President Obama Made Me Proud in Tonight's Interview for This Statement

[PopSixSquish]

PRESIDENT OBAMA:

"I fundamentally disagree with Dick Cheney. Not surprisingly. You know, I think that-- Vice President Cheney has been-- at the head of a-- movement whose notion is somehow that we can't reconcile our core values, our Constitution, our belief that we don't torture, with our national security interests. I think he's drawing the l-- wrong lesson from history.

The facts don't bear him out. I think he is-- that attitude, that philosophy has done incredible damage-- to our image and position in the world. I mean, the fact of the matter is after all these years how many convictions actually came out of Guantanamo? How many-- how many terrorists have actually been brought to justice under the philosophy that is being promoted by Vice President Cheney? It hasn't made us safer. What it has been is a great advertisement for anti-American sentiment. Which means that there is constant effective recruitment of-- Arab fighters and Muslim fighters against U.S. interests all around the world."

[Rhiannon12866]

1. K&R. Agreed. It's about time somebody said it...

To the national media. I'm proud and relieved that it's our president. The buck really does stop with him... :patriot:

[Just-plain-Kathy]

15. Are you kidding? Obama bad mouthing the Bush administration is NOT equal to holding them accountable

...I'm ashamed that we'll have another one of our presidents let another criminal republican president walk.

[caseymoz]

19. I did't expect it to happen in year 1. Nor did I think he'd call for it immediately.

Things have to turn far more against the Republicans, but if Holder would release three of the more blatant torture memos-- I think it could be sped up:

Now, Newsweek's Michael Isikoff reports that Eric Holder has decided -- over "furious" objections from Bush CIA Director Michael Hayden -- to release those three memos, which an Obama official (granted anonymity by Isikoff) describes as "ugly" and likely to "embarrass the CIA." Other anonymous officials "predicted they would fuel demands for a 'truth commission' on torture."

There is real pressure from the intelligence community being exerted on Holder to keep these memos concealed. According to Isikoff, they are "arguing that any public release might still compromise 'sources and methods.'" We are clearly nearing a tipping point where these disclosures are so disturbing and embarrassing that even establishment venues can no longer argue against investigations, and disclosure of these specific torture memos can only help that process.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/

[Rhiannon12866]

32. Hey, Kathy, I certainly agree with you.

I certainly think that the President is doing an amazing job, given the horrible mess that was left for him to clean up. I'm amazed that anyone would be willing to take on this thankless job. But, you're right, the previous administration needs to be held accountable, "bipartisan," or not. The law is the law, and the whole world is waiting to see a resolution to this... :-(

[SemiCharmedQuark]

2. Chip Reid is crying into his pillow right now.

[TheCoxwain]

26. Let him fuck off , wither in pain , curl up and DIE ... He is a piece of STINKY SHIT.

[zeemike]

3. he said out loud what most of us already know.

it has been a long time sense we had a president like that.

[firedupdem]

4. Perfect.... n/t

[Laelth]

5. Hear, hear. The President of the United States. n/t

:dem:

-Laelth

[babylonsister]

6. Our president is a decent man explaining himself. I loved this.

Cheney started it, and I'm really glad Obama responded so forcefully. It's fully deserved.

[FLyellowdog]

7. Thank you Mr. President! n/t

[Larkspur]

8. I agree with Obama about Darth Cheney but not about Geithner and Geithner's

bank bailout plan.

[Number23]

9. God's honest truth. Love it

Happy to rec

[stlsaxman]

10. Thank you, Mr. President.

[rfranklin]

11. And now is time to prosecute Cheney for his crimes...

A strong rebuke will just not suffice to discourage the fascists from doing the same thing again in the near future.

[SlingBlade]

12. Yep, They are already regrouping for the next

And final push to turn the United States into a Neo-Con Nervana.

This well may be our last chance

[Turbineguy]

13. A very polite way of saying:

Cheney's full of shit.

[ThatsMyBarack]

14. That was my favorite part!

:applause:

[ckimmy57]

16. At least

President Obama had the balls enough to come out and say Chaney is full of shit :bounce:

[downindixie]

17. There has been more convictions

in the Bush admin than has come out of Gitmo.

[bdamomma]

18. Thanks for speaking out, we already know what a SOB Cheney is.

[JDPriestly]

20. I will be proud of Obama when he starts the prosecutions on torture.

[Enthusiast]

21. K&R. I understand that President Obama

wants to remain above the petty politics of destruction. But allowing Cheney to go unindicted after his actions as Vice President is an abrogation of Obama's duty as President of the United States.

[FrenchieCat]

22. Is Obama's term over?

Didn't think so.

[dave_p]

28. I think it should be

He's had weeks to sort this out, and the world's not perfect yet. Can't we have McCain instead? ;-)

[paparush]

23. "IT HASN'T MADE US SAFER!"

That needs to be written in 50' tall letters and hung from every sky scraper in America.

It needs to be handed out to school children around the country.

It needs to be said, in unison, right after the National Anthem at every sporting event.

[indepat]

24. Hopefully, in the coming days BHO will similarly eviscerate every 'puke "value," every 'puke action,...

every 'puke core belief, every 'puke agenda, every 'puke tactic, every 'puke talking point as directly and forcefully which collectively would reduce all of 'pukedom to what it holistically is: one humongously hypocritical lie. :P

[Cha]

25. I know..that was a killer statement and you think the

corporatemediawhores would say something about that?

That would be a NO..they're too busy trying to bring down Prez Obama.

[dave_p]

27. Awesome

... there is constant effective recruitment of ... Arab fighters and Muslim fighters against U.S. interests all around the world"

Wow. The guy's amazing. Let him look to his adviaers while he finds his feet, but I hope he gains the confidence to follow his own insights before long. He's what the world's longed for. And I was a broadly sympathetic sceptic throughout '08. He's the business.

[Clio the Leo]

29. We ARE better than we have been acting....

.... that's one of my favorite notions of his. WE are America and WE dont act like barbarians.

[Honeycombe8]

30. Oh, but Morning Joe says LOTS of convictions came out of Guantanomo!

You MUST be uninformed! If Morning Joe says it's so, then it's so!


:sarcasm:

[Deep13]

31. I wish he would not treat this like a policy disagreement.

Torture is a criminal offense. A president has no discretion to commit a crime. The only legally reasonable thing to do if we still believe in rule of law is to submit this to a grand jury.