"Detail of the content emerged from Major General Antonio Taguba, the former army officer who conducted an inquiry into the Abu Ghraib jail in Iraq."
" Fascinating piece coming in tomorrow's TIME magazine. Reporter Bobby Ghosh writes, “The most successful interrogation of an al-Qaeda operative by U.S. officials required no sleep deprivation, no slapping or ‘walling’ and no waterboarding. All it took to soften up Abu Jandal, who had been closer to Osama bin Laden than any other terrorist ever captured, was a handful of sugar-free cookies.”
Former interrogator/member of the FBI Ali Soufan, who testified to Congress last month, tells TIME: “He was a diabetic ... We had showed him respect, and we had done this nice thing for him .... So he started talking to us instead of giving us lectures.” Ghosh points out, “Defenders of the Bush program, most notably Cheney, say the use of waterboarding produced actionable intelligence that helped the U.S. disrupt terrorist plots. But the experiences of officials like Soufan suggest that the utility of torture is limited at best and counterproductive at worst.”
"Marjorie Cohn was on Democracy Now! yesterday (family illness prevented her being on the show) saying, “I’m thrilled that there will be the first Latina on the Supreme Court and that there will be another woman. But I really would have liked to have seen a real progressive counterweight to radical rightists on the court.” and “I would have liked to have seen an Erwin Chemerinsky, for example, or a Harold Koh, even though they’re not women—Erwin Chemerinsky is a white male—but real giants in the area of constitutional rights, civil rights, human rights. I am very supportive of her nomination, and she should be defended, and she should be confirmed, but she is not going to be another Thurgood Marshall. She will not leave an indelible mark on the court, ultimately, the way Earl Warren did or Oliver Wendell Holmes. I could be wrong about that. I think that perhaps Obama missed an opportunity here, aside from all of the incredible qualities that she brings with her, but hopefully—or, hopefully, I guess one would say—he will have more opportunities to appoint justices.” Sotomayor is a centrist.
"Detail of the content emerged from Major General Antonio Taguba, the former army officer who conducted an inquiry into the Abu Ghraib jail in Iraq."
"Athletes aren't the only ones who improve their performance by doping. A new study suggests that migrating birds can also boost their fitness without exercise or effort--simply by eating."
Thom,
For over 25 years, I was a registered Republican, listened to RUSH, Hannity, et al, and pretty much was lock step with the conservative platform with a few minor exceptions such as religion and other social issues. I believed that fiscal conservatism and responsibilities were the platforms for my party and personal responsibility and freedom were better supported by the Republican party.
Then came W. When George W sent us into Iraq, I remember exactly where I was and I shook my head in disbelief because I knew we were doing the wrong thing. The following 7 years made it very difficult for me to continue reconciling my personal beliefs with the party I thought I belonged to.
Enter Barak Obama. During the primaries, I remember actually telling someone that I was afraid of Barak Obama. I didn’t know a thing about him. His name was scary to me. (I am ashamed to admit this). After reading Mr. Obama’s life story and listening to his ideas and the eloquence with which he articulated them, I had a sudden change of heart. This led me on a journey which included “Commanding Heights” (the documentary from PBS which superbly explains the history of our 2 parties), listening to programs like yours and watching MSNBC on a regular basis. By the time the election got here, I was a 100% converted. I was in shock that I could have been a Republican ever to begin with.
A word of caution: This all leads me to the reason for my Email to you. I have been listening to some of your callers who are afraid that President Obama is a Manchurian candidate, etc. The truth of the matter (as I see it) is that it is very difficult, if not impossible to accomplish anything major in our system without some balance and moderation. That is what I love about President Obama thus far. His wisdom and intelligence are noticeably remarkable. I believe that being able to negotiate and invite your opponents to the table is vital to success as a politician and I am very grateful that we have this in our current President. I have found that your program and the way you express your views is quite consistent with my own.
Thank you for sharing your life with us the way you do. May you be successful and prosperous.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. Espionage Act.
Constitution of the United States
