League Weekend Reader Opinion Poll
(h/t: Greg Sargent @ The Plum Line)
November 14, 2009 9 Comments
reductio ad absurdum
This is just nonsense. I swear, as hapless as the Democrats may be, every time John Boehner opens his mouth I realize just how much more pathetic the Republicans are. In the midst of a torture scandal, the minority leader thinks it’s wise to push Nancy Pelosi to “present evidence” that she was mislead or, failing that, to apologize. This is obviously an exercise in distraction and illusion, but Boehner is no illusionist, and his sleight of hand will either backfire or fizzle out – just like all his preceding theatrics have. Via the Washington Post:
“Lying to the Congress of the United States is a crime,” Boehner said yesterday on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “And if the speaker is accusing the CIA and other intelligence officials of lying or misleading the Congress, then she should come forward with evidence and turn that over to the Justice Department so they can be prosecuted.”
He added: “And if that’s not the case, I think she ought to apologize to our intelligence professionals around the world.”
Now, does this also apply to George W. Bush and the rest of the Bush administration who routinely lied about torture being used (among other things) because if that’s the case then I’m in total agreement. It’s a crime. Let’s lock up Pelosi and Cheney and Rummy and Yoo and whoever else is behind all this lying. Probably Boehner, too come to think of it. Let’s lock up the CIA officials and the military leaders involved. This is the logical outcome of what Boehner is suggesting, after all, with all this talk of “lying or misleading the Congress” and “presenting evidence.”
Perhaps we should just limit our truth commissions to determining whether or not Pelosi lied. To hell with all this trivial “torture” nonsense. The real question is whether or not she was mislead by the CIA.
I like this apologizing idea, though. Boehner’s on to something there.
Watching Dick Cheney stand before a camera and apologize for his role in starting two senseless wars, in undermining American honor by master-minding widespread torture, and for abusing the trust and responsibility given to him by the American people – it might almost be justice. It would certainly feel like justice.
I think the theatrics of all of this is just starting to wear thin. I am starting to grow cynical in my old age, or old in my young age. Something like that.
May 18, 2009 16 Comments
