By:
Logan Murphy on Saturday, November 3rd, 2007 at 6:36 AM - PDT
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On Friday’s Countdown Keith Olbermann talked to Newsweek’s Richard Wolfe and Former Nixon White House Counsel, John Dean, about Senators Feinstein and Schumer’s inexcusable caving on President Bush’s Attorney General nominee and an ABC News report that claims former acting Assistant Attorney General Daniel Levin was forced out of the DoJ when he declared waterboarding to be torture — after allowing himself to be waterboarded.
Filed Under: Countdown/Keith Olbermann, MSNBC, The Senate, Torture
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156 Responses for “Countdown: Feinstein & Schumer Fold - DoJ Official Pushed Out For Calling Waterboarding Torture”
What’ll give one a strong incentive to lie, especially if you have a family, and obligations, is getting fired if you tell the truth.
This Bush guy, ‘One heckuva job he’s doing, ain’t it?’
Is it time for a National Moratorium to stop these idiots?
I continue to cry for my country. I simply do not understand the caving in over and over to a Pres. who is already felt to be the worst ever.
waterboard Mukasey!!!
good enuff for levin, good enuff for mukasey.
next schumer and feinstein.
Why?
They don’t know if its torture, so like levin did, they need to learn first hand..
Assistant A.G. volunteers to get waterboarded. Says its torture. Gets fired.
There is a fundamental disagreement on what this country can do. Stress positions, temperature extremes, and sleep deprrivation is what is trotted out as “enhanced” techniques, what really happens behind closed doors progresses to something much worse anyway.
A little torture always leads to alot of torture.
Schumer and Feinstein fold like lawn chairs and reward Bush for his 3rd grade temper tantrum.
Way to go.
America is now the Torture Nation.
-GSD
I say we waterboard Schumer and Feinstein to see if they still don’t think waterboarding is torture.
Bush’s New Plan: OUTSOURCE WATERBOARDING TO DISNEY WATER PARK
this is fucking stupid. they are arguing over whether to call it torture or not?? they need to asking the simple question, “is this something you want them doing to american troops if captured?” or how about “how would you want american POWs treated?” or how about “who would jesus torture?”
this is really sickening
“acting Assistant Attorney General Daniel Levin was forced out of the DoJ when he declared waterboarding to be torture — after allowing himself to be waterboarded.”
Obviously its not torture. If it was, and this guy was waterboarded, he would have said anything they wanted him to, specifically, that waterboarding isn’t torture.
duncanidho @ 4:
Perfect!
The fact that the United States has prosecuted and convicted war criminals of waterboarding seems to be moot to these assholes. I watched Rich Lowry on the News Hour say its not after being presented with that fact. Quibbling about the degree or how its done is like saying - well the rapist used a condom, so how bad can it be.
How can there be controversy about something thats in the books as torture.
I know the thinking by Schumer and Feinstein is Bush will make a recess appointment without congressional review. If you won’t hold him accountable for his lawlessness, who will. If I were him, I’d hold a daily press conference just to insult congress.
I shake my head and wonder what’s happening to this country - what’s being ALLOWED to happen - and why we no longer have an opposition party. We have become a nation of docile, gutless imbeciles who allow a rogue administration to redefine what America means for their own gain. What is going on here? Is it really this easy to stage a coup of America? Apparently so. We’re spitting in the face of everyone who ever fought and died for what we used to believe in.
Do we need any further proof that a two-party system does not work?
I do not believe Schumer or Feinstein are the least bit conflicted about waterboarding, nor are they executing some brilliant strategy to ’save’ the American people from an interim AG appointment that would be worse than Mukasey.
I truly believe they are being opportunistic politically-power hungry parasites, at the expense of future victims of waterboarding (foreign or native) and assisting in the long-term degradation of our national reputation.
duncanidho @ 4:
===============
Honestly, without snark, I agree with you. If these higher-ups have the brass balls to stand up and utter such a brazen LIE to the American people then they do deserve to be waterboarded. These people are the worst kind of traitors! Jail Feinstein and Schumer for treason!!!
I’m so sick of the Democratic leaders behaving JUST LIKE Republicans! Why are they giving Bush everything he demands?!? We need Congressional leaders who will DO THEIR JOBS and “stand nose to nose” with these monsters in the White House, but we have instead a bunch of ineffectual weak-kneed pussies who are giving the WORST PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY everything he wants. I say we totally clean house in 2008, voting out all but a handful of the members of Congress, people who did the right thing, like Jim Webb who seems to have voted with his conscience. Obama seems to have a good voting record too, but does anyone know about Kucinich’s voting record?
Schumer and Feinstein and Mukasey-I bet when the Demoes get elected 2008 they will keep Mukasey as Attorney General–just so that 911 never gets light of day.
Notice the the 3 amejoos have something in comman that is infesting America ?
