tacit, if not explicit approval of the Commander in Chief of the Armed forces and the head of the CIA. If the buck stops here, as the President would have us believe, then when will he place himself in position to answer for the actions of those he commands? Or will we get more stonewalling until another opportune moment for another revelation?