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obama and cheney: renditioning cousins

By American Girl in Italy on February 21, 2009 at 7:50 PM in Barack Obama, Bush/Cheney, New York Times, Terrorism, Torture

Wednesday, on Morning Joe, Joe questions Chris *Tingle Matthews about the New York Times article that just came out, titled “Obama’s War on Terror May Resemble Bush’s in Some Areas“. *Tingles* must have been a little dizzy after all that spinnin’.

Joe brings up some of the things Obama had said in the past, condemning the Bush White House, and the war in Iraq, and their policies of dealing with terrorists.

Before you watch the video, here are some snippets from the article. You can read the entire article here.

“Even as it pulls back from harsh interrogations and other sharply debated aspects of George W. Bush’s “war on terrorism,” the Obama administration is quietly signaling continued support for other major elements of its predecessor’s approach to fighting Al Qaeda.

Obama nominees endorsed continuing the C.I.A.’s program of transferring prisoners to other countries without legal rights, and indefinitely detaining terrorism suspects without trials even if they were arrested far from a war zone.

The administration has also embraced the Bush legal team’s arguments that a lawsuit by former C.I.A. detainees should be shut down based on the “state secrets” doctrine. It has also left the door open to resuming military commission trials.

C.I.A. director, Leon E. Panetta, opened a loophole in Mr. Obama’s interrogation restrictions.

Mr. Panetta also said the C.I.A. might continue its “extraordinary rendition” program, under which agents seize terrorism suspects and take them to other countries without extradition proceedings, in a more sweeping form than anticipated.

Mr. Panetta said the agency is likely to continue to transfer detainees to third countries and would rely on diplomatic assurances of good treatment — the same safeguard the Bush administration used, and that critics say is ineffective.”

So, try as he might, Joe can’t get a straight answer out of Tingle. And I do love how he now refuses to use the phrase *War on Terror*. Tingles so desperately wants to be just like Obama.

Joe makes some great points, and this is a fun interview to watch. But, be warned, it includes Chris *Tingle* Matthews.

They also touch on Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq, then move onto the Burris saga. Oh Roland, Roland, Roland….


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  • untilthelastdogdies

    You’re right, Tingles is as slippery as a fish! Should he decide to run for office, his potential opponent may wish to revisit this video!

  • Peggy Sue

    So, the “War on Terror” is now the “War on Surprise Attacks.” Or something like that.

    That’s about as ludicrous and slippery as Chris Matthews is himself. There’s going to come a point in time when all this equivocating becomes so absurd, even Obamatrons will begin to blink and twitch. I mean there’s only so many reversals you can explain away without looking utterly insane.

    Matthews is already there, I’d suggest. And the Roland Burris debacle? The Song of Roland. He obviously got the heads up that he was caught on tape.

    Wonder who else Fitzgerald can nail???

  • Fae

    Obama has lived for 48 years without leaving any footprints — none! There is no Obama documentation — no records — no paper trail — none — this can’t be an accident.

    Original, vault copy birth certificate — Not released
    Certificate of Live Birth — Released — Counterfeit
    Obama/Dunham marriage license — Not released
    Soetoro/Dunham marriage license — Not released
    Soetoro adoption records — Not released
    Fransiskus Assisi School School application — Released
    Punahou School records — Not released
    Selective Service Registration — Released — Counterfeit
    Occidental College records — Not released
    Passport (Pakistan) — Not released
    Columbia College records — Not released
    Columbia thesis — Not released
    Harvard College records — Not released
    Harvard Law Review articles — None (maybe 1, unsigned?)
    Baptism certificate — None
    Medical records — Not released
    Illinois State Senate records — None
    Illinois State Senate schedule — Lost
    Law practice client list — Not released
    University of Chicago scholarly articles — None

    • Animal Control

      The signs of the Antichrist

  • http://www.rabblerouserruminations.blogspot.com/ Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy

    Another great post, AG!

    Another thing Panetta said was that Obama had restored interrogation techniques to what is in the Army Field Manual – BUT – if there’s a “ticking bomb” situation, well, they may ask for more leeway (http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/12/panetta.cia.director/).

    So – they aren’t going to torture suspects, unless they do.

    Sigh.

  • obsp

    OK, things have been very quite on this site, I chime in about 2 times a day and no one is commenting, can we have some dialog please. Let me start by saying, this man is still in campaign mode, he does not know this is real business, running a country. He just loves his new plane. I am trying to remember in modern history where a president expressed, love for the plane and Camp David. I think he would have just been as happy if we gave hime a new Play Station.
    Just back to Chicago after 3 weeks, they want Roland’s Balls here. I always thought he was a “go along with a Daley boy.” No substance to this man.

  • candymarl

    I agree that it’s gonna be hard to spin this one.

    Will Keith O do a scathing comment about indefinite imprisonment and leaving the door open for torture?

    Will Rachel Maddow point out that this directly contradicts what Obama said he would do vs. GWB?

    As Obama steps up the attacks on Pakistan will media talking heads and Obama supporters call him a warmonger?

    Will the liberal/progressive radio hosts point out any of these things and ask for an explanation?

    Will there be outrage by the anti-war movement?

    I suspect that the resounding answer to these questions will be no.

    Of course, unless they can find a way to blame it all on Hillary Clinton as if she’s President.

    • Ferd Berfle

      Or else That One use an excuse such as, “I didn’t understand (which means read, study, or give a rat’s ass) how difficult a situation this was.”

  • Toxhandler

    Interesting, Fae. Leads one to wonder if he can see himself when he stands in front of mirrors.

  • http://deleted Buzz Latte LaRue

    I wouldn’t be surprised if Obama is really a robot or alien at this point. One thing is for sure. He isn’t transparent.

    • Ferd Berfle

      Drat. I thought he was a nightmare from which I was about to be awakened. Double drat.

  • elise

    His FISA vote was a pretty clear indication of his lack of respect for the Constitution and even his supporters, but they just rolled over. He said, just a few days before that vote, he would vote no. He said he would support a filibuster.

    Eric Holder and John Panetta said, unequivocally, waterboarding is torture, but what does that mean in terms of their intention to change the way things are done if they turn around and give prisoners to countries which don’t care about the Geneva Accords or don’t care if it’s illegal?

    I think he and his team are gutless. They are afraid of being politically damaged if they do the right thing and we happen to have another terror attack. They have no integrity. If you take a position and assuume moral superioty then parse your words to mean whatever you want them to mean, how is that change?

  • http://itisupapso.isuisse.com/health-care-market-overview.html Jinka

    Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain.
    http://itisupapso.isuisse.com/health-healthy-information-lifestyle-news-nutritio.html – health healthy information lifestyle news nutritio