Sunday Morning

Frank Rich's lead:

Obama Can’t Turn the Page on Bush

By FRANK RICH

TO paraphrase Al Pacino in “Godfather III,” just when we thought we were out, the Bush mob keeps pulling us back in. And will keep doing so. No matter how hard President Obama tries to turn the page on the previous administration, he can’t.

And the lead my spies found on the cutting room floor:

It's becoming too easy to picture Barack in the Oval Office mumbling, George, I just can't quit you.

On the same topic of Obama's backsliding towards Bush Glenn Greenwald has a poignant and amusing column that might have been titled, "Hey, Where'd Everybody Go?"  Apparently Greenwald has been serious about his civil liberties tirades over the last few years and is shocked to find that for most of his fellow progressives the civil liberties shtick was only useful insofar as it could be used to bash Bush.  Yeah, no one saw that coming.  Andrew Sullivan was similarly shocked to find that the gay community will be asked to remain seated at the back of the bus despite having committed themselves to a President "who really seemed to get it".

Let me get ahead of the curve and reveal today a major Obama flip-flop yet to come.  Back in his first glorious days in office when Obama magically closed Gitmo and ended Bush's deplorable military commissons Obama also ended torture, making the Army Field Manual the rulebook for both military and CIA interrogations.

Yet Gitmo remains open, with no credible alternative in view; the dreadful Bush commissions have been supplanted by the glorious Obama commissions; and Obama's executive order included a 180 day study of appropriate interrogation techniques for the CIA.

180 days would take us to the last quiet weeks of July.  Last winter Intelligence leaders made the case that the CIA ought to be able to work under different rules, and presumably are still making that case.

So next July, be prepared to welcome back the Belly Slap, the Attention Grab, and probably even Walling.  Waterboarding is too radioactive, even though Holder can't seem to articulate the case against it, so that will not be on the revised list of CIA-allowed enhanced interrogation techniques. But since the release of the OLC memos has alerted AL Qaeda trainers to the current CIA menu, look for some classified additions; I am calling for the Noogie and the Atomic Wedgie, but the lawyers will want to review that.  I have no doubt that Ben Gay in the jihadist jockstrap is over the line.

And the NY Times will stand ready to endorse this.  Let's reprise their comment on Obama's reinstatement of the military commissions:

The decision benefits the administration politically because it burnishes Mr. Obama’s credentials as a leader who takes a hard line toward terrorism suspects.

Comments

[Kevin B]

If AQ hit mainland US, (or Hawaii - but not Alaska), again, expect the return of the rack, thumbscrews and possibly the Iron Maiden.

(No! No! Not Iron Maiden!)

[Soylent Red]

I can't really fault Zero for doing the right thing, even if it is for all the wrong reasons. And the silent angst of the Left, watching Golden Boy sell out is more fun than a person should be allowed to have.

I vote for inclusion of the Wet Willie and the Redbelly.

[ljm]

Has Obama been mugged by reality? For the sake of national defense and my small business I pray he has.

[Danube of Thought]

I predict the CIA will be authorized to deceive the suspects with cootie-cathcers, thus stripping them of their dignity and indeed their humanity. But this one will remain classified.

[Hey, Rahm, can you give ol' Dick a call for me?]

I'm a little amused by this. Obama can't turn the page on Bush because 1. He's got to continue blaming him for the present mess, 2. He's got to continue following Bush's path in the tough areas, like:

Guantanamo, then, the evil Bush torturing a bunch of goatherds. Now, wow, those guys are so bad no one wants them. Let's try a new idea, military tribunals.

FISA, then, the evil Bush spying on Americans. Now, hey, that program really take a good look at some really bad guys. Maybe we should keep it.

Iraq, then, the evil Bush stealing a bunch of goatherds' oil. Now, wow, those guys are really keeping it together over there, and need our help. What was that about oil?

[BumperStickerist]

I get a bit tired of hearing the term "waterboarding" used indiscriminately.

Waterboarding - as practiced by the Unites States which includes prior notification to the subject of the non-lethality of the procedure, the availability of medical help if needed, careful limitations as to the duration and frequency of the act itself, and that is conducted by a trained professional subject to disciplinary action.

might be a bit too wordy to catch on in the Blogosphere.

Waterboarding (US-version) might work.

