Congress Defies Bush on CIA Tape Probe

[sabra]

Source: ABC News

House Will Continue Investigation Despite White House Request to Drop It

House Intelligence Committee chairman Silvestre Reyes told ABC News today that he will ignore the Bush administration's request to drop its investigation of why CIA interrogation tapes were destroyed.

"This is an administration that frankly does not have a good track record of policing itself," Reyes said. "We intend to go forward and issue subpoenas next week because we are a whole equal branch of government."

After telling Congress to get out of the way, the Justice Department took the highly unusual step of telling the same thing to a federal judge.

In 2005, Judge Henry Kennedy ordered the government not to destroy any evidence of mistreatment or torture at the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Administration says that because the destroyed tapes were interrogations of two suspects in secret CIA prisons, not at Guantanamo, the judge should not interfere.

"This is becoming increasingly bizarre," said Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School. "The Justice Department insists it will essentially investigate itself and then tells the court that because it is investigating itself it won't turn over evidence of its possible criminal misconduct. It's so circular, it's maddening."


Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=4006089&page=1

[babylonsister]

1. Yay! I just hope they mean it! nt

[maddezmom]

2. kick

:kick:

[NBachers]

3. Hey Chuck & Di

How's that Mukasey thing workin' out?

Hey Di -
How's that (snarl) "We'll pass a law against waterboarding!" thing workin' out?

Duck Soup:
Harry Reid as Rufus T. Firefly
Dianne Feinstein as Margaret Dumont

To quote Groucho:
The last man nearly ruined this place,
He didn't know what to do with it;
If you think this country's bad off now,
Just wait till I get through with it!

Banned in Italy by Mussolini

[jeff30997]

9. Hey NBachers:

Fahrenheit 9/11:

George W. Bush: There's an old saying in Tennessee. I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee, that says: "Fool me once...”
George W. Bush:
George W. Bush: "... shame on...”.
George W. Bush:
George W. Bush: "Shame on you...”
George W. Bush:
George W. Bush: "If fooled, you can't get fooled again."
Narrator: For once, we agreed.

Britney Spears: I think we should just trust our president in every decision that he makes and we should just support that.

Almost banned in Murka by Busholini. :)

[fascisthunter]

4. Will this Be It?

Will these missing tapes bring this all crashing down? Will the fetid interior of DC be exposed for all to see? Will that veneer peel away, leaving worm hole wood?

[Jackpine Radical]

5. Will Fitz indict Rove? (pant pant)

Will this Downing Street memo thing bring down the Bushies? (pant)
Will the Bush AWOL story bring him down now that Rather has it? (pant, pant)

Fool me 438 times, shame on you. Fool me 439 times...you know the rest.

[jeff30997]

10. Fool me... you can't get fooled again' ?

:shrug:

[fascisthunter]

50. Jesus, Folks... I'm Not Holding My Breath

and agree with you all. Trust me.

[sendero]

56. Exactly..

... Lucy has move the football one too many times for me. I'll believe in this batch of losers when they ACTUALLY make someone pay for their crimes.

[alllyingwhores]

26. Let's think about it what happens when this Democratically controlled Congress issues a subpoena...

...oh yeah, ABSOFUCKALUTELY NOTHING!

The assemperor simply claims executive privilege for everyone involved...or better yet, they just ignore it.

The only way for these spineless shits to compel any of these boot licking bushites to do anything is to find them in inherent contempt or IMPEACHTHEMOTHERFUCKERSALREADY!

[TankLV]

52. But somehow impeachment remains "off the table"...

NOTHING will come of this.

NOTHING.

I will stake my life on this.

Our so-called Democratic "leadership" and spineless members, except for mayby one or two, will NOT DO A DAMN THING - BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO DO A DAMN THING!

wake me when something actually HAPPENS.

I'm sick and tired of these warnings and bluster...

[natrat]

64. more bullshit distraction while they all pile on to domestic spying--these people suck-

[NoodleyAppendage]

6. Government and Justice by Kafka.

We're but a few short steps away from out-and-out rebellion or dictatorship. I'm starting to wonder if the 2008 elections will even happen.

