What the President Asked For

[NanceGreggs]

To:
(the formerly Honorable) John McCain
(the formerly Honorable) John W. Warren
(the formerly honorable) Lindsay Graham:

Sirs:

Words cannot begin to express my grief when I saw Tony Snow’s quote earlier today: “We got what the president asked for.”

Over the past few days, the American people, of both parties, saw a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness that has engulfed our nation. They saw three men, of stature and influence, who had finally shown the backbone necessary to say that when it came to condoning torture, THIS would not stand. Or so, for one bright shining moment, that seemed to be the case.

“We got what the president asked for.” There was a time, which now seems so very distant, that the conduct of our country was not a matter of what ‘the president asked for’, but what the citizenry demanded. Apparently, those days are now, so sadly, gone.

You will all probably admit, in the privacy of your own thoughts, that the hypocrisy of your party has been astounding. You have cried ‘Support the Troops’ from the rooftops, while you quietly stripped them of their pensions and their benefits, while you voted against funding the equipment necessary to keep them safe. You questioned the loyalty of others in respect of our fighting men and women, never demanding answers from the war profiteers who have pocketed the lion’s share of the money meant for their benefit.

You have flaunted your alleged sense of justice, while allowing political and financial corruption to run rampant among your colleagues. You have hidden your sins of avarice, arrogance and the gluttony of political power behind the mask of feigned adherence to Christian belief.

You have accused your fellow elected officials on the other side of the aisle of being spineless appeasers, while you kow-tow to every whim of this occupant of the White House, regardless of the obvious detrimental consequences to our democracy and our standing in the world.

“We got what the president asked for.” It should not have come as a surprise. When was the last time – indeed, the singular time – that this president’s demands were not met? When was there a moment in the past six years of signing statements, the unlawful usurping of powers, the unconstitutional transference of oversight of our government into his hands of those of his administration, that even one of you or your fellow Republicans stood up and uttered the single word ‘no’?

I honestly believed – very naively, it would appear – that on this one all-important issue, the repercussions of which will define our nation like no other in our history, any one of you would have finally displayed the patriotism that you are so quick to accuse others of being bereft of. But I was wrong.

I realize that appealing to your sense of decency is now a moot point, as your lack thereof has now been so blatantly exposed. But I would, this one last time, attempt to appeal to whatever modicum of humanity you have left, and request the following:

Please do not appear in public wearing American flag pins in your lapels, or agree to being photographed in-frame with a flag nor any other symbol associated with the United States of America. Please refrain from identifying yourselves as citizens of my beloved country. You no longer represent our once-lofty ideals, but instead the inhumane fanaticism of those of lesser moral fiber.

Please defer from speaking on behalf of my fellow citizens, especially those in uniform who you have now potentially rendered to our enemies to be tortured, enemies who need no longer fear retribution from we who have now lost the moral standing to object.

While you have sacrificed all other sense of propriety, at least have the decency to dissociate yourselves from the American populace whom you have betrayed.

“We got what the president asked for.” And what the president has asked for is the right to drag a once-proud nation into the cesspool of depravity, the suspension of Constitutional law to do so, and the excuse to be absolved of personal wrongdoing after the fact.

Unfortunately, you were more than happy to acquiesce. Just as you have been happy to acquiesce to every other demand made by this petulant, incompetent maniac whose evil idiocy you revere.

Of course, you do not call it acquiescence. You couch this surrender of your obligations as representatives of our democracy as ‘compromise’, in an obvious attempt to render your own participation in crimes against humanity as something borne of good intentions and reasoned debate.

You call it ‘compromise’, an historically familiar term. Just as good German politicians ‘compromised’ with the Nazis on laws that segregated, minimized, and eventually killed six million people. Just as good German citizens ‘compromised’ by swearing allegiance to a madman in order to protect their own political ambitions. Just as good German Christians ‘compromised’ their own religious morals for a chance to save their own wealth, their own way of life, their own lives. So have you ‘compromised’, and sold your own souls in the bargain.

