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Posted on Monday 13 July 2009

The question of whether we move forward and forget about Bush versus look into our recent past seems answered. We’re not going to sweep it under the rug. It just ain’t going to happen. So how do we answer Senator McCain?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. John McCain says he’s against opening a criminal investigation into whether CIA officers tortured detainees during the Bush administration. The Arizona Republican and former presidential candidate suggested that the fallout from embarking on a criminal investigation would provide a recruiting tool to terrorists.

McCain echoed the words of President Barack Obama, saying that it is time to move forward. The senator’s comments on NBC’s "Meet the Press" come as Attorney General Eric Holder considers whether to push forward with such a probe.

McCain questions what purpose would be served by airing out practices that are already known to have taken place and which McCain fought strongly against.
"the fallout from embarking on a criminal investigation would provide a recruiting tool to terrorists": Terrorist recruitment is hardly our problem right now. They’ve played with our minds enough already, so they’re on their own with whatever they want to muster. This kind of logic is the logic of Dick Cheney. It is unproven, unprovable, and none of our business. Trying to outsmarting Terrorists has gotten us nowhere.

"what purpose would be served by airing out practices that are already known to have taken place and which McCain fought strongly against": While it is true that McCain did fight against some of those practices, he stopped before he completed the job. In my mind, he got talked out of following his principles for political reasons. Now he’s using the same logic on us that derailed him. Had he stuck to his guns [and picked a rational VP Candidate], he might even be President now. I’m glad he’s not, because he often bails out before the job is completed. Of all Republicans, he’s the one who knows why what happened needs to be pursued.

The purpose of airing out practices that are already known to have taken place  is obvious. The Bush Administration made a mockery of our entire system by exploiting loopholes and manipulating government to do it their way, not our way. We don’t elect people to play by their rules, we’ve got rules of our own. They broke our Laws, betrayed our trust, told us lies. They took control and abused their power and it was a disaster. They claimed they were the Law. They weren’t, and we need to tell them, their supporters, and future leaders that we are a government "of the people," "by the people," and "for the people." Our reason for airing out practices that are already known to have taken place is the same reason we charge criminals. If the criminals claims mitigating circumstances, we evaluate those considerations in sentencing.

And the fallout from embarking on a criminal investigation would provide a recruiting tool to terrorists is an absurd argument. It’s like not putting a murderer on trial to prevent "copy cat" crimes. Justice is blind, Senator McCain. We want to pursue what they did because they did it. It’s not our motives that are in question, it’s their actions. What’s bothersome about you, is that you know that. What are your motives?…

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