J

[jeff30997]

13. There haven't been real elections since 1996 so...

Why would it be different in 2008?

[99th_Monkey]

27. If it's good enough for France, the Ukraine and Venezuela, then I'm in

for the rebellion that is ... I know ... put this together with all the other mind-numbing "gates" that have
come down the pike in the past few months, and together with the news we haven't heard yet on M$M about how the
Joint Chiefs and CIA have basically told BushCo to go fuck themselves when it comes to attacking Iran ... and
Gawd know what else .. such as another false flag op...

and that all adds up to one whole hell of a lot of intrege and high drama that's gotta end up spilling over into
the nightly M$M news at some point in the near future, IF America HAS a future that is.

[southerncrone]

31. If the writer's strike continues, MAYBE, Murika will start paying

attention, & become enraged. Nahhhh.

I fear America is toast.

America will be a myth in the tales of the future, like Atlantis. Perhaps adventurers will seek her then....when it's too late.;(

[saskatoon]

68. Revolution!

You all do recall that one time in the past when our freedom was imperiled---WE staged a Revolution and we got rid of a 'King" and we became a republic? We don't care that much anymore? Why are we so apathetic---talk a lot---bluster, complain. Where are our Patriots of old? Is this Republic dying for want of heroes?

[Zorra]

7. Great. The previews look entertaining, hope the movie has a happy

ending.
:popcorn:

[humbled_opinion]

8. WH guilty of coverup in torture case.... Democratic controlled Congress does

absolutely nothing about it..... Democratic leaders in Congress need to know one thing if we win the WH in 08 the Republicans are going to attack the Democratic President with everything and anything to get an impeachment... and when we had our chance we did nothing... Democrat failures learned nothing from the Clinton years...

[natrat]

65. you say "we"-i dont think so-reid et al are crooks

[queerart]

11. Sorry Folks... You Are Are Watching A Never Ending Re-Run

They Don't Have The Balls To Make A Stand......

That should be crystal clear to everyone by now.....

They will Huff, and Puff... then give the Republicans their way.....

The Democrats are part of the problem..... not the answer, nor solution.....

Flame me if you will.... but you know it's true......

That is what makes everyone so mad at someone like me...... who dares to utter the words....

The angry voting public knows down deep that nothing will be done after they have poured their time, money, and effort into the campaigns of these very people who are going to talk big.... and do absolutely nothing......

Courage does not exist on the Democratic side...... it's just that simple.....


......and the Republicans just sit back and Guffaw, Chortle, and Snort with glee watching everyone bark, and chase their tails.....

[jeff30997]

15. True.

And if someone flames you for saying that then that someone is a gullible idiot.

[barbtries]

32. i'm not in the habit of flaming...

...but i couldn't finish reading your post...
... ... ...ellipsis... ellipsis...ellipsis
...though ellipses certainly deserve...a place in
the conversation...

[queerart]

38. Awwwww......

I'm.... So..... Glad..... You..... Were..... Able..... To..... Find..... Something..... To..... Pick...... At.....

Now if only everyone in life would do things the way they should be done...... "Your Way"......

Wait..... Isn't that George's song and dance?........

Maybe.... You.... Could..... Take.... That.... Tired..... Caper..... Out.... On... The.... Road?.....

You could call it "Life.... As.... I.... See.... It..... By.... Nanny.... McSnark"...

I don't need a Mom..... Thanks Anyway Hun......

[ldf]

51. excellent reply...

... ???

[TankLV]

53. I agree with you totally.

And the DEMOCRATS have only THEMSELVES if some of us decide to sit this one out...

I'm so sick and tired of beating my head against the wall and BEING TAKEN FOR GRANTED BECAUSE THEY KNOW WE WILL NEVER VOTE REPUKE...

[FunMe]

73. They "think" we will vote for them no matter what

I DON'T THINK SO!

And guess what? If the Democrats lose in 2008, it will be THEIR fault for taking us, We The People, for granted. I no longer will vote for "lesser of 2 evils" simply because I don't vote for evil. period.

So all you aides and others looking at the blogs: my vote is not for you automatically. You have to EARN it with the representing We The People. Personally I think most of the current Democrats need to be voted out with new and better Democrats.