At a minimum, it might help those who read shrieking hysterics like Sullivan recognize the shrieking and hysterical nature of Sully's comparisions of US waterboarding in the 21st Century to that done in the 1940s by the Japanese and Germans.

.

[clarice]

Let me at 'em--24/7 of The View,Oprah,Springer,Geraldo,Dr Phil--they'll melt like jello.

Or make them stand in line for hours with crying kids outside the FBI building waiting for tours in mid-July--let those kids put their hot sticky hands all over them.. Make them see nothing but an ocean of very fat butts in shorts and levis stretched beyond imagination..

Make them ride back and forth across the country in tourist sections seated next to people who insist on talking to them about their troubles, people who constantly stretch their knees or elbows into the prisoners' too small space and spill their food and drinks all about.

I could go on and on about torture but I know how distressing this is for some readers.

[centralcal]

lol, Clarice!

[DSF]

Where's the IRA?

[MayBee]

Let me at 'em--24/7 of The View,Oprah,Springer,Geraldo,Dr Phil--they'll melt like jello.

I used to suggest to Andrew Sullivan that we torture them by having them watch videos of gay weddings. This was back in they days when he thought fake menstrual blood was torture.

[verner]

Clarice, you forgot screaming infants on 10 hour flights in crowded coach.

As for interrogation techniques--I think MIT should invent some kind of sci fi brain probe that we can stick in their ears like the Matrix and drain all the info out.

But don't guess the ACLU would like that either...

[Charlie (Colorado)]

180 days would take us to the last quiet weeks of July.

Prediction: Friday, 3 july, after 1500 EDT.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

cootie-cathcers

What?

[DrJ]

Cootie-catchers, ChaCo.

[narciso]

Have you no mercy, Clarice, those are clearly multiple violation of the Vienna and Geneva conventions.

[narciso]

Oh and speaking of torture, sinceMcChrystal has really gotten under Sy Hersh's skin, I know I though it was McRaven, according to
Olberman; forget everything I said earlier
about him. Hersh really does combine traitorous and stupid, in a neat package

[sam]

Obama cannot get past Bush is because he (Obama) does not know what else to do. It is not as if he has done anything in his life.

[verner]

Narisco, am I the only person who heard Obama say that the allegations of "prison abuse" had already been investigated and prosecuted BY THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION.

I think that was a big cue for the loons that they had better lay of McChrystal.

Stan is the man who gets the job done. We don't need any mikl toast whoosies in Afghanistan.

[clarice]

Just call me La Dame Sans Merci.(I must be slipping though to have forgotten to add the screaming kid to the plane ride..Oh , well, we can add that when the rides begin.)

We can send them odd bills for merchandise they never ordered and then have them call automated answering services to clear it up--you know the kind, where you get transferred and re-transferred to counltess voice messages until you are finally dropped into some ether and the call disconnects. "Hello, welcome to--------. If you wish to hear this in Urdu press 1; if you wish to continue in Hmong press 2; for Spanish press 3; for English press 4......If this is in reference to an alien invasion press 1; If it concerns next week's weather forecast press 2; If you wish to check into last year's catalogue changes press 3; If your shirt collar is too tight press 4; If you have a question about your bill press 9........"

[verner]

Oh, and remember, they had a 500 page anal probe conducted by Frank Church's little brother in 2005 that addressed every little issue the human rights industry could dig up. Everything was addressed. And the conclusion? Bad things happen in wars, but there was no evidence that "torture" was systemic.

And the bad guys were prosecuted.

Now Cowboy Obama is saying mosey on along little doggies. But will the herd of independant minds follow?

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

The Republicans have another rising star named Cheney. I just watched Liz cream Carville and Vandenheuvil on ABC.

[ajacksonian]

Ah the Leftist soap opera is in full swing!

Soon it will be the 'return of the jilted' who is then crossed again and then moans and groans and this time, for sure, they will not be fooled... until the inevitable make-up and break-up happens all over again.

Over and over and over do the misled and abused return for more based on promises from the smiling one that has no intention save more for himself and less for them. Hillary would not leave Bill as the soap opera could be played out again to an audience that had a breather from it, and now we have more and jam packed soap opera and bemoaning and abused silences from the Left... or there are those that cling to any absurd notion that is changed daily just so they can adore the one in power. Those poor ones are even sadder to see as they have no compass, no rudder and no sense at all.

