Obama, the Interrogation Memos, and Prosecutions

When I think Obama can't possibly go any lower, he does.

It's stunning. Even in my worst nightmares, I didn't think he would screw up this much this fast.

Obama's presidency is truly historic. Has any other American president ever taken such reckless, irresponsible measures to appease our enemies and to appease the loons of his political base?

Obama is playing politics with the safety of the American people. He's putting the country at risk.

It's unthinkable in the post-9/11 world, but he's plowing ahead and doing the unthinkable.

From Politico:

Former Vice President Dick Cheney said President Obama’s release of internal Bush administration memos detailing interrogation techniques was done “essentially to appease a certain element of the Democratic Party or because of campaign commitments.”

The former vice president also mockingly channeled Al Qaida leaders’ reactions to the release, saying “oh, gee whiz, isn't that great? Barack Obama and his administration are no longer going to ask our guys tough questions when they are captured. Now, maybe we won't behead their people when they capture them.”

Cheney pointed out that the Obama administration did not put national security officials out front to explain the president’s decision.

“It was the political spokesmen that were out there. That bothers me. I think that says something about the mindset,” Cheney said in an interview with Sean Hannity aired Tuesday night on Fox News Channel. He asserted the release stripped U.S. intelligence officials “of important capabilities.”

Obama had pledged during the presidential campaign to end the use of interrogation techniques that critics call torture and shine a light on how the Bush administration justified its actions. Obama has faced pressure from his left-leaning base to live up to those commitments, including an ongoing lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Obama would rather score political points with anti-American Americans than do what's in the best interest of the country.

He's a sleazy politician, a puppet, not a leader with strong principles.

If Obama stays on this path, he can kiss goodbye being considered among the ranks of our greatest presidents. No chance. No way. Not going to happen.

But in releasing the memos, Obama did not cite a political reason for doing so, only that the nation needed full disclosure of the Bush-era tactics before the United States could move toward a more justifiable anti-terror policy.

Full disclosure? Obama is a wimp.

He's determined to be admired, adored, worshipped. He's caving to the fringe, and the Left is loving that Obama actually left open the door to prosecuting the authors of the interrogation memos.

The bloodthirsty Leftists have been waiting for this. They're drooling over the thought of prosecutions. They want revenge on the Bush administration, the very people who kept them safe since 9/11.

The New York Times, naturally, is pushing its vindictive anti-Bush agenda. Here and here.

During a media availability with Jordan's King Abdullah II, Obama addressed reporters' questions regarding the prosecution of the authors of interrogation memos from the Bush Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel.

Video.

Transcript from the Washington Post:

Q: I want to ask you about the interrogation memos that you released last week; two questions. You were clear about not wanting to prosecute those who carried out the instructions under this legal advice. Can you be that clear about those who devised the policy? And then quickly on a second matter, how do you feel about investigations, whether special -- a special commission or something of that nature on the Hill to go back and really look at the issue?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, the -- look, as I said before, this has been a difficult chapter in our history, and one of the tougher decisions that I've had to make as president. On the one hand, we have very real enemies out there. And we rely on some very courageous people, not just in our military but also in the Central Intelligence Agency, to help protect the American people. And they have to make some very difficult decisions because, as I mentioned yesterday, they are confronted with an enemy that doesn't have scruples, that isn't constrained by constitutions, aren't constrained by legal niceties.

Having said that, the OLC memos that were released reflected, in my view, us losing our moral bearings. That's why I've discontinued those enhanced interrogation programs.

For those who carried out some of these operations within the four corners of legal opinions or guidance that had been provided from the White House, I do not think it's appropriate for them to be prosecuted.

With respect to those who formulated those legal decisions, I would say that that is going to be more of a decision for the Attorney General within the parameters of various laws, and I don't want to prejudge that. I think that there are a host of very complicated issues involved there.

As a general deal, I think that we should be looking forward and not backwards. I do worry about this getting so politicized that we cannot function effectively, and it hampers our ability to carry out critical national security operations.

And so if and when there needs to be a further accounting of what took place during this period, I think for Congress to examine ways that it can be done in a bipartisan fashion, outside of the typical hearing process that can sometimes break down and break it entirely along party lines, to the extent that there are independent participants who are above reproach and have credibility, that would probably be a more sensible approach to take.

What a load of crap!

He wants the alleged crimes of the Bush administration examined and he expects that to occur in a bipartisan fashion?

Good grief.

Does this guy actually believe what he says?

It disgusts me that he has the nerve to speak of prosecutions.

The weakling Obama is under the thumb of the radical, "blame America first" Leftists.

He's either kowtowing to them or he is completely on board with them. Either way, it's bad.

I'm not suggesting that that should be done, but I'm saying, if you've got a choice, I think it's very important for the American people to feel as if this is not being dealt with to provide one side or another political advantage but rather is being done in order to learn some lessons so that we move forward in an effective way.

And the last point I just want to emphasize, as I said yesterday at the CIA when I visited, what makes America special in my view is not just our wealth and the dynamism of our economy and our extraordinary history and diversity. It's that we are willing to uphold our ideals even when they're hard. And sometimes we make mistakes because that's the nature of human enterprise. But when we do make mistakes, then we are willing to go back and correct those mistakes and keep our eye on those ideals and values that have been passed on generation to generation.

And that is what has to continue to guide us as we move forward. And I'm confident that we will be able to move forward, protect the American people effectively, and live up to our values and ideals. And that's not a matter of being naive about how dangerous this world is. As I said yesterday to some of the CIA officials that I met with, I wake up every day thinking about how to keep the American people safe. And I go to bed every night worrying about keeping the American people safe.

I've got a lot of other things on my plate. I've got a big banking crisis, and I've got unemployment numbers that are very high, and we've got an auto industry that needs work. There are a whole things -- range of things that during the day occupy me, but the thing that I consider my most profound obligation is keeping the American people safe.

...So I wanted to communicate a message yesterday to all those who overwhelmingly do so in a lawful, dedicated fashion that I have their back.

BS. The only back Obama has is his own.

If Obama was really worried about keeping the American people safe, he wouldn't be playing this despicable game with our security.

And again, Obama feels that he must declare he's not naive.

He can deny it a million times but that won't change the fact that he's dangerously naive. That means our country is in danger.