I see nothing but doom and destruction now that droopy Joe Lieberman , hero to loyal hounds and dengue fever aficionados , has pulled the self sharpening "Respectfully regret" arrow out of his quivering smarm .

Is it any surprise that Republicans like Joe Lieberman are so very opposed to accountability? Everything they do is suspect.

Small minded people react to threat with physical violence.

The former administration was filled to bursting with small minded people.

The current controversy over interrogation methods is an example of this. A suspect won't talk, so beat the shit out of him-literally- until he does.
What he says makes no difference, the SOB talked, goddammit!

Never mind that this DOES NOT WORK. We have been told this, over and over and over, by retired CIA operatives.

And that is exactly why Obama has created a new elite 'interrogation squad' to deal with high value suspects.

I'm for any "chilling effect" that progibits our agents from taking the law into their own hands.

Two somewhat unrelated and not all-that-central points:

1. Lieberman. I thought the liberal vendetta against him was unfounded and unwise at the beginning. He had become a relatively conservative Democrat but he was a reliable one and I felt that the Democratic primary loss in part pushed him further to the right. In other words, that it was a bit petty of him but human to react as he did. Now I think I was wrong. He's moved sufficiently far to the right in the last couple of days, first on health care and now on this, that I think he's just a lost cause and the people who opposed him from the beginning were right in the first place.

2. Speaking of petty, it's too bad the Republicans couldn't just keep walking when the issue was Clinton's extramarital escapades. They hurt the country badly by eroding his authority abroad and enourmously distracting the entire government at a time when it's now clear we could not afford it.

No one's willing to say that crimes are acceptable. They're only willing to say that accountability for crimes is a problem.

This from the party of personal responsibility who loves capital punishment. It's also the same weak ass bullshit response they give for "scooter" libby's treason. We should all become Republicans so that we don't have to be held accountable for our actions. Disgusting f*cking hypocrites.

Actually, I welcome the meltdown of the rabid right over this very-limited investigation. It will suck up some of the crazy oxygen being breathed by the anti-healthcare nuts. Right now, President Obama could use a distraction from health care, to allow Congress to limp back into session and get something done.

Laws are for thee, and not for me.

Silly plebeians.

Away from the Rule of Law, sliding back toward the Rule of Men. Funny, I thought that was one of the main reasons that this nation was founded. Oh well, my bad.

How craven of Mr. Lieberman to grant the equivalent of the cloak of papal infallibility to the office of Attorney General, effectively granting that office an inherent supra-authority to ignore, overrule or override any law the Congress may pass or any treaty the Senate may ratify.

We cannot take for granted the fact that our homeland has not been attacked since September 11, 2001. That has occurred only because of the constant vigilance and unflinching efforts by those brave individuals in our military, civilian homeland security and counterterrorism agencies, and the intelligence community.
Post hoc, ergo propter hoc. There haven't been any elephant stampedes in our homeland since September 11, 2001 either.
Lieberman, wrongheaded as ever, reaches a false conclusion then cynically adds that the fact that the Attorney General signed off on an "anything goes" policy means that no one should be called to account for their actions in carrying it out. To state that criminal wrongdoing should be excused because an Attorney General as pliable and incompetent as Alberto Gonzales signed off on it is to give future administrations carte blanche to do whatever they wish with as long as their Attorneys General sign off on it in advance.

Yeah. Let the investigations proceed and the chips fall where they may. In the course of destroying this country, George W. Bush (the First Fool as I loved to call him) undid DECADES of diplomatic protocol.

Were these morons able to get information via torture? Sure they did. Most of that info was false. You see, under those circumstances, the person being tortured will say just about anything. It is quite interesting: no one in this administration (Excuse me, I meant to say, “THAT administration) was smart enough to figure this out.

http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com

Tom Degan
Goshen, NY

Joe's also contributing to the ongoing debasement of language itself. What kind of bravery does it take to beat up helpless people? Even if they are criminals, and many by any standard were not, they are completly in the power of their captors. Calling this organizing sadism bravery debases the very notion of courage itself. It's an insult to people whose actions really are brave, who have to go out and face and armed and dangerous enemy.

