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404 On TortureWednesday, Apr. 22, 2009 3:36 AMA newly-declassified report from the Senate Armed Services Committee reveals that the Bush Administration authorized the use of 'enhanced interrogation' techniques to find the link between Iraq and al-Qaeda. A link that was never confirmed, because it never existed in the first place. Senator Carl Levin debunks yet again the excuse that abuses at Abu Ghraib and other instances of torture were the work of 'a few bad apples,' and reveals that the use of waterboarding was a systematic, deliberate choice of policy by the Bush Administration. On the other hand, Senator Joseph Lieberman is still off in Jack Bauer Land, attesting to FOX News' Greta van Susteren that torture provided us with critical information about al-Qaeda, and that the president must have the ability to authorize the use of such techniques in the case of 'an imminent attack on American soil' or 'God forbid, worse' (like WHAT?) - the dead horse of the ticking time-bomb scenario being ridden around the paddock one more time. I mean, seriously, people - you've invested yourselves with 'extraordinary powers' in a time of war, conduct illegal surveillance, broken just about every provision in the Bill of Rights, and the best you can do to fight terrorism is scoop some schmuck off the street, torture him and hope he tells you where the bomb is and how to turn it off? And while Admiral Dennis Blair, Director of National Intelligence, agrees that high-value intelligence was gained, he also noted that, "The bottom line is these techniques have hurt our image around the world, the damage they have done to our interests far outweighed whatever benefit they gave us and they are not essential to our national security." Of course, the media, for the most part, isn't reporting that last bit from Admiral Blair; they're parroting the part where he says torture helped obtain high-value information. And here's the moral aspect - we're all over Barry Bonds' ass for using steroids in his quest for #756. We complain when Lance Armstrong tests positive for performance enhancers. There's gotta be Senate hearings, and trials, and Someone Has To Be Held Responsible! But somehow, we're still pretending there's a debate to be had over torture. Oh, but it got us important information! And I'm sure Bonds breaking the MLB career HR record was important to him, too ... but oh, no, he's not worthy of Cooperstown, and the damned ball needs to be marked with an asterisk! People can see their way clear over a fracking sports record more easily than with whether or not we should be respecting our laws and treaties we've signed regarding the treatment of prisoners? We're more concerned over what a gay/lesbian couple might be doing in their bedroom than what our government is doing in our name? Yesterday, I blasted Miss California, Carrie Prejean, for whining that her answer regarding gay marriage might have cost her the Miss USA title. If she truly believes in what she said, then the frippery of the beauty crown - even if that's what you were aiming for - should be irrelevant. Today, it's Perez Hilton's turn. He asked the question, Prejean gave an honest answer, and Hilton decides to post a foul-mouthed rebuttal on YouTube? Come on. Reality check time. He had to have some idea of what her answer would be - she's a student at San Diego Christian College, and the San Diego area is strongly conservative at the ballot box. Perez Hilton's outrage is just as fake as Prejean's.
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