I realize this has been a lengthy missive. I doubt you have read this far. But that is to be expected in these days, these times. We are all busy people, with little time to spare for what should be important, what should be heeded, what should be said.

You have your priorities that must be attended to, as I have mine. You must get busy convincing your fellow citizens, as well as yourselves, that you have done right by your country and its people.

I, on the other hand, have to prepare for a death in the family. You see, my country, already weakened by the deceit of its leaders, the disillusionment of its people, the despair of its citizens, was dealt a fatal blow today; she was stabbed in the back by three assailants. Chances are she won’t recover.

Suffice to say your attendance at her funeral services will not be welcome, no less required. It would be, you must agree, unseemly for those with blood on their hands to attend.

May God have mercy on the faithful departed, and on those who contributed to her untimely demise.

May God have mercy on those who condone torture, be it overt or in the guise of ‘compromise’.

May God have more mercy than I would – because I would have none.

Yours Without Even the Pretence of Respect,
Nancy Greggs
Citizen of a once Great Nation, the United States of America


(On EDIT: In answer to those who will ask the obvious question:
"You're damned fuckin' real I sent this to all three of these spineless traitors -- and I urge everyone to send their own missives as well."

[rodeodance]

1. with each passing day, Snow gets more smartalakky!

[jhrobbins]

17. Tony really is the smarmiest in a long line of smarmy PS n/t

[babylonsister]

2. Wow! Nance, as usual, you rock!

I'm not convinced it's a done deal, but you seem to be, and I hope you sent this to the turncoats. And Tony Snow in his everloving masquerade as a robot for the blivet is well-versed and rehearsed.
I love you, Ms. Greggs! :patriot: :pals:

[NanceGreggs]

3. I know it's not a done deal -- but just the fact that this issue ...

... is being discussed has me in tears, despair, a sense of hopelessness -- and finally, a sense of OUTRAGE.

I love you, too, my BabylonSister - you always remind me, just when I need it most, that I am not alone in my anger.

What has transpired over the course of this admistration has caused me (and many of us, I'm sure) depression, despair -- any number of emotions. But tonight I am literally brought to tears.

Thanks for being there -- I appreciate it more than I can ever express.

:hug:

[babylonsister]

5. Verklumpft here; yes, I'm annoyed. I am trying to harness my

anger. I know there are bigger fights to come and the current one can be added to the list of the many major screw-ups that we are witnessing. Watching history ain't all it's cracked up to be.
Thanks, lots, my friend.

[JeffR]

6. Watching history ain't all it's cracked up to be

If that doesn't sum up the Bush II era, nothing does. Deserves a thread of its own!

[The Wizard]

Anger is a great motivator

You can't let it overcome your ability to reason. You can't let it make you sick. Turn your negatives into positives. Writers write because they're pissed off about something. As long as it keeps you writing in the same style with clarity and passion, stay angry.

[Dr.Phool]

9. Funerals are always sad.

As usual, you laid it out much better than anyone else could.

Stabbed in the back by 3 assailants. The America I knew is now gone. The fact that we even have to debate something like this is deplorable.

It may not be a done deal, but I think it may as well be. From listening to our spineless "Democratic Leaders" (oxymoron) the last couple of days, I don't hold any hope of a filibuster. My own idiot Senator, Bill Nelson, will go along with about anything that comes down the pike.

Stabbed in the back by 3 assailants. More like 100.

Now it's off to do some more campaign work.

[ginnyinWI]

27. Nance,

I know that on its face it looks bad, but I think there are a few more shoes that will drop before this is over. The WH would have declared victory no matter what outcome they got. I suspect that behind the brave faces there's a lot of turmoil going on, and things aren't nearly as rosie as they pretend.

[JeffR]

4. what should be important, what should be heeded, what should be said

That's what you say, Nancy. Better than anyone.

[puebloknot]

7. Roses at your feet, NanceGreggs

It's time I said hello. I've been reading your posts of late, and have conjured responses in my mind which I have failed to deliver. If there is anyone who can compose a message for the masses to hear and emulate, it is you, ma'am!