Not even five months in and we have seen this happen two or three times with the jilted and abused coming back for more... because they vested their hopes in a man... not in reason. And take no responsibility for what they do.

Plus the one who points out the problems, quite pointedly, so as to protect others, it is HE that is castigated. Ahhhh... pure and absolutely distilled soap opera at its worst. Our very own Juan and Eva... save their venue is with their followers... they are the marks and will be the last to ask 'who is the mark?'

[Semanticleo]

Saw Michael Steele on MTP, and I wonder what
sort of mush prompted the decision to give
that moron the microphone for the Permanent Minority Party.

When the Bushkies were dubbed 'one Percenters'
I doubt any knew that would presage the eventual polling numbers. how long do yuh think it will take for the numbers to reach that level. Six months? A year?

I pray to God that Steele has to keep responding to Cheney's brain farts.

It's a god-send, I tell you.............

[Semanticleo]

"Or make them stand in line for hours with crying kids outside the FBI building waiting for tours in mid-July'

Or make them attend an AIPAC Convention and deny them earplugs.

[Semanticleo]

"which includes prior notification to the subject of the non-lethality of the procedure,"

Just ask Chaco for the documentation proving the disclaimer is given, and forget all about those who went beyond the guidelines.

[Semanticleo]

"The Republicans have another rising star named Cheney'

I hope he keeps primin' yer pump....

He's a god send.................

[Captain Hate]

Saw Michael Steele on MTP, and I wonder what sort of mush prompted the decision to give that moron the microphone

The same sort of non-strategic thinking that made McCain the last nominee. The trouble is that now that vat of squish is in place, the MSM is poised to scream "Raaaaaaacissssmmm" if the party ever wisens up and dumps his worthless ass.

[PaulL]

The Republicans have another rising star named Cheney. I just watched Liz cream Carville and Vandenheuvil on ABC.

Liz Cheney is a treasure. I hope I can see a clip of this on the internets. I would never watch ABC itself.

[Semanticleo]

"those who went beyond the guidelines."

I heard Huckleberry Hound from South Carolina on C-SPAN on Weds, and he said the military handbook is designed primarily to 'keep the troops legal safe and Rules of Engagement, and THAT IT IS ONLY A GUIDE, and not the final say about what should be done"

The Former JAG lawyer decried 'looking back' and 'punishing those who made decisions during wartime'.

Code for; Leave the Bushkies alone. They had good intentions.

I hope he goes to bat for me when I have to rob the local convenience store to feed my family.

'Cause criminals ALWAYS have a justification for their acts.

[clarice]

We should make a list of things the left were willing dupes on:

Rove's secret indictment tops my list, Leopoldo.

That the FISA program would be scrapped
That this presidency would be the most transparent.
That Gitmo would be closed and the military tribunal system scrapped
That our troops would all be coming home

(Please folks, add to your heart's content.)

[Thomas Collns]

Let's hope Obama also backs down from eliminating the Reliable Replacement Warhead Program. See LUN for an article eviscerating the notion that the USA can lead the world to the elimination of nuclear weapons by degrading its own program. Obama's nuclear policy,as the article points out, is substantially likely to lead to a more dangerous world.

[PeterUK]

Clarice,

"That this presidency would be the most transparent."

Be fair,the light does doe shine through the One's ears.

[twolaneflash]

If waterboarding is out, how about a good "swirly" or twelve in the toilet? If its good enough for high school freshmen, its good enough for America's enemies.

[Thomas Collns]

NBC has the great semifinal match between Sammy Farha and Huck Seed in the National Heads-Up Poker Championship. Winner meets Vanessa Rousso for the title (I won't ruin it for those who don't know the results of the tournament).

I don't consider this post off topic, because these folks would do a far better job advising Obama on national security than a lot of his current advisers.

[Rocco]

They were duped into believing the man was patriotic..even with evidence to the contrary.

He freed the terrorists Overseas Contingent Operation Participants, who killed 17 American men and woman aboard the USS Cole.

[bad]

Seman, I'm very sorry for your financial situation.

[Rick Ballard]

"(Please folks, add to your heart's content.)"

