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AP falsely reported that Mukasey "pledged to study" legality of waterboarding
Summary: An Associated Press report claimed that, in an October 30 letter to Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee, attorney general nominee Michael Mukasey "pledged to study," if confirmed, the legality of the interrogation technique known as waterboarding. However, if news reports that the government stopped the use of waterboarding in 2005 are correct, then Mukasey's promise appears not to cover waterboarding, because Mukasey said in his letter that he would "review any coercive interrogation techniques currently used by the United States Government and the legal analysis authorizing their use to assess whether such techniques comply with the law" [emphasis added].
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Posted by mary59
Mukasey is obviously trying to weasel out of answering this very important question. The United States is supposed to represent freedom and democracy; it loses its humanity and its moral standing every time someone tries to justify torture.
This issue is too important for anyone seeking to become attorney general to hedge on.
Posted Friday November 2, 2007 5:39:14 PM EDT / Flag this comment
Posted by dogrun81 in reply to mary59
I'm glad to see Hillary Clinton doesn't try to weasel out of any questions.
Posted Friday November 2, 2007 6:15:22 PM EDT / Flag this comment
Posted by friedbergboy1422 in reply to dogrun81
So, HRC is the measuring stick for conservatives and truth now? What do you think of the article DogRun?
Posted Friday November 2, 2007 7:08:41 PM EDT / Flag this comment
Posted by solon in reply to dogrun81
But but Clinton. Look over there, or over there anywhere but the TOPIC OF THE THREAD
Posted Friday November 2, 2007 9:33:40 PM EDT / Flag this comment
Posted by Bootsy
I just saw it's been announced that Schumer and Feinstein are going to vote for Mukasey next week. This is really sad, but not surprising.
Posted Friday November 2, 2007 6:02:06 PM EDT / Flag this comment
Posted by jeter2 in reply to Bootsy
Schumer & Mukasey are friends. So much for Schumer standing up for his principles eh?
I 've no idea what Feinstein is up to though.
Posted Friday November 2, 2007 6:05:47 PM EDT / Flag this comment
Posted by Bootsy
Yeah I saw that. Didn't Schumer nominate him for the job? And sat next to him during the hearings?
Posted Friday November 2, 2007 6:09:25 PM EDT / Flag this comment
Posted by steeve
Yeah, that's good. "After I'm firmly settled in and untouchable, I swear I won't give Bush everything he wants. No, really."
He could have studied the legality of torture before being confirmed. It only takes 15 or so minutes to figure it out.
Posted Friday November 2, 2007 10:50:55 PM EDT / Flag this comment
Posted by pearlene_scott1602 in reply to steeve
He could have studied the legality of torture before being confirmed. It only takes 15 or so minutes to figure it out.
Better yet, let's water-board Mukasey, Bet he'd figure it's torture in less than 5 minutes.
Posted Saturday November 3, 2007 6:59:30 AM EDT / Flag this comment
Posted by solon in reply to pearlene_scott1602
He could spend 5 minutes reading the history of the Spanish Inquisition. They certainly thought it was torture
Posted Saturday November 3, 2007 11:44:26 AM EDT / Flag this comment
Posted by robrob
In law enforcement you generally have to be subjected to pepper spray before being certified to use it (likewise with tasers, stun guns, etc...). Maybe that should be the standard here too, no one is allowed to vote to approve waterboarding until he or she has been subjected to it?
RWers love to advocate things they themselves wouldn't do (e.g. enlist, remain married, not take bribes, etc...).
Posted Saturday November 3, 2007 4:38:04 PM EDT / Flag this comment