On this subject: Joe Scarborough and Pat Buchanan were practically apoplectic and foaming at their respective pie-holes this morning on "Morning Joe" (why do I torture myself by watching this show?). You know the litany: Obama broke his word about looking forward; Obama needs to lead and tell Justice to knock it off; Obama Admin. doesn't need even more on it's plate; these actions were necessary to keep the country safe. Blah, blah, blah...

Even a limited investigation will implicate Bush, Cheney, Rumsfield, Rove & plenty of other high up muckety mucks. These idiots were too stupid to follow the rule of law, you think they were smart enough to cover their tracks? Their idea of covering their tracks consisted of little more than Gonzalez & Yoo shouting "anything this Administration does is legal & any attempt to rein them in, is treason!" They're so guilty if a White House intern illegally downloaded the first season of Lost, you can be sure the Oval Office has a copy. Limits, shmimits, their hands are in the cookie jar. Which is why anyone who suckles at the GOP teat throws out the contradictory defense of "what happened isn't worth investigatin, but to investigate would be A TRAGEDY!" Which is it, thunderdolts?

The techniques that were used are not nearly as important as the questions the interrogators were asking. Were they honestly trying to avert another attack, or were they trying to cobble together a case for the war with Iraq? Was torture being used for "honorable ends," the saving of American lives, or was the crime of torture used for more malignant ends, the invasion of Iraq?

"LIEBERMAN, GOP PREFER TO 'KEEP WALKING'"

Steve, you could have just said "GOP" and Lieberman would have been understood

"...authorize a criminal investigation of them for behavior that a previous Attorney General concluded was authorized and legal."

Joe, you ignorant slut.

Holder's initial scope is so wafer-thin that the only thing it does include is behavior outside the torture methods deemed "authorized and legal" by Asscroft, Yoo, and Bradbury.

@larry birnbaum:

Lieberman has not just moved right in the last couple days, it's just that you did not recognize it when others on the left were calling for Holy Joe to be yanked from his chairmanship at the beginning of the year.

The only difference between now and then is that you have now recognized that what was being said against Lieberman then was in fact true.

Walt @8:59 - I watched Morning Joe today because CNN ran a disgusting piece where Frances Townsend & some other guy BOTH attacked Holder, claiming this was an liberal attack on the CIA ("Bush kept us safe, now that we are safe, liberals are attacking the CIA"). No mention of Sens. Leahy & Feingold objecting to the limited scope.

At least on Morning Joe, Eugene Robinson came on and explained that most in the CIA who knew about this objected, and NOT having an investigation is an insult to them.

"We cannot take for granted the fact that our homeland has not been attacked since September 11, 2001."
-----------------------------

Especially when it's you telling us that "fact," Joe.

"It apparently has something to do with walking."

You didn't get that 'walking' reference, Steve? Let me help you: In the 1970s the Republicans had a guy, famous alumnus of the UofM football program, who had a thing with 'walking and chewing gum'.

I'm sure you can work it out from that point on in.

They'll nail the guilty ones, don't worry. PFC Wintergreen will be busted back to "ex-" again.

Lieberman has a problem with punishment having a chilling effect on CIA activities. I sorta thought that the whole idea of punishment when the law is broken is to produce a chilling effect on people who would otherwise BREAK THE LAW. Of course, I'm not a vile liar who misrepresents the state of Connecticut, so what do I know?

Ohioan at 10:38 - I didn't watch Morning Joe all the way through. I'm glad Gene Robinson was the (sole) voice of support for DOJ. They usually do have at least 1 opposing viewpoint. I didn't stick around long enuf, I guess....

"...a future AG will authorize a criminal investigation of them for behavior that a previous AG concluded was authorized and legal." Sen. Leiberman as quoted by Steve Benen.
Well, gee whillikers, if they're innocent, they won't have anything to worry about, will they? It's not as if anyone has ever attempted to politicize the DoJ or anything...