From FiredogLake - Quote and Comment

Rules must be binding.
Violations must be punished.
Words must mean something.

Barak Obama

I like those last three sentences. They're short, direct, and to the point, with no wiggle room for misunderstanding. I wonder, though, if President Obama really means what he said. After all, there is a growing body of evidence to suggest he doesn't believe these words as much as he professes to.

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There are legally binding treaty obligations, federal laws, and rules of all kinds that forbid the use of torture -- yet despite a growing body of public evidence implicating the highest reaches of the Bush Administration in establishing and carrying out an "enhanced interrogation" program that meets the formal definitions of torture, the Obama administration has filed no charges nor even expressed any desire to investigate past misdeeds.

The apparent Obama Administration mantra is that we must "move forward" and not waste time or political energy looking back. So never mind the broken rules and never mind the unpunished violations. It's all in the past and we must look ahead, not back. Right?

But what becomes of "Rules must be binding" then, Mr. President? When will your own Department of Justice act in accordance with your words to North Korea?

Rules must be binding, Mr. President -- even on you.

Or were your words in Prague simply . . . words?

Read the entire post here.

I have just finished reading Family of Secrets. It is a frightening book when you think about how easily the Bush Family was able to manipulate the American press and the people of this country. We must hold them accountable Mr. President or our laws mean nothing. - Perhaps they don't.