I seem to remember something about "regain respect" in the world but I might have imagined it - the mooning that Idi received from the G20 regarding his request that they piss money away at the approved Ogabe rate plus the one finger response from France and Germany to his request for additional forces may have fogged my memory.

[Danube of Thought]

The Karl Rove indictment tops my list. Recall the stuff about 24 hours becoming 24 business hours? Then it became a secret, sealed indictment that would be revealed after he had rolled over on Bush and Cheney, negotiations for which were underway.

And there were David Shuster's twenty-two imminent indictments, and all the celebrations in anticpation of that great event.

Remember when an entire floor of Rove's lawyer's firm was cleared out by the Secret Service in advance of the hush-hush negotiations? Remember Crazy Larry's three independent sources?

Bliss it was in that dawn to be alive...

[clarice]

It's still my favorite,too, DoT.
Gotta hand it to that nutter Jason Leopold.

[Semanticleo]

"Bliss it was in that dawn to be alive..."

Reminiscing over all that transparency.....

The good old days......

[Rocco]

Pelosi Lied...People Died!

[K]

It is simple.

When Democrats or leftists do bad things those things are not bad. While they may appear bad they are, in fact, laudable.

O's actions are just another example of how the evils of the Bushies will all be ended.

But not today, Lord. Let them end tomorrow.

In contrast, the GOP and conservatives have moral defects that cause them to always do bad things.

[matt]

The CIA announced today that they will replace waterboarding with the "dryer", "micro pinches" and continuous Abba records. Take yer pick, raggo.....

On another note, and proving the entire planet has gone insane, some commission in the UK is set to outlaw neckties in schools because they are dangerous.

[Jane]

The Republicans have another rising star named Cheney. I just watched Liz cream Carville and Vandenheuvil on ABC.

She was spectacular!

[Mickey]

So its a bit different to govern than to campaign as is being found out. Does 0bama really think Bush was just having fun with the tough decisions that had to be made. Bush likely did what he thought was the best solution to a difficult situation and now 0bama is coming to the same conclusion.

[PD]

"(Please folks, add to your heart's content.)"

That "tax cut" actually means "tax cut" and not a meaningless mere change in witholding.

[PD]

Liz Cheney link

To Carville's credit, he said the Democrats don't want to be at war with the CIA, perhaps the first thing he's ever said that makes sense.

[PD]

Liz Cheney's good at backing Stephie down so that she can finish making her point.

Someone needs to learn to do that to Hannity.

[hit and run]

Clarice:
We should make a list of things the left were willing dupes on:

Well, we could turn the "they told me" formulation of Instapundit fame around for the items on the list...

They told me that if Barack H. Obama were elected president, Guantanamo would be shuttered within the first 100 days. And they were wrong!

[verner]

"When Democrats or leftists do bad things those things are not bad. While they may appear bad they are, in fact, laudable."

So right K.

At this point, I wish that Pelosi had pitched a fit and stopped EIT in 2002. Then KSM would have laughed at the interrogators, Hambali would have wrecked a plane into the skyscraper in Hell A, a truth commission could have revealed that we missed out because Pelosi would not allow the CIA to pour water up KSM's nose,

Bush Cheney would be heroes.

And we would be looking at a Giuliani-Thompson administration right now.

[verner]

Micky, I suppose we might say that Obama is out of the pullups, and is now trying to wear his big boy pants.

Let's see if he can do it without having any accidents.

[MayBee]

Interesting Katrina brings up support of gay marriage to Liz Cheney, whose father was the only one to support gay marriage. He got no credit for it from anyone, apparently not even Katrina who finds said support vital.

[clarice]

Nice work,Hit..

[clarice]

On the contradict thread I think jmh has nailed O's strategy and we have to come up with a counter strategy to it.

[FPR]

2012 Republican Ticket: Cheney, Cheney and Cheney.

Pres: Dick, VP: Liz, Speaker: Lynne

[verner]

I'm watching the Notre Dame coverage on Fox. Nothing disgusts me more than seeing Roman Catholic members of the Democrat Party apologize for their disgusting stance on abortion, and try to square it with the church's teachings on life.

Why don't they just hit the road and become Episcopalians.

[Neo]

Sen. John Kerry held hearings last week on the future of journalism, and Sen. Ben Cardin has proposed helping media companies transition into nonprofit entities.

