Which side are the Dem's really on?

[Fieldmouse]

Washington Prowler
Delahunt"™s Zinger
By The Prowler
Published 6/27/2008 11:01:55 AM[/align]
"It would be generous to say we were stunned," says a Republican House Judiciary Member, describing his response when Congressman and Obama Superdelegate William Delahunt (MA-10) yesterday asked the vice president's chief of staff David Addington about water boarding of terrorists. Addington declined to comment, citing President Bush's refusal to discuss techniques used to attain vital intelligence, and added that another reason not to respond was that Al Qaeda is probably watching.

Congressman Delahunt's response: "I'm glad they finally have a chance to see you." (Emphasis added.)

But the House Republican and Judiciary member was not so stunned to notice that no Republican rose to defend Addington, or to call out Delahunt for essentially inviting al Qaeda to impart physical harm to a senior member of the Bush Administration. "It was shameful that we didn't do anything. I can't explain it," says the GOP member.

Just as shameful, according to a Democrat Judiciary staffer: Delahunt was congratulated for "zinging" Addington after the hearing. "Zinging was the term used. These guys are tired of the same old lines and excuses. I mean how many times can they pull out that old bogeyman of al Qaeda. The American people aren't buying it anymore, and certainly Delahunt doesn't."

Delahunt claims he didn't mean what he said. But enough other Democrats on Capitol Hill clearly understood what he had done. Sen. Charles Schumer, who bunks down with Delahunt when they are in Washington, D.C., made sure his schedule was such that he wouldn't be in contact with Delahunt for several more days, according to a Senate leadership aide. "We don't want any part of that guy right now. We expect he's going to be in the middle of something pretty ugly, pretty quickly."

Some political consultants who watched the Judiciary Committee hearing say that Republicans should be capitalizing on Delahunt's and Democrats' overplaying their Addington strategy. For example, Democrats during the hearing never once inquired whether any of the interrogation techniques used against terrorists had produced important intelligence for use against the enemy.

"You have to understand, guys like Delahunt, really all of the Democrats here, don't care about winning the war against the terrorists, or keeping us safe. They might have cared after 9/11, but now they are ruled by the radical left. All they care about now is putting the Americans who put in place the policies that have kept us safe for seven years on trial. The terrorists just don't matter to this crowd," says a former Department of Justice lawyer. "And if the American people and Republicans understood this, the sooner we'd be seeing a different election."

[DougMD]

This whole issue of more concern for terrorists than our own people sickens me! Surely, anyone without a bias would ask what BENEFIT we've gotten out of it in terms of actionable intelligence. The fact that they don't care is quite telling! "We don't care how effective your techniques are at saving innocent US civilians' lives, we care that terrorists are treated very well in captivity, if not released."

[Dangermouse]

Things like this is why I will vote a straight Repub ticket for a while. The attemped character assassination Gen.Petraus was even more sickening, from a group that is supposed Americans.

FM of course you realize we are agreeing, what will happen next ? Is the sky falling ?

[Beau Ouiville]

One of our American values is that we do not torture people. Its just not right and something we avoid. Even the administration says so.

Thinking the end justifies the means is what brought us Watergate. I think I'll stay away from the GOP for a while.

[biscuit jake]

I am a republican with no plans to change. But I disagree with torture and also with tossing out our constitution.

[falcon]

It should come as no surprise that Delahunt isa blithering far lefter. In order to be elected in PRMA one has to be a far lefter: The Republicans who get elected to congress or governor in PRMA are also far lefters. Look at Fat Butt Weld and Romney.

The person who authorized the torture of "detainees" is also a blithering idiot. That one act set this country back decades in the eyes of foreigners. As it stands now,dozens of "detainees" stand to be released because the Bush Bunch insisted on violating the US Constitution.

[CalHunter]

This was a sophmoric stunt by somebody who cares more about PR than the safety of America. If the Dems, the Judiciary or any other Americans think waterboarding is doing too much, then fix that problem. Don't make asinine statements about how "they" (al queda) can now see you or that al queda is no longer a threat. And don't make some equally asinine statement about how Americans waterboarding detainees is worse than what al queda does. Al queda saws off live prisoner's heads, executes prisoners in barbaric ways, blows up large amounts of the population in a totally indiscriminate manner (yes, women and children, not just comabatants) and is a terrorist organization. Attempting to equate Americans serving in Cuba with al queda is a bunch of dishonest, unethical and lying crap.

I have a mixed opinion about waterboarding and am open to hearing intelligent opinions and suggestions on its' further or discontinued use. Since it has occurred, I would honestly like to know how effective it really was as compared to other less controversial methods like sleep deprivation for example. I know waterboarding gets results quicker and is useful when there is an exigent set of circumstances or imminent terrorist incident but I would like to know if the information obtained is better, lesser or pretty much the same quality and usefulness. Studying what works and what doesn't should be a full-time responsibility for our armed services as this is likely going to be a requisite skill set for some time to come.

As for all of these "foreigners" and their deeply offended countries, they didn't have 3,000 people killed in 9-11 and many of them have pretty much stuck their head deeply in the sand over the entire terrorist problem. It would also be interesting to actually compare what practices they use in interrogating terrorists instead of waterboarding as some of these complaining countries use far worse methods.

And last but certainly not least, when our politicians are more interested in bashing our country, publicly identifying our personnel to enemy combatants for possible retaliation and publicly minimizing our enemies' danger to the American people just to gain some soundbites for the media, something is absolutely wrong. They were not elected to play games like this. They were elected to help run our country ethically, effectively, efficiently and keep Americans safe. They need to step up to the plate and start doing their job instead of politically posturing and grandstanding.[:@]

[bergall]

hmm....after careful consideration, I'd say
a: the far left is a bigger danger to this country than Al Qaeda and should be dealt with as such.
b: I don't care about waterboarding. The CIA can peel their faces off for all I care, if it saves 1 American
life, they can kill 1000 detainees. They are of no concern to me, other than for the information they
can supply either voluntarily or 'under duress'.
c: Maybe if somebody dropped a plane on the democratic convention when it convenes, the democrats would have their memories refreshed, as regards the threat which is clear to the current administration and
which escapes this democrat rabble.

These slobs abuse and second-guess the current administration, secure in the environment they have
been provided by the very efforts they decry. What slobs....

[DougMD]

Personally, I'drather see 1,000 detainees tortured or killed beforea single innocent US citizen gets a paper cut.

[timbercruiser]

It would be easier to sub out our torture needs. Take them to Turkey, the Turks know some serious torture stuff (slicing and diceing) and they could probably use the income..