And out with the DLC (Democratic Leadership Council) who have brought in republiCONs to infiltrate the Democratic Party.
You can start the blame with RALPH EMMANUEL from Chicago who has spearheaded the efforts to take our Democratic Party into being more CONservatives and giving the "blue dogs" more power than they deserve. OUT with these fake Democrats. Out in 2008!

[Franc_Lee]

12. The DOD will investigate itself but it won't turn over any evidence...!?!

Fitzgeralg not only should investigate he should have been appointed to a r-e-a-l Attorney general's position!!!!!

[rodeodance]

14. I can't help but think that Bush will run out the clock on this on also.

[jeff30997]

16. Yep.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

17. This is beyond ridiculous. When the HELL are the 'other' branches going to say,...

,...E-N-0-U-G-H!!!!

[Robeson]

18. "We have no political parties.....

...We've never had much of them --I mean the Democrats, the Republicans. We have one party --we have the party of essentially corporate America. It has two right wings, one called Democratic, one called Republican. So in the absence of politics, with a media that is easy to manipulate and, in the hands of very few people with interests in wars and oil and so on, I don't see how you get the word out, but one tries because there is nothing else to be done."
- Gore Vidal

[Stainless]

59. Political parties my eye

I have voted in every national election since 1968. I always voted Democratic until Clinton sold out during his first term. I voted for Nader in 96 and 2000. I tried voting Democrat again in 04. I will be sitting out the 2008 election. I've never been as disgusted with the Democratic Leadership as I have since they were given a mandate in 06; I find them absolutely spineless and repulsive.

[MadMaddie]

63. Stainless I agree with your frustration..however;

as I tell others who feel that by Not voting and sitting out of the election process.....the Republican bastards will win because We -the opposing Party just was too frustrated to participate....

As a Black American I see this often, many Blacks say to hell with it - it's not worth the hassle....I often respond don't you get it....they the Rethuglicans have intentionally made it a hassle and a pain in the ass so Blacks get discouraged and don't participate and that way they can claim Blacks are apathetic and don't want to vote. (And that is not the case. In this case it's every American that really cares about what is happening to this country.

This election my friend is probably the most important election in US History and I say this for a couple of reasons.

We have had almost 7 years of war with no end in site. It will not end with a Rethuglican President.

If Huckabut wins - if you think * was bad with domestic policy, his signing statements and everything based on his religious convictions...Huckabut is 10 times worse. He's a religious preacher zeolot.

If Romney wins not as bad as Huckabut but still worse than * , now you have a man who truely believes in the rich and corporations...you can forget any domestic policy improvement.

Any Democrat my friend no matter how displeased we are with them is on the side of the Middle class and working American. Please don't sit this one out because it truely will be the life or death of America as we know it. Maybe this seems dramatic but 6 years of the * shit and the damage that has been done will take 20 years to fix.

:patriot:

[WorseBeforeBetter]

19. "does not have a good track record of policing itself"

Now there's a scathing indictment... I'm quivering.

[Diamond Dave]

20. This is all just so damned discouraging, disgusting, how many adjectives can we

find?

"...increasingly bizarre", well IMHO we went way past bizarre quite some time ago.

I truly feel like we are living in some kind of "twilight zone" place, an alternate plane/universe, hell, I don't know. What reality are you living in?

I just know something is really wrong, many are waking up, I fear too late.

Peace to all tonight.

[rockybelt]

21. What is on those tapes

that they are REALLY afraid of?

Something on those tapes is scaring the shit out of shrub and the shooter. Not just the torturing. Everybody knows they are torturing people and congress will do nothing about it.

What is on thos tapes?

Did some names of people come up? Did something about 9/11 come up? Did something about Hussein come up?

You notice I say IS on those tapes. Not what WAS on those tapes. I am willing to bet that those tapes still exist. This regime is just like a serial killer. They will keep trophies of their work and those tapes are trophies.