I've just posted a message in the new thread about Dennis Kucinich in which I, like you, consider the matter of despair. It flirts with me on a daily basis, but I will not let it have its way with me. Your eloquent posts are of considerable value to me in keeping the sometimes small flame of hope burning in my heart and mind.

The pen *is* mightier than the sword. You prove that it is so! And I honor your anger! I think that we have a populace which has forgotten the uses of *righteous* anger in their haste to be meek and mild "Christians"! Or compassionate Buddhists! Or any of a number of philosophies which can serve to freeze our citizens in place, like latter-day Lot's Wives!

Tomorrow, I am going to both write and call those three gentlemen you refer to in your passionately angry letter!

Thank you!

[bluerum]

8. You can't put enough lipstick on this pig to make it look good.

The courts have already ruled that secret tribunals are illegal and that the charged must be able to see the evidence that they are being "tried" on. This was a given. This was nothing, nothing compared to legitimizing our own special torture branch of the SS. This is a great loss for civilization.

I am sickened.

[Child_Of_Isis]

10. Send this to Keith

Maybe he will read it at the end of his show.

[Dr.Phool]

11. Not to nit-pick Nancy

I loved it, and just cut and pasted it to e-mail to send to everyone, but I had to make one small edit. It's Warner, not Warren.

[NanceGreggs]

21. Oh.My.God.

Of course it's Warner! I didn't even notice THAT glaring typo until you pointed it out (and thanks for doing so). This is what happens when you ARE SO PISSED-OFF YOU CAN'T SEE STRAIGHT - which is where I was at when I posted this.

Then again, maybe Warner will appreciate being mis-identified in this instance ...

[Evergreen Emerald]

12. The truth of your words made me cry

And, I am so sorry about your family member. I hope they get the guys who did it.

[kentuck]

13. Nance, sorry to hear about your family member.

I sympathize with your thoughts. You are a true patriot. These comments rang especially true:

"You call it ‘compromise’, an historically familiar term. Just as good German politicians ‘compromised’ with the Nazis on laws that segregated, minimized, and eventually killed six million people. Just as good German citizens ‘compromised’ by swearing allegiance to a madman in order to protect their own political ambitions. Just as good German Christians ‘compromised’ their own religious morals for a chance to save their own wealth, their own way of life, their own lives. So have you ‘compromised’, and sold your own souls in the bargain."

[VP505]

14. Once again

thank you so much Nance for another heart felt and well said response to the dishonor being push on the American people with this so called "compromise". The only thing being compromised is our collective integrity, world standing and ability to hold accountable the war criminal in the White House. Your "stabbed" in the back and "funeral prep" scenario couldn't have been more appropriate. Thanks again.

[Politicub]

15. Is anyone really surprised?

I learned long ago that you can't trust a republican. It's all a big game to them, and the people are the pawns. I heard a piece about the "compromise" on Morning Edition this morning, and now the loopholes the Bush admin were using to torture POWs have been codified into legislation.

We're living through such a dark period of our history now that it's difficult to comprehend.

I'm sick of the cult of John McCain. He's the most ultra-lubed political whore of them all.

[ninkasi]

16. as always, Nance, you capture the reality

which has been hidden behind all of the speeches and lofty language. The whole Republican party is guilty of this treachery. Whatever the madman wants, they deliver. Time after time, senators puff up and declare that such and such a thing goes too far. Then, they meekly give in, and call it compromise.

As far as our Dem politicians, they are silent. I no longer have faith that they will stand together, and present a solid line against the President's ever growing hunger for raw power. If they were to stand firmly, they might have a few Republican politicians who love their country more than they fear Bush.

As always, Nance, you rock!:yourock:

[BonnieJW]

18. I emailed Warner

who, I am ashamed to say, is my senator along with allen, who I am even more ashamed to say is my senator. Thank you Nancy; it made me cry. I have been in mourning for my country since 2000 and my grief has not abated with time. I have all these memories of what American used to be and I can't seem to let it go. If we can't fix it this time with this election, there will be nothing to do except leave while we still can.

