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Leahy Promises Torture Investigation

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 11:10:36 AM EST
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ABC:

Sen. Patrick Leahy pledged today that if he cannot get the votes to create a bipartisan commission to investigate U.S. torture policy under former President George W. Bush -- and regardless of calls by President Obama that any inquiry be bipartisan -- he'll conduct his own partisan inquiry in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Good on Leahy.

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    Leahy Promises Torture Investigation | 28 comments (28 topical)

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    Moreover, he's calling for Bybee to resign (5.00 / 5) (#1)
    by andgarden on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 11:13:04 AM EST


    Could it be Cheney told the wrong guy (5.00 / 4) (#12)
    by ruffian on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 01:48:27 PM EST
    to go f- himself? Leahy has a good memory.

    Parent
    I thought about that too! (5.00 / 2) (#16)
    by NJDem on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 01:55:40 PM EST
    Talk about the last laugh...

    Parent
    I doubt that will have much effect (5.00 / 2) (#14)
    by Capt Howdy on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 01:52:20 PM EST
    but I am glad someone is at least calling for it.

    Parent
    That is great news! (5.00 / 3) (#2)
    by NJDem on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 11:18:42 AM EST
    He could have just played the typical political game and had said he'd 'wait and see' if a bipartisan commission could/would yada yada....

    Good on him.  He must actually care whether or not we are a country of laws or of men...  

    I think he does (none / 0) (#18)
    by gyrfalcon on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 02:20:14 PM EST
    He has the luxury, since he represents a very small state with very loyal voters who like him a lot.  Reelection doesn't cost him more than pennies, either, so has no crushing fund-raising burden.  He is sometimes restricted by the policy and strategy of the Dem. leadership, unlike his colleague Bernie Sanders, who couldn't care less and isn't a party member anyway.

    He sometimes, though, talks tougher than he acts.  Don't know whether that's becuse he's personally a bit timid or because Harry Reid yanks on his chain and pulls him back.

    Parent

    Promise promises (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by phat on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 11:27:52 AM EST
    I don't expect much out of Leahy anymore.

    Call me when (5.00 / 2) (#6)
    by joanneleon on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 12:05:59 PM EST
    you've set things up officially, Sen. Leahy.  

    Sorry, but his credibility is a bit low at the moment.  He appears to be in a very low risk situation too, as he has had a long career in the Senate and he has little to fear in elections.  What has been holding him back?  Just do it, Senator Leahy.

    Sometimes, (5.00 / 2) (#10)
    by KeysDan on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 12:53:37 PM EST
    I think Senator Leahy has been hanging around Arlen Specter too long---more bark than bite.

    Parent
    Dem. leadership (none / 0) (#19)
    by gyrfalcon on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 02:21:42 PM EST
    I suspect, reels him back in.  He is a loyal party guy.

    Parent
    I think for any Democrat (and I often wish (5.00 / 4) (#7)
    by NJDem on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 12:11:40 PM EST
    more of them) to openly defy the president right now is fairly bold.  But yes, I'll reserve my happy dance until I see some action.  

    Honestly, Leahy seems to be (5.00 / 2) (#8)
    by inclusiveheart on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 12:45:21 PM EST
    the guy who plays the part of the dissenter in order to make the masses feel better when they get hot and bothered and then not much happens.

    I'll be glad if I'm proven wrong (I think).  I'm not sold on going with Congressional investigations.  I'd much rather see evidence fairly and impartially gathered and presented through the court system.

    Parent

    Could it be? (none / 0) (#9)
    by jbindc on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 12:45:22 PM EST
    Could it be that this isn't "openly defying the president"? Obama's already backtracked on this topic, and maybe this is a coordinated effort between Leahy and the WH, ala good cop/bad cop.  

    Sorry - my cynicism thing again....

    Parent

    Sure, I guess it could be any of these (none / 0) (#13)
    by NJDem on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 01:49:23 PM EST
    things (boy, deciphering 11-dimensional chess is hard!).  Right now I feel like things are better than they were a couple of days ago when it seemed the DC-CW was that this was water under the bridge.  

    So perhaps that explains my reserved optimism...    

    Parent

    I bet (none / 0) (#15)
    by jbindc on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 01:55:39 PM EST
    we might be able to find a decoder for 11-dimension chess by using the Google!

    Parent
    Glad he's willing to (5.00 / 1) (#11)
    by ruffian on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 01:47:16 PM EST
    look partisan if necessary. PPUS has no place in this issue.

    Special procesecutor is the ideal solution IMO (5.00 / 2) (#20)
    by ruffian on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 02:27:39 PM EST
    So ideal I don't even bother hoping for it. Not in this country anyway. I still have hopes for a foreign war crimes tribunal of some sort.

    A special prosecutor is the only solution, (5.00 / 0) (#23)
    by KeysDan on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 03:24:40 PM EST
    in my view. A "bi-partisan" commission!  Oh, my goodness. Based on what we have heard, just so far from Republicans, the commission makeup would include those that believe the worst that happened to Khalid Sheik Mohammed after all those waterboards was that we shrunk the neckline of his T-shirt. And, as for going it alone with just Democrats, it may not be a lot better in substance, and would surely draw intense fire while providing fodder for the fair and balanced panels telling us what to think.

    Parent
    Cool (5.00 / 1) (#21)
    by Steve M on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 02:38:57 PM EST
    Leahy is gonna blister those guys with one of his trademark sternly-worded letters!  I hope he tears them a new paper cut.

    Will he get fifty senators behind him? (1.00 / 0) (#28)
    by diogenes on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 11:30:20 PM EST
    Even with Franken, it is quite possible that nine Democrats from conservative states plus Lieberman will bail out of this months long debacle.  Whatever the Americans think of waterboarding, they will quickly grow weary of months of partisan hearings which only make the US wallow in its faults.  I don't think that the silent majority wants to spend a year with this on the front pages.  There also remains the blowback possibility--as long as Obama doesn't prosecute, he is OK, but if Obama or Congress prosecute and there is another terror attack in the US, public opinion will turn on them.

    I didnt really think (none / 0) (#3)
    by Capt Howdy on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 11:22:19 AM EST
    this was going away

    I'm a cynic (none / 0) (#4)
    by jbindc on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 11:27:08 AM EST
    Nothing will come of this.  A few low-level folks might get sacrificed, but this is politics. And a bonus for Obama - he still gets to campaign against Bush.

    was secret for such a long time (none / 0) (#22)
    by joze46 on Wed Apr 22, 2009 at 03:11:17 PM EST
    Bush and Cheney present the paradox that the so called advanced interrogation techniques are not torture.

    My argument against it is this technique even if this is not considered torture is cruel and unusual