[barbtries]

33. i agree

everything is digitalized, and emailed, and posted somewhere. there is no way that those videos no longer exist. whether they'll ever see the light of day is another question.

my guess is that some real perps in high places are named on those tapes. didn't i read somewhere that when the guy was renditioned to a different country he amazed his attackers by displaying clear relief rather than terror, then recited the private line of a high-up saudi from memory? then gave up five names, which within like a week were the names of four dead people and only one of which is still alive?

sorry too late to fish out the links, but i think i can pretty much guarantee i read this on DU

edited to add: if it was just about the torture they'd release the tapes and hang the interrogators out to dry. i mean you're not going to see cheney or rumsfeld applying the water right

[rockybelt]

44. You're absolutely right

I do remember seeing something about a prisoner being transferred much to his relief. That is a sad indictment of our government in itself.

You are right about the tapes also. There has got to be something far more damaging thatn torture itself, Perhaps names of the order givers or something about 9/11. Who knows?

I just hope that whoever has control of more tapes decides to let them see the light of day. You know someone has more tapes to just insure their own ass or to blackmail somebody else. You KNOW they are out there.

[MadLinguist]

49. Or they could have visually redacted the faces of the interrogators

I cannot understand why no one has pointed out that the protection of the identity of the CIA operators (or whoever the hell they contracted to torture the detainees) doing the interrogations is easily performed now with those black out squares across any area of the visual image an editor wants to hide. So the interrogator is protected, and any higher-up who would have given authority for it would have no trouble justifying such an action. So, the cover story is a complete flop. It has to be the content of the confession that motivated the destruction. This DU thread is a pretty complete exploration of that conclusion:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2428031

Even the stink on this stink has its own stink.

[barbtries]

55. thank you

that was the exact thread i didn't have the energy to find myself

[bullimiami]

40. i think its what naomi wolf said.

they beat and tortured these guys into false confessions.
then they took those manufactured confessions public to intimidate the congress and people, and as a evidence for needing new repressive laws to 'protect' us.

this gang is the biggest criminal enterprise since civilization began.

[RC]

61. Maybe they have the tapes of dick cheney directing 9/11 from his bunker

that day. You know, the ones telling the Air Force to stand down for over two hours after the hi-jackings started.

[bonito]

22. K&R!

[Gonnuts]

23. But ...

whatever was done, torture, illegal wars, war-profiteering, murder, rape, genocide, was done in the hysteria after 9/11, so one can be forgiving the leaders for losing judgment and foresight just when we most needed it - right?

Face it folks, we're a Nation of torturers now. Both parties are neck deep in the torture game. Wittingly or not high officials in both parties turned a blind-eye to what otherwise should have been condemned out-right.

Now they want to investigate themselves.

I guess we know where that will lead.

I hope a few brave souls in Congress and Senate do stand-up and say that no matter where this leads, no matter which party, or how powerful, if they have disgraced this country in a most dishonorable way they will be taken down.

Never underestimate the power of a few determined individuals to change the course of history. Indeed it has always been that way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7KHUbuhgpQ&eurl=http://www.moviesfoundonline.com/we_are_the_ones.php

[Stardust]

35. Great vid.

[lovuian]

24. Its the realization that the Justice Department is the Gestapo

they make the Laws

[deacon]

25. Obstruction of justice. k + r n/t

[mwb970]

28. Our government has gone berserk.

There are madmen running our country into the ground, and nobody anywhere does one f*cking thing about it! This is the most frustrating experience I have ever had as an American. I want this awful bush monster gone, gone, gone, this very moment if possible, I don't care how. I can't stand this any more!

[mallard]

42. Thanks for ...

.. those profound words, they carry the hope of souls may-be saved.

[99th_Monkey]

29. I hope Judge Kennedy and Congressman Reyes have a nice chat soon

(maybe even with Kucinich, Conyers, Wexler, et. al.) about the imperative to save what's left of America from Thug Rule asap.

[meowomon]

30. What? No Way!

Nancy will have to let impeachment back on the table if they really investigate, so she'll just cave on this too. Don't want to rock the boat too much or over-reach;that would just be too...radical!

[tavalon]

34. How about if we reframe "defies" into "does their job"

[deacon]

36. It's critical they get this right. And, it's critical that they get Mukasey in for questioning. n/t

[Solly Mack]

37. "It's so circular, it's maddening." Correction - so circular, it's criminal

[Maccagirl]

43. I wonder just how outraged Prof Turley is about

the Clinton impeachment now. He was having fits back in good ol' '98. Crimes have been committed since Day 1 in this mis-Administration and not only has everyone gotten away with it-they smirk and rub our noses in it.