[emmadoggy]

19. Thank you, Nancy.

What a beautifully written sad, sad, sad post. As you and others here have said, I, too, have been depressed about the state of our nation (and it's effects throughout the world) since November 2000. With each scandal or bad law or otherwise despicable act that has come down the pike from this administration, I have thought to myself, "This is it. It can't get any worse than this. THIS will turn the tide. FINALLY, now they'll be stopped." etc. And each time I have been wrong and enormously disappointed, disillusioned, depressed, angry, and frustrated.
But this...this is...well, I can't even put into words what this is. It's the straw that broke the camel's back, the death blow. I mourn for our country and grieve for the tatters we've been left in. The honor, integrity, decency, HUMANITY of our nation has been shredded. Shredded by the claws of a predator. A lion in sheep's clothing that infilitrated the flock and decimated it. And the sheep were too stupid to understand what was happening and save themselves. Lambs to the slaughter.

Thank you for your wonderful posts, Nancy. I grieve, I mourn, with you. :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :hug:

[12string]

20. The Death of America

Once again,very well said.It is indeed a sad state of affairs
when a 51 year old man starts the day crying for the future of
my sons.There are no words to express the depth of my anger or
the range of disgust for all who are supposed to represent
us.America will not be able to escape her collective
karma.This is a death knell for a once proud people.

[annabanana]

42. Welcome to DU, 12string

I wish we could have met under happier circumstances.

Have you ever met a distant family member at a funeral? This is the feeling I get when someone new logs onto DU and says "I've felt so alone in this anger and sorrow". So many people come in, shaking their heads and wondering where America has gone.

It is essential that all of us, newcomers and old hands, do our level best to get a Democratic majority in the House in November. Then and only then can we begin to put the brakes on this runaway train.

[Vinca]

22. I'm in awe of your ability to put our current state of the union

in print and on paper. Thank you and thank you for sending it to the perpetrators of this week long, "we're-standing-for-what's-right" charade.

[Contrary1]

23. Kick for the evening crowd. n/t

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ginnyinWI]

25. Um, we call it the "Democratic Party", if it's all the same to you.

And anyway, he's not.

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Terre]

33. He's one of us??????

Are you nuts? Just because he may have voted against a tax cut, doesn't mean he's "one of us."

And he's not stuck with the R. He chose it.

You sure seem to do a lot of leaning towards Republicans in your few posts.

[ginnyinWI]

49. not surprised he's been deleted

I spotted him right away. The "Democrat party" terminology was the proof.

[mcscajun]

34. "Real Democrat values such as higher taxes and welfare."

You sure you didn't take a wrong turn somewhere?

And it's "Democratic values", if you don't mind. Even if you do.

[NanceGreggs]

36. "Real" Democratic values are not summed up ...

... by phrases like "higher taxes and welfare."

Democrats believe in the wealthy paying their fair share of taxes, and providing social services, like welfare, to fellow citizens in need (e.g. those who have had their jobs outsourced by corporations who donate to Republicans, in exchange for seeing things 'their way'.)

I only point that out, because I suspect it's news to you.

[JeffR]

39. When you get back to Frei Republik to talk about your field trip

Tell them I said they can all bite me. Thanks!

[Red Poet]

28. Great Letter, Ms. Greggs.

Thanks for taking the time to write this piece. Other than the technical point of my being an atheist, it conveys quite nicely how I, too, feel about what has happened to America. I sent your message, along with a short note giving you credit for originally writing the piece, to Senators Warner and Graham and am snail mailing a printed copy to McCain.

Thanks for your well written, pointed essay.

Note: Since my home PC is broken and needs to be replaced, I am sending this from work. I will not be able to reply to any return messages until at least Monday evening.

[annabanana]

43. Welcome to DU, Red Poet.

Nance's missives deserve WIDE dissemination. We are fortunate, here, to be her "pubishers". She speaks for thousands here, and millions nationwide.

It is only a matter of time until someone offers our Nance big bucks for her brilliant writing.

[PinkyisBlue]

29. Well said!!

The word "compromise" has different meanings, depending on one's perspective. It may be "compromise" to the politicians here in the USA, whose goal is to legitimize any acts of torture committed by American soldiers on enemy combatants; to those who are the subjects of horrific acts, the "compromise" means nothing but torture.

