It's Only Simulated Drowning

I'm angry,

angry and tired.

I'm tired of the news and hearing my government talk at me like I'm an idiot. I understand what 'spin' is, there is a fundamental human need to cover one's ass, but can't you think of an argument that's a little less insulting?

Today the president invited members of the press into the Oval Office to essentially bad mouth the senate for being reluctant to approve the nomination of Mukasey for Attorney General. The senate, he says, must have “lost sight of the fact that we’re at war.”

So what is the hold up then? What is this petty issue being debated that must not have anything to do with the war?

Torture. It's about torture. We all know there's a war going on, which is EXACTLY why we want the man in charge of the law to be someone who's not going to authorize torture. If there wasn't a war going on, we probably wouldn't have as many people out there being repeatedly almost drowned until they confess to something.

Here's what that sounds like to me: "You must have lost sight of the fact that I'm doing all sorts of fucked up shit that should be illegal."

Bush says: "It doesn’t make any sense to tell the enemy whether we use those techniques or not"

I hear: "You bet we're doing it, and it's worse than you think!"

Bush says: [it] “is important, and the techniques used are within the law, and members of the intelligence committee know what I’m talking about.”

I hear: "You know we're doing it, and I say it's legal, don't fuck with me."

Bush says: “People who say we are not at war are either disingenuous or naïve,”

I hear: "Why do you hate America? cut off his mic."

or if you'd prefer,

"Look over there! It's something ridiculous we weren't even talking about!"

Maybe he has a point, it was the Democrats in the Senate who put up that ridiculous "Mission Accomplished" banner right? wait, what? oh, right.

At least Mukasey himself isn't making idiotic accusations at his adversaries; he puts it fairly directly: (as paraphrased by Carl Hulse and Steven Lee Myers at the NYT) [He would not call waterboarding illegal] "to avoid any implication that intelligence officers and their bosses had broken the law."

I don't think I need to 'translate' that do I?

Well, why not...
"Although I find waterboarding morally repugnant, I cannot call it illegal because we're doing it all the time, all over the fucking place."

That's why we need you to call it illegal. This has to stop, that is the job you are applying for: upholding the law. Except, you know, like for real this time.