(Sen.) Grassley: Terrorist questioning not torture

[sabra]

http://www.timesrepublican.com/news/articles.asp?articleID=3315

Grassley: Terrorist questioning not torture

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, Thursday defended the Bush Administration’s questioning of terrorist detainees by saying what was happening did not amount to torture.

The comments came when Grassley was asked where the line was drawn on how aggressively to question detainees.

“We don’t have to draw a line against torture because America doesn’t torture prisoners,” he said. “The courts have said what we’ve been doing is only unlawful because Congress hasn’t given the president authority to do it.”

Grassley said he hopes that legislation will soon be passed that gives the executive branch the right to proceed in the manner it has been. Even so, Grassley noted there may be some changes in the policy drafted in the legislation.

[DavidDvorkin]

1. How many circles are in his circular argument?

I won't bother trying to count them.

[saigon68]

5. What the FUCK IS THIS grassman?

[VegasWolf]

10. Bush calls that picture a "masturbation aid". nt

[katinmn]

2. There you have it. Republican-speak at its finest.

“The courts have said what we’ve been doing is only unlawful because Congress hasn’t given the president authority to do it."

[pinerow]

3. It's not against the law if I pass a law permitting me

to do it...:wtf:

[rodeodance]

4. Iowaians need to send mr. grass out to pasture to graze.

[PATRICK]

6. Wasn't there

some sort of "principle" to torture that preserved all the pain, the mental and phsyical abuse and the fear so long as there were few visible marks, no actual shedding of blood or direct loss of life? There is a history to the evasion of the torture definition- for many reasons- almost all for the preservation of myth and appearances.

One primary goal was to render the victim visibly "compliant" by his own free will or moral cowardice. Another was to soothe priivleged patrons who didn't wnat their own to show public marks. It was a selling delimitation, often for grossly(grassley) hypocritical plausible deniability. What was the aim of such "acceptance" of ageold non-blood, non-amputory torture like water usages? To preserve the fear and pain that intimidates the public as much as it punishes the exempary victim. To hide the results.

As for the torturers themselves, Kruschev had to execute the Stalinist agents because they had gone hopelessly, dangerously mad. I don't think more "restrained" or "noble" justified agents will fair mentally much better. Society itself is degraded and soul tortured even more than this completely vile logic of Grassley's as much as intedned for any prisoner of state.

It is the nation itself that is being waterboarded and drowned in evil at the hands of these traitorous legislators and tyrants. But we are not dipping our hands in "blood" as upon the "fields of honor" where families are blasted into raw meat. Just in the water with our collective hands around the throats of often innocent victims.

[IndianaGreen]

7. We should use the same techniques on Republicans

and see if they think it is torture.

[democrat_patriot]

8. Murder is illegal, only because there is a law that says it is.

Make murder legal!! C'mon Dems propose a bill.

[VegasWolf]

9. No, it's just fun and games isn't you stupid fuck. nt

[AlamoDemoc]

11. America needs new leadership, and fast...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With the congressional election less than two months away, an overwhelming majority of Americans expressed a negative opinion of the Republican-led Congress in a poll by The New York Times and CBS News released on Wednesday.

Only 25 percent of respondents said they approved of the way Congress was handling its job, and 77 percent -- including 65 percent of the Republicans polled -- said they did not believe current members of Congress deserved re-election.

Few could name a major piece of legislation Congress had passed and two-thirds said lawmakers had accomplished less in the past two years than in other congressional sessions, the Times said.

An overwhelming majority, 73 percent, said members of Congress were more interested in serving special interest groups than in meeting the needs of their district. Only 20 percent said they put the public first. Sixty-nine percent said lawmakers did not understand the problems faced by the public.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-09-21T032149Z_01_N20249826_RTRUKOC_0_US-CONGRESS-POLL.xml

[Mudoria]

12. Perhaps Grassley should

volunteer to be 'water boarded' over the period of a week. Maybe he'll get a better understanding of what constitutes torture.

[bluedeminredstate]

13. I used to think Grassley might have

a grain of decency. I wasn't positive, but there were glimpses of something akin to outrage over admisistration abuses from time to time. Now I realize he's just a sadistic fothermucker and what I saw was just garden variety rage.

We have become Germany of the 30's. When we are asked by our grandchildren, "how could this happen?" we'll be able to answer.

:cry:

[Bandit]

14. This statement is a LIE

“The courts have said what we’ve been doing is only unlawful because Congress hasn’t given the president authority to do it.”

That isn't the way it works. Everything is legal until Congress makes a law saying it isn't, not the other way around...

[LeftishBrit]

15. Is there any chance ...

that this revolting character could be handed a dose of democracy in the form of a humiliating defeat for re-election? Or is he totally entrenched?

[Supersedeas]

16. Conduct was being WAS unlawful - We changed the law - Torture redefined

Conduct remains the same. McCain declares victory.

[alfredo]

17. Demand that Grassley be waterboarded live on TV. When he has

recovered, ask him if that is or is not torture.