Hasn't the New York Times already made that transition ?

[centralcal]

verner: it was worse than that - Fr. Jenkins, President of Notre Dame, gave quite the political speech himself, warming up Obama. He made it quite clear that he is in favor of all of O's plans and goals for this country and did everything but kiss the Great Won's feet.

Absolutely disgusting.

[verner]

Jenkins has hurt Notre Dame in ways he will come to regret. As far as I'm concerned, it is now nothing more than a left leaning liberal private university. Nothing special.

[Aubrey]

I'm sure they will add The Comfy Chair to the list of approved EIT's.

[narciso]

It is a quite revolting display of
obsequiousness by the part of the administration of a once proud university. Not surprisingly, who gave the briefest but most stinging prebuttal to all this
doubletalk:

[matt]

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!!!!!!

[PaulL]

Thanks for the link, PD. Liz was as excellent as I had expected.

[MarkJ]

Obama's New! Improved! More Sensitive! Interrogation Procedures Revealed!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0w1aQAbBaY

[clarice]

Well, I hope Jenkins enjoyed himself--It cost the school $8 million in withdrawn contributions..

[Captain Hate]

Interesting Katrina brings up support of gay marriage to Liz Cheney, whose father was the only one to support gay marriage. He got no credit for it from anyone, apparently not even Katrina who finds said support vital.

Katrina's as dumb as a plank; that simpleton trust-fund ditz doesn't even understand local geography, saying she lives in Harlem rather than the Upper West Side (I'm sure she thinks that gives her some street cred in the delusional circles she exists within...). I remember the first time I saw her on the McLaughlin group (a *long* time ago) and even among them she was in the deep end of the pool without water wings. I thought once they jettisoned that idiot Sam Donaldson that they might be raising the IQ level significantly but I guess not. Having metro-boy Stephie in charge of it is a horrible decision, but not unexpected. Having Liz in there is the first significant upgrade in a long time.

[lonetown]

Don't forget the indian rub burn and pulling leg hairs out one at a time with tweezers.

Real tough ones could trade arm punches. Loser talks!

[MayBee]

Ha, Captain Hate!
My other fave from the dour Katrina (just in today's clip) is her complaint that the abortion controversy at ND today is an intrusion of religion upon education.
It would be a great argument for a public or non-religious institution.

[Neo]

Debt is his way of life LUN

[Captain Hate]

Really Maybee; if she were capable of introspection and didn't think she was perfect, she'd review that broadcast vid and be appalled at making a comment so completely lacking in elementary insight.

[PaulL]

Good link, Neo.

Obama did make a feeble attempt to control spending when he announced that his cabinet had found ways to reduce federal spending by $100 million. But this is laughable. Compared to an estimated $3.6 trillion federal budget, it is a minuscule 0.0028%.

To put this into the context of the Obamas' income for 2004 of $207,647, this savings works out to $5.77, or about the price of an arugula salad.

[PeterUK]

There seems to be a meme developing amongst the myrmidons of Obamadom, that the One should not be held responsible if he fails in his Herculean task.It was the enormous debt incurred under Reagan,yea verily,and Bush and two "unwinnable" bequeathed by the previous administration.
This is at odds with the chant of "Wait 'til we get power", common before the Ascension of the One. Similar to "We will oversight your asses" which his dwindled to "We wuz lied to".
All in all,the first "green shoots" of disenchantment amongst those on the sinister side.

[pagar]

It is a quite revolting display

http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/05/obama-speaks-at-notre-dame.html

IMO, the picture in the LUN is the most upsetting picture I have seen through out the entire 2008 election campaign. In Nov, someone might have been able to say, I'm going to vote for hope and change. But today, every thinking American has had enough time to see exactly what far left hopelessness Obama brings to us.

[PD]

"Thanks for the link, PD. Liz was as excellent as I had expected."

And did you notice that she didn't shy away from calling Obama's actions ... anti-american?

Oh, my.

The only way that could have been better would have been if she had said, "this is anti-americanism straight up."

[daddy]

Thank you PD, that was excellent.

And thanks everyone for linking and copying even when you think it might be unnecessary. Today for instance Ann Althouse and Legal Insurrection were both unavailable where I am, so when in doubt please post. :)