[Solly Mack]

47. Reckon he learned a lesson ?

[rateyes]

39. Someone remind me how Mukasey became AG again..

:sarcasm:

[bullimiami]

41. Pitiful.

[windoe]

45. What a blatantly illegal administration-

even their defense is on illegal grounds. The only way any group of people can maintain such criminal behavior for so long is to threaten, bribe and intimidate others into submission and coercion. This administration has the means to do so.

[candymarl]

46. Congress Defies Bush?

Isn't this the sort of headline you usually see about countries ruled by dictators? :shrug:

[ColbertWatcher]

58. Re:Congress Defies Bush?

candymarl
Isn't this the sort of headline you usually see about countries ruled by dictators?


Prolly true, but what pushes this nation closer toward a dictatorship is the GOPsheep who believe everything they hear on FOX.

They make it easy for Mr. Dictator to be a dictator.

There is nothing 400+ people in congress can do when millions worship Limbaugh and O'Reilly and Rove and...

[Broadslidin]

48. Rep. Reyes' arrogant lil investigation will be quietly smothered to death...

in an intelligence committee back room.

Dick 'n George are to well connected to ever be touched...!

[Donnachaidh]

54. "because we are a whole equal branch of government"

Quite a few of them need to tattoo that comment on their foreheads - so it's the FIRST thing they see when they get up in the morning.

[bowens43]

57. They'll give in, they always do.

We lected a bunch of pathetic cowards.

[Highway61]

60. K & R

[Franc_Lee]

62. Dem's won't support their own (Biden) for independent investigation (Fitzgerald)

Repugs stick together, Dem's do not, and all the talk about uniting the red & blue???

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

66. They'll keep fighting right up to the point where they cave in.

As usual.

:shrug:

[LaurenG]

67. Just fill in the blank and the following statement describes the last 7 years of this admin.

"This is becoming increasingly bizarre," said Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School. "The _________ insists it will essentially investigate itself and then tells the court that because it is investigating itself it won't turn over evidence of its possible criminal misconduct. It's so circular, it's maddening."

President
Justice department
NSA
CIA
Vice President
Aide to the Vice President
Republicans
_________ Committee

Yes it's bizarre and very frustrating.

[AllyCat]

69. How about this quote:

---snip---

An investigation could be embarrassing to politicians in both parties who received classified briefings five years ago on interrogation tactics, possibly including waterboarding.

---snip---

Embarrassing? None of these people are embarrassed by anything they do. I hope it's a lot more than that...I hope it's criminally "embarrassing". If members of Congress are guilty of knowing this crap and sweeping it under the rug, I don't care which party they belong to. They can go to Gitmo after their trials. Would they get trials under the new BushCo rules of governance? Well, they can go there no matter what.

[rodeodance]

71. we really only have for the part the CIA's story on the 'briefing'

[AllyCat]

74. But I've read elsewhere on DU that Pelosi was one of these.

Sure, we need to wait until we know more. But there are already accounts of Dems being there. Namely, Dems who now say they want to keep impeachment off the table.

[rodeodance]

70. --good, abc is siting Jonathan Turley !!

"This is becoming increasingly bizarre," said Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School. "The Justice Department insists it will essentially investigate itself and then tells the court that because it is investigating itself it won't turn over evidence of its possible criminal misconduct. It's so circular, it's maddening."

[humbled_opinion]

72. Congress hasn't defied Bush on Jack Shit and still he remains unchecked...

Lame Duck my ass... How bout Lame Congress

[Javaman]

75. how long before this too vanishes into the ether? nt

[redqueen]

76. Those checks and balances were put there for a reason. (nt)

[classysassy]

77. The one party state

where have all the democrats gone?they are getting richer like their rethug friendsThey are all crooks,(the few non crooks have to go along to get along with Nancy and Steny).

[Supersedeas]

78. Difi must really like wine with the AT&T cheese -- Mukasey says up yours to Congress the public and

the Courts