Former General Wesley Clark weighs in on torture in an interview last week. Clarks is quoted as saying, "I've (been) very disappointed that the Vice President is [arguing for torture provisions] because I know it's easy for an armchair quarterback to think if you put somebody's arm behind his back the guy will squeal. But the truth is, and John McCain I think is living proof of this, is that people don't squeal when you torture them. They may scream and they may talk but they're not giving you the information that in most cases that you want. If they are, there are other ways to get it. I think this is one of those issues that goes right to the top of the government. When you have the Vice President advocating the exemption for torture, it's pretty clear where the guidance came from to abuse and rough up prisoners, and even though this is not the character of the United States Army, the leaders I know or the men and women who serve in the army, they're nevertheless subject to his control and direction. This has got to be stopped at the political level, the legal level--it's not a problem inside the armed forces. And that's been the failure of the investigation so far. Sure, they're investigating how come these people at Abu Ghraib went too far, they should never have gone that far, but the whole idea of not respecting the Geneva convention, the whole idea of pressuring and abusing and humiliating these prisoners did not originate with sergeants and privates in Abu Ghraib."
The audio is up on Crooks and Liars.
Oval Office 2008: "Three Republican 2008 contenders were in Iowa last weekend, and the Des Moines Register was particularly keen to get their views on the indictment of 'Scooter' Libby, the Vice-President's Chief of Staff. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney clearly has future elections on the brain, because his answer focused on the impact of the Libby indictment on the 2006 and 2008 elections. 'I really don't think that voters ascribe to an entire party the mistake, even the serious mistake, of one party member,' Romney told the Register. 'People don't believe in guilt by association.' Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich took a broader, and more downbeat, perspective, befitting a man who thinks his own party is doomed unless it steals all his ideas. He said the Libby indictment was 'not good,' according to the Register, before moving seamlessly onto his favourite topic: what's wrong with the Republican Party (and why only he can save it). Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel took the unorthodox approach in dealing with the question about Libby, of giving an answer about Libby, rather than about the fate of the party, or the Republic of whatever."
Oval Office 2008: "Here's an article from last Sunday's Washington Post about the Democratic Party's commission looking at the presidential primary calendar."
Political Wire: "Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) 'is taking action to make it hard for conservatives to write him off in the 2008 presidential race,' Washington Whispers reports. 'His office confirms that the maverick moderate recently met with the Rev. Jerry Falwell, a conservative icon who is influential with voters on the right.'
"'Also, as McCain prepares a campaign-style trip to South Carolina, critical in the 2008 GOP primaries, a key ally is putting himself in the good graces of conservatives. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham is winning kudos from conservatives for backing Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, raising his stature in the state and maybe even making his 2008 endorsement the key to victory. And should McCain win the state that derailed his 2000 bid, Graham would vault to the top of the veep list, say insiders.'"
Andrew Sullivan: "He's still furiously lobbying Senators to protect his right to torture. A man who avoided service in Vietnam is lecturing John McCain on the legitimacy of torturing military detainees. But notice he won't even make his argument before Senate aides, let alone the public. Why not? If he really believes that the U.S. has not condoned torture but wants to reserve it for exceptional cases, why not make his argument in the full light of day? You know: where democratically elected politicians operate."
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
8:52:57 AM 
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