NYT: "Republicans are now mounting an aggressive pushback" (against investigating torture)

[ProSense]

Chart Shows Top Democrats Briefed on Interrogations

By SCOTT SHANE and CARL HULSE
Published: May 8, 2009

<...>

Since April 16, when Mr. Obama released Bush administration legal memorandums describing brutal interrogation techniques, some Democrats have renewed their calls for investigation and possible prosecution of former officials who authorized the methods, which included slamming prisoners into walls, keeping them in cold cells and shackling them in a standing position.

Mr. Obama has said C.I.A. interrogators who were told the methods were legal should not face investigation or prosecution. But he said the Justice Department would have to decide the fate of the former department lawyers who declared the methods legal. A report on those lawyers by the Justice Department’s ethics office is expected to recommend against prosecution but call for possible professional disciplinary action by state bar associations.

Republicans are now mounting an aggressive pushback on several fronts: highlighting evidence that at least some Democrats in Congress failed to speak out against the harsh methods; accusing the Obama administration of endangering Americans by emptying Guantánamo; and suggesting that the counterterrorism policies of President Bill Clinton violated human rights.

At a hearing on Thursday, Republican senators pressed Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. about the practice in the Clinton administration of rendition, in which terrorism suspects captured abroad were delivered to prisons in other countries, including some that routinely use torture.

more

The smell of GOP fear is in the air (re torture prosecutions)

[Triana]

1. Really? What spells G U I L T more than that? n/t

[Kdillard]

2. Of course they are they are afraid.

[masuki bance]

3. The Hill- "Hoekstra considers hearings on Pelosi, interrogations "

... Rep. Pete Hoekstra (Mich.), the top Republican on House Intelligence, in an interview Friday said the document proves that Pelosi knew waterboarding occurred but has denied is because of political pressure from the liberal base of her party.

“Clearly her left wing is outraged that waterboarding was used,” Hoekstra said. “The bottom line is she and her key staff, they all knew about it.”

Now that these documents have been released, Hoekstra is calling for additional CIA documents to be made public including some that he has read that provide a more complete account of what was discussed in lawmaker briefings.

He is also considering calling for congressional hearings on what members knew and when they knew it.

“I wouldn't have a problem with the intelligence committee or the Judiciary Committee having hearings on this,” he said. “If John Conyers wants to have hearings, they shouldn't call in the Department of Justice attorneys as their first witnesses. The first people that should be called in and held accountable ought to be Congress.”

Hoekstra also indicated he is considering sending Conyers a letter requesting such hearings.
...
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/pelosi-under-renewed-fire-over-interrogations-2009-05-08.html

[gkhouston]

4. So a tentacle of Cheney is brandishing what may be his biggest threat against

Pelosi. Could they make it any clearer just how worried they are?

[ColbertWatcher]

5. Gee, I wonder which it is? That the GOP are against torture investigations?

Or just investigations period?

[ProSense]

7. Repubs against investigation? Not at all.

The Republicans simply believe that investigations should be initiated to advance the goals of the RNC.

[Senator]

6. K&R

[ellie]

8. Investigate and let the

chips fall where they may.