[refers to deleted post]
Sue @ 3:
I believe the answer would be extortion. Everybody in D.C. works and lives under a dagger suspended by a string and the WarPigs are holding the scissors, ready to cut that at string if someone doesn’t play nice with them. If you tell on me, I’ll tell on you. If you don’t let me do this, I’ll kick the shit out of you. The Bush Administration are big bullies treating our Government, the country and the world like a playground which they run. Of course, that’s the way politics have always been, right?
san francisco, feinstein. no longer can anyone in that beautiful liberal city look at conn. and ask how lieberman could get elected. feinstein deserves the chance to explain herself, everyone deserves that, but in the absence of a plausible explanation or any explanation, the good people of san fran need to take action. she needs to be made aware that her actions in this instance were without merit and they fall in line with support of the deviants and crooks who currently run our government. How could she???
I read somewhere, recently, that most of our ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ come from a manual originally designed to help captured soldiers and spooks deal with Soviet methods. Granted, a lot of this stuff was perfected by the Inquisition…another excellent role model to be sure. But Stalinism is where its really at. We have become the Evil Empire.
Don Rumsfeld probably has a bumper sticker that says WWSD.
We know that a great many of us do not approve of this behavior. Yet when the Democrats go along with it, as readily as they do, a foreigner would be hard pressed to actually believe that a good many of us disagree. All the facts point to us being even lower than most of the world thought to begin with.
It certainly seems as though there is a rogue nation in need of regime change and peacekeeping troops, along with IMF and World Bank bailout loans tied to government transparency initiatives. We have met the enemy…and he is us.
Let’s take a vote . . . is ANYONE surprised? If so, then I suggest you are a prime target for that Nigerian email scam and better watch out.
[Off Topic-Sitemonitor]
Terrible @ 2:
It’s time for a national general sit-down strike and total work/travel/school/shopping stoppage. Now.
Before ANYONE has a serious discussion on the effects of waterboarding and arguing the legality of its use, is it not farcical to begin with that this former assistant was not called as a witness or this video presented beforehand with the intent of informing Mukasey of its effects? It’s all a formality. There is no real scrutiny in the process and if there becomes any its quickly hushed, like Daniel Levin can tell you. Those lone voices in government know they dont have the votes and safely play the “good cop” role so well (some of them, anyway) while the torture train rolls on, right off the tracks.
A country that invades other countries illegally and tortures its citizens. Thats what we are. And thats what we’ve been.
Good point #19. We were warned what would happen when San Francisco libruls took over.
Look at what it got us…
The Republicans have shown themselves to be monsters for allowing this conduct.
The Democrats have shown themselves to be useless for not being able to stop it.
Sue @ 3:
You have never heard of Senator Wellstone? Dead. Along with his wife, daughter, staff and pilots. Because one week before he had the guts to face down Cheney. Dead. Because he was a man of courage. Dead. Get a clue, please: the entire Congress is terrified of cheneybush psychopaths. Only the people can overturn this dictatorship. Only the people can bring this regime to its knees, arrest the guilty, indict/try them. And execute the traitors, every goddam one.
Is it possible for the San Francisco voters to hold an emergency recall election like the one California held that got Schwartzenegger elected in mid-term? I say hold recall elections for Feinstein AND Pelosi! They sold us out!! The gallows are a fate too good for these devil spawn! And just so you all know, Hillary will be elected. And she’ll take the time to squash our little blog-based revolution so that we can return to the age of Corporate Rule.
Jeff @ 9:
Well said and the other comments were also intelligently stated. A senator [perhaps Whitehouse?] should set up a screen in that committee room and roll the film of that volunteer being waterboarded and ask Mukasey point blank if he would think it would be torture if he was the one being waterboarded. This is the question that begs to be asked. After seeing that person in the film on Olbermann’s show being waterboarded, it simply defies belief how any rational, intelligent person can claim that that procedure does not merit the definition of torture. Mukasey has sold his soul in order to achieve power while Democrats like Schumer and Feinstein have lost their credibility by giving in to Bush and not fighting for the humanity [at least what is left of it] of the Democratic party.
This tortue issue is going the way it did in Nazi Germany. As I understand it, the Nazis were very good at calling obvious torture methods something else entirely so that there would be no problem employing those methods at a later date. Anyone that pointed out the obvious were removed.
Feinstien’s Husband (Richard Blum) is involved in a company that gets no bid military contracts from the bush administration for reconstruction in Iraq. As chairperson and ranking member of the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee (MILCON) from 2001 through the end of 2005, Feinstein supervised the appropriation of billions of dollars a year for specific military construction projects. She made sure to look out for her own interests IE lots of money for her husbands company. She is the personification of the term War profiteer so it’s no suprise that she would screw the people of this country and align herself with likes of these criminals and theives… she is one too. Tough talking democrat that votes like a republican Ass-Kisser. Schumer should know better but it appears he is voting for this guy because he is a fellow New Yorker. I smell a rat! I think there is more to schumers vote than meets the Eye. These people are so thouroghly corrupt and morally bankrupt it’s hard to even support a democrat anymore as they more and more seem to dance to the corporate masters and align themselves with the Bush/Cheney Disaster. We need a third party .. Aprty of the people!!
