Obama Acts, Cornyn Whines, Specter Snivels

[Stingo]

Barack Obama denounced torture in his Inaugural speech, and now he has signed four executive orders helping to end the practice by US personnel. John Cornyn, on the other hand, is holding up Eric Holder’s AG nomination because Holder won’t swear not to prosecute torturers, or those who gave the orders. Specter is with Cornyn.

Please help me come up with a respectful question to have a friend ask Specter tomorrow at a luncheon.

http://allspinzone.com/wp/2009/01/22/obama-acts-cornyn-whines-specter-backs-cornyn/

[eleny]

1. "At long last, have you no shame?"

:shrug:

[Stingo]

3. Gotta be respectful

This is a very close friend asking the question. I don't want her to get in trouble. Heck, she wouldn't ask a question that isn't respectful.

[Exen Trik]

24. To be as respectful as possible...

The best I can figure is to ask for his reasoning, for why an AG can possibly decide on any prospective case he isn't even informed about.

If concerns of a "partisan which hunt" come up, ask about the possibility of democrats being investigated. I don't know how he'd defend that.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Why shouldn't Americans be held accountable for illegal acts?

That would be mine.

[emulatorloo]

4. The law does not apply to Cornyn's buddies

Somebody need to have a real serious talk with this guy. The days of this kind of Republicanism is over.

[Stingo]

5. Yes, those days should be over,

but Cornyn is angling for his party's leadership,

[FiveGoodMen]

11. "The days of this kind of Republicanism is over" -- don't bet on it.

That kind of disease goes into remission from time to time, but it's never eradicated.

Eternal vigilance!

[Stingo]

17. Good question

I will see if anyone asks it later.

[OregonBlue]

6. Wasn't Specter a District Attorney, Wasn't Cornyn a judge? How can either of them believe that

anyone is above the law. If those that violated the law are allowed to get away with it, won't history repeat itself? Don't they believe in the rule of law?

[Stingo]

7. Being Republicans

evidently the rule of law comes second to their Party. You and I think that's unamerican, but Republicans aren't like you and I.

[oceanman]

21. Someone needs to go back about 9-10 years and find

the pubbies very loud and public statements about the 'rule of law' in regards to the Clinton administration. Bring those proclamations back to the public forum and ask why the Shrub administration should be exempt from the same scrutiny. (And while their at it, they might mention Poppy's pardons to those from his admin that would have implicated his ass in the Iran-Contra episode, among other things. The only way we'll ever be free of the right-wing/moneyed class in this country is to expose the history of their continued attempts to undermine the Constitution and our government to their benefit. Worker's rights, Social Security, Medicare, civil rights - the right to vote, among the many other things the people have attained? Gone in a heartbeat if these asshats could ever really get their way. The Limpballs, Hannity's and O'Reilly's of the world - useful idiots.) Of course it'll never happen - but one can dream.

[4lbs]

9. Repukes believe that US law should apply only on US soil, or to US Americans abroad.

Everyone else, screw 'em!

[Stingo]

12. But Bush and the people who ordered torture are on

US soil. They should be punished, or at least the AG should have the opportunity to consider bringing a case.

[Soylent Brice]

8. ask him if he knows that he wears his soul on his face.

[CitizenPatriot]

10. does he know that he's an as$hat?

Oh, right...respectful.

"Do you think torture is illegal?"

I'd want that on record. A more diplomatic way to ask it is "When, if ever, is torture acceptable?"

OR perhaps "Is torture legal if your boss orders you to do it?"

yeah...good luck with that respect thing. Not as easy as it looks, when you're talking to a sociopath.

[Stingo]

15. The event will be attended by donors

And those donors are people my wife has to work with on a regular basis. Disrespectful questions have the power to hurt her career, and she's not willing to do that.

Thanks for your suggestions.

[CitizenPatriot]

16. what a position for her

I wish her luck. I hope I came off the way I intended-- which was that it's really hard to find a respectful question when the actions you're asking about are so reprehensible.

I have to work with Republicans all of the time -- so I sympathize. It was VERY difficult during the election.

[Stingo]

22. Donors not necessarily 100% happy with Specter, though

I can't wait to do the debriefing over dinner.

[ccinamon]

13. since corny doesn't believe we did torture,

then he has nothing to worry about...and that should be thrown in his face.

[Stingo]

14. Everyone is being too shy.

They should flat out say that if laws were broken, our country needs to know and our country needs to rectify the situations, which may or may not mean prosecution.

Period. Holder should say that.

[santamargarita]

18. Our President needs to take these two assholes to the woodshed!

:nopity:

[Mulehead]

19. Million Dollar Question?

Perhaps she could ask them, "regardless of whomever is finally appointed AG, what will the GOP strategy be to prevent the new administration or Congress from starting war crimes investigations?" Such a question may cause even these professional reptiles (sorry, unfair comparison to actual reptiles) to reflect that their fangs have been yanked and they are now as impotent as Lush Limpballs without his little blue pills. Me, I'd really be tempted to stick a fork in their chicken necks...

[MasonJar]

20. Inquiring minds want to know! Why will not Holder prosecute torturers?

Why does Cornyn want him to and why is this revelation just now accosting Cornyn?

[Hawkowl]

23. The victors write history

As Obama pointed out today, He Won.

Ask him if he thinks he thinks the US was justified in hanging Japanese military officers for water boarding after WWII. Ask him if he thinks history will be kind to those legislators who merely slowed the investigation into illegal torture. Ask him what side of history does he wish to be on? Benedict Arnold was a revolutionary war hero--until he got on the wrong side of history.


What side of history do you wish to be on Senator Specter?

[Stingo]

25. Now those are good questions

As it turns out, the roughest questions Specter had to face concerned the bailout. Dangit. I'm going to have to give some of these guys and gals a little hell next time I see them.