The USA is now a rogue nation. We have lost any moral authority we may have once had. Our soldiers and citizens are not safe in this chaotic, reckless world.

[Jack Rabbit]

38. In this case, it means 3 senators compromised their own humanity

!!

[Joey Liberal]

30. NanceGreggs is a hero n/t

[Generator]

31. Great letter

Jonathan Turley, constitutional scholar on Countdown tonight looked stunned beyond repair. Best part: The detainees may NOT use the Geneva convention in their defense. BUT our soldiers and captives still can. You got that right, Geneva for US but not the rest of the world. And as he said, you can understand why the rest of the world considers US outside the rule of law and basic decency. Stunning is the only word that comes to mind.

Mouths agape and hearts asunder they watched their country slowly die. It wasn't the worst of times, but they knew that was to come.

[Jack Rabbit]

32. I would like to add a few words for Senator McCain

Senator:

I am very disappointed in your decision to support Mr. Bush's torture and war crimes immunity bill.

I'm sure you are aware that only an act of Congress can make waterboarding into something other than torture. A form of this "harsh intettogation technique" was used during the middle ages to punish scolds and to "persuade" witches to confess. It seems that torture -- I will continue to use the term, regardless of what laws Congress passes -- was used to persuade a detainee on by the name of Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi to confess to all he knew about Saddam's biochemical arsenal. Mr. al-Libi was in "extraordinary rendition" in Egypt -- a practice explicitly prohibited by the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Witchcraft, Saddam's biochemical arsenal and Santa's workshop on the North Pole have a great deal in common, don't they? It seems that torture played a role in the confession of Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen and technical worker who was under "extraodinary rendition" in Syria, to confess to "confessing" that he trained with al Qaida in Afghanistan. In fact, Mr. Arar has never been to Afghanistan.

Tales of Mr. al-Libi, Mr. Arar and a few thousand witches should tell us something about torture. That is: Torture is very good at getting the subject to say what the interrogator wants to hear, but not so good at getting the subject to tell the interrogator what he needs to know.

But why should I tell you this, Senator? You know this far better than I do. I believe while you were in a North Vietnamese prison camp you became acquainted with a guard the POWs called Rabbit because he had buck teeth and long ears and another they nicknamed Straps and Bars after his favorite -- pardon me -- harsh interrogation technique. I have only read about these monsters in human flesh. You have experienced them.

I used to admirer you, Senator. They call you a maverick Republican and I fancy myself a maverick leftist. I don't follow the party line. Although I think he should stand trial as a war criminal, I cringe when I hear Mr. Bush compared to Hitler. I am very skeptical of cheap conspiracy theories, while I know many people who are all too eager to assert them as fact. I love mavericks of all stripes. I think we mavericks ought to get together and form a club, except that tonight I'm not sure you belong in it.

Even this week I wrote a defense of you on a liberal/progressive/leftist website against skeptics and cynics who were sure you'd turn, but I said "No, McCain knows what torture is about. He was a POW in North Vietnam. He was tortured himslef." Well, they were right and I was wrong. I am very disappointed.

How could you? How could you serve this nation in uniform and suffer so much for it and then betray all it stands for in an afternoon? How could you betray not only that, but your own past?

I don't know what power Mr. Bush holds over you, Senator, that you will forgive him the insults to you and your family that Karl Rove spread in South Carolina in 2000 or that will make you shield that heinous man from prosecution for war crimes or to say that torture isn't torture when he orders it. But I know that whatever it is, I don't like it.

Yours,

Jack Rabbit
Democratic Underground

[NanceGreggs]

35. Well said, Jack Rabbit!!!

This post deserves its own thread!

:applause:

[Jack Rabbit]

37. Wow, what a compliment!!

Please click here.

[p12psicop]

40. Despite the wonderful NFL weeekend we await,

Maybe we should have a natonal day of mourning; Mourning our dead Constitution and our dead values.

[jslsingleton]

41. The US is already bound by treaty not to practice torture

In 1988, Ronald Reagan signed the UN Convention Against Torture, which as a ratified treaty is part of "the supreme law of the land" -- and already prohibits what the Bush Administration has been doing.

Despite our facing an "Evil Empire" superpower with a nuclear arsenal, there was an unbroken national consensus that torture is wrong... evil... not to be done, no matter the provocation. Back then, even the neoconservatives still agreed.

How far they've fallen. How far they've dragged our entire nation down with them.

If ever there was a bright line we'd all agree never to cross, I would have expected it to be the commission of war crimes such as those punished at Nuremburg: aggressive war (invading nations who had not attacked), attacking civilian targets, the torture and murder of helpless prisoners neither charged nor convicted of any crime.

Now these are being done by our own government, defended by national politicians and in the mainstream press, and even accepted as matter-of-fact by much of the general population.

I can endure being ashamed of my government. It would be less bearable to be ashamed of my nation.

But that bright line remains clear to me. Bush, his administration, and his supporters in this issue have crossed it, into espousing unambiguous evil.

I still hope that most of my nation's people will not.

[annabanana]

44. Welcome to DU, jslsingleton.

We must all be on our guard.

How long until this cabal of hijackers turns it's eyes to our own shores and says, "cruel and unusual punishment".. that phrase is vague, it must be clarified.

We here are aware that "mainstream media" is completely compromised and is in service to the administration. The consolidation of ownership of the major outlets over the past several years has turned "TV News" into a big part of the problem. Sadly, our arguments were neutered 20 years ago by false cries of "liberal media" that emanated from the radical right.

We have an uphill climb, but more and more people are seeing "around" the corpomedia screen. Fox is openly derided as a tool of the B*sh administration.. Curious people are seeing the headlines and searching the international media for clues to what's really happening.

By reading and posting here, you have joined the rest of America, looking for the exit from the loony bin.

[tbyg52]

45. Here's what I emailed

Not as eloquent as Nancy, of course, but my $.02.

---------------

I picked "terrorism" as a topic because you did not have an option for "torture." How dare you appear on the talking head shows claiming to be fighting Bush on torture and then engineer a "compromise" that still gives him everything he wants (i.e., the ability to do as he pleases, unchecked). I am sick of watching the Constitution and the reputation of this country trashed, and I am disappointed in you for contributing to this sad state of affairs.

---------------

Edited to replace what I had originally typed as "fighting Bush on terror" with "fighting Bush on torture." Caught it in time to correct two of the three emails.... Oh well. I'm quite sure they will know what I am talking about.

[NanceGreggs]

46. Well done, tbyg52!

And welcome aboard!

:toast:

[Michael G.]

47. A Shameful Day for America

The politicians in Washington are both shameless and spineless, to allow the crimes of Bush and Co. to continue. War crimes and atrocities are clearly outside the scope of any decent, civilized nation. Our nation has clearly lost it's way, and needs to hear true voices that speak again with clarity and sanity, through the barrage of lies that are dragging this country into moral oblivion. The day that the United States feels it is above the Geneva convention and advocates the torture of detainees, along with mock trials employing "secret" evidence, is the day that the United States loses it's place in the world as a true representative of Democracy. How can Americans truthfully advocate spreading Democracy to the rest of the world as a shining example, by employing such inhumane and brutal methods? To live during this time and to view America's fall from grace, from the once shining beacon of hope to the world, into what we as Americans have always despised---a nation that commits international war crimes, with full abandon of any standard of decency. How can we, as Americans, stand by and watch these crimes being commited, and yet do nothing? Shame on our elected officials in Washington.

[NanceGreggs]

48. Well said, Michael G ...

... another welcomed addition to the DU family.

[Michael G.]

51. Thanks for the Compliment, Ms. Greggs

Your compliment means a lot to me, as a newcomer to the DU family. Thank you for the kind embrace.

[Blue_In_AK]

50. Thank you, Nance, that was beautiful...

I sent my own letters last night to Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski urging them not support the torture bill. I'm not sure how much good it will do, but it made me feel better.