Countries dead.
Stick a fork in it.
I wonder how long it will take to slide into irrelevancy?
A year? Two?
I’m guessing it’ll be pretty quick judging by how fast we fell to this sad state.
See ya all later, it’s not safe to post any more.
Jeff @ 9:
Agreed. A more frightening thought is would they torture or put people in prison for having opposing political views here in the United States? That could be the next step to the Bush Administration’s plans.
As George Carlin said recently on Keith Olberman’s “Countdown”, “This country is toast!”
It was a great country for 230 years……………….
Ah yes, again and again he says like Rainman,
The dems “caved”.
Hahahahahaha….
Keep it up caveman…hahahahaha
why don’t they have an exhibition in the Senate…LIVE….and broadcast it across the country…..then have a vote on it ..and broadcast the vote Live as well..if they’re trying to make the world scared of us..they’ve failed.The world is Disgusted!
Wag @ 37:
What are you laughing about, it’s the Repugs that have killed this nation.
Hope you like Banana Republics clownshoe, cause that’s what you got.
m.ellis @ 23:
yeah but who does that hurt? school?… work? …shopping?@$%#
how about not payin that income tax this year? …or is the IRS too scary?
time to take a real stand.
I don’t believe that Schumer and Feinstein are planning to give a thumbs up on this guy just because they’re all Jewish…I do believe, however, that the AIPAC has reminded them of their commitments that have resulted in all the damn money they’ve been given over the years. So you see, it’s not just their common religious beliefs, it’s because they’re also on the ‘take’. In fact, I believe that every decision that a Democrat makes - Jewish or no - that is in support of bushco is driven by the money they receive from AIPAC and the threat of being labeled ‘anti-semitic’ along with the subsequent ridicule from a MSM that also has religious and financial ties to Israel.
Face it, if we don’t start calling a spade a spade when it comes to who’s calling the shots, we’re totally doomed.
Feinstein is a Bush Democrat. I watch C-SPAN. She doesn’t care what California thinks AT ALL.
She was just re elected last year. When she is up for election again she will be 80 and she will probably retire.
Californians email her and tell her we are on to her.
Glenn Greenwald (constitutional attorney) wrote an article about her on Common Dreams. He said the same thing only he didn’t say anything about writing her.
Move on? Their goddamn duty is to work like the assemble line workers have done ford decades, like the American workers do today, through f*****g repetition, doing the f******g same thing every day, simply protecting the Constitution, not moving on and leaving it in shatters!!!
Anyway, been to a pharmacy store today, a young bit drunk lady in late teens was buying a few chocolate bars, cigarettes, asked for an ID, she proudly presented it with a credit card. A pharmacy store!! which as movies like Sicko show, in other nations sells medications and drugs. Here in the US, it sell that in a corner and stuff that kills you everywhere else. Now why would a young American like that wanted to vote for Hillary, Gulianni, Bush, Feinstein or their ilk. Why shouldn’t she be granted a right to vote for Kuchinich, Obama, Ron Paul. If there is hope to change this bloody, soulless capitalist American system that has been set up to screw the people in such a grand, sophisticated manner, decisions like yesterday by the ruling Democrats kill that hope completely.
Symes @ 39:
You’re absolutely right Symes…it is ONLY the Repugs. The dems had NOTHING to do with it. Hahahahahaha….you’re brainwashed dude.
You should come to the conclusion that BOTH “sides” have destroyed this country, it wasn’t just one or the other. The reason? They both like big government. You must admit, of course either group has different ideologies about specifically what should be expanded, like either military abroad, spying at home, watchdog groups at home or welfare abroad, or one side starts a war, and the other side promises that if elected they will stop the war, but when they were elected they don’t…it doesn’t matter what government agency or group specifically is being advocated for expansion. Both “sides” have completely and utterly forgotten about us American voters. Both sides are not doing what they are being elected to do.
You can play sides if you want, but it’s like playing sides if Hitler is fighting Stalin.
I wouldn’t side with any of them just because they are the only ones fighting. I would get BOTH out of the way.
Feinstein is my Senator, so I emailed her and asked when she’s going to officially change party affiliation. She’s been acting like a GOPer for some time now, and that’s not why she was elected by Democrats. I didn’t vote for her in the primary last election, but anyone running against her had no chance unless there was a massive grassroots movement to expose her corruption. She has more money than God, so she can easily propagate the propaganda to make herself look like a reasonable Democrat.
Look at the bright side. We’ll be able to waterboard Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice and the rest in a little over a year to collect evidence for their trials.
What the hell is wrong with these people?
Have Feinstein and Schumer been bought and paid for or what???
Wag @ 44: