Duncan responds to Josh's question on the seventies. I went to elementary school in the late sixties and junior high and high school in the seventies. The threat of Nukes from the Soviet Union was real and we were constantly reminded about them. Russia was the bogeyman in the closet at night. Glenn Greenwald on Yoo: "Bush followers distort history to justify their radical changes" Arthur writes extensively on torture.

Remember this? Here's some audio by the very dangerous John Yoo. No, it is not a joke.

Download | play -MP3

Cassel: If the president deems that he’s got to torture somebody, including by crushing the testicles of the person’s child, there is no law that can stop him?

Yoo: No treaty

Cassel: Also no law by Congress — that is what you wrote in the August 2002 memo…

Yoo: I think it depends on why the President thinks he needs to do that.

Yoo actually fielded the question like someone asked him what flavor of ice cream he prefers. I was so stunned listening to his response to the question, I had to ask around to see if this was a valid Q&A.

This story has been around for a little while now, but I had to play the audio clip of this exchange.

As Arthur states very clearly in his excellent piece on torture: "..it's hardly surprising, because of the kind of men who were central to the administration's original decision to embrace torture as a legitimate weapon in its intentionally impossible-to-define "War on Terror. One of those men was John Yoo."

Download | play -MP3

Cassel: If the president deems that he's got to torture somebody, including by crushing the testicles of the person's child, there is no law that can stop him?

Yoo: No treaty

Cassel: Also no law by Congress -- that is what you wrote in the August 2002 memo...

Yoo: I think it depends on why the President thinks he needs to do that.

Yoo actually fielded the question like someone asked him what flavor of ice cream he prefers. I was so stunned listening to his response to the question, (much in the same manner Jeffrey Dahmer might respond to an interviewer) I had to ask around to see if this was a valid Q&A.

Andrew Sullivan was equally shocked at this exchange. "Just keep slicing the salami until you're torturing innocent children. And we deposed Saddam for what again?" (Here also)

ReddHedd analyses Yoo for us:

"Yoo defends his legal interpretations by saying you can't judge him or his scholarship based on the results of his legal advice, but merely on the validity of his legal interpretation of black letter law. Unfortunately for Mr. Yoo, he fails on multiple counts. Not the least of which because he failed to follow the cardinal rule of lawyering: present all sides of the issue, not just the ones your client wants to hear -- because it is the bad news that can be the most important thing in decision-making in any enterprise....read on"

via The Carpetbagger Report:

Over the weekend, Dobson’s supporters decided to respond to Salazar’s criticisms — by going after his wife’s Dairy Queen.

In Westminster Sunday, about two dozen conservative Christians gathered Sunday in front of the Dairy Queen owned and operated by the Salazar family. […] The protesters’ signs bore messages such as “Salazar is anti-Christian” or “Salazar mocks God.”

Minister Bob Enyart said he stands against “the things Salazar advocates,” adding that the senator “openly supports immorality.”

Can’t you just feel the Christian love?

Not surprisingly, the senator was not amused, telling reporters, “It’s outrageous to target my wife’s Dairy Queen. They can protest me wherever they want. These tactics are outrageous and un-American and simply won’t work.”

The left and right may not agree on much, but can’t we leave ice cream out of this? What’s next, picketing Ben & Jerry’s because Ben and Jerry are politically-active liberals? On second thought, I shouldn’t give the right any ideas….

via Ballon-Juice

The stupid continues, even after Terri Schiavo's death. Just heard Sean Hannity say the following:

"I never attacked Michael Schiavo. I don't know if Michael Schiavo caused her condition, but I have questions that need to be answered."

In that spirit, I offer the following:

I don't know if Sean Hannity abuses his wife, but I have questions.

I don't know if Sean Hannity buggers small children, but I have questions.

I don't know if Sean Hannity likes putting whipped cream on his nipples and letting farm animals lick it off, but I have questions.

I think all of these questions should be addressed.