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Posts published in “Day: December 12, 2014”

Shut up and sit down

rainey BARRETT
RAINEY

 
Second
Thoughts

The Hell raising by most Republicans in Congress over publication of the Senate torture report is as off-base as it is loud. Not unexpected. Certainly true-to-form. And - as has so often been the case with them - dead wrong.

The outcry over the black and white evidence this $40 million report lays bare about the “official” actions the Bush administration conducted - then lied about - is baseless B.S.. Bush, Cheney, Tenet, Meyers, three of Meyers’ predecessors at CIA and the hundreds of Americans who conducted, who knew and who lied, over and over and over. Those should be your targets for condemnation.

The self-serving, political lying continues with hourly, ill-aimed blasts at the media and/or at Dianne Feinstein, Jay Rockefeller and all Senate Democrats on the Intelligence Committee. “Kill the damned messenger!!!”

What these liars, deniers and political justifiers ignore is fact. Had there been no torture - illegal, inhuman torture with this nation’s sponsorship - there would’ve been no report. Nothing to investigate. Nothing!

My strong personal “thank you’s” go out to each member of the Committee who voted to conduct the lengthy investigation, then publish the findings. Had the decision to put these grisly facts on the public record not been made by this week, the new Republican majority in the Senate would’ve buried it - every nationally embarrassing, humiliating, loathsome truth would have disappeared from any outside knowledge. Bet the farm!

In recent years, I’ve found it hard to say anything positive about the public utterances of John McCain - leading Senate militarist - who seems to have gone “round-the-bend” on many subjects. Following his usual urging, we’d be at war about everyplace in the world except maybe Kansas. But, this time, using his terrible life experience as the only member of Congress to undergo protracted torture at the hands of an enemy in wartime, McCain became an eloquent defender of both the public’s right to know and the facts that should be known. Alone in his party’s upper ranks, he stood on the floor of the Senate and soundly condemned those who tortured and those who covered it up. He was right!

Then, there’s the Bush-Cheney axis. The 500+ page executive summary seemed to say the President was not told what the CIA was doing. Maybe. Maybe not. But, you damned well can bet Cheney knew. And approved.

You see, there’s this tidbit - not part of the damning document. In the hours after release this week, CNN unearthed a piece of video from 2007 in which Bush-the-Junior said flat out “This nation does not torture anybody!” Direct quote. Yet the report says Bush was briefed on what the CIA was doing in 2005. Even gives the exact date. And by whom. Eighteen months before his televised press conference denial.

There’s an interesting Northwest side note. Faced with the possibility the report would not be published, Oregon’s Sen. Wyden loudly pledged to use every power available to him to get the document on the record. Then, when the document hit the table, Idaho’s Sen. Risch - himself an experienced attorney - twisted both fact and logic condemning all Senate Democrats - and their firstborns - for publishing. He publically screwed up in his own description of what’s in the report. My experience with him is that Jim’s often got a problem with candor. And truth. (more…)

On the front pages

news

Here’s what public affairs news made the front page of newspapers in the Northwest today, excluding local crime, features and sports stories. (Newspaper names contracted with location)

Damage from housing crash continues (Boise Statesman)
OR US attorney says tribes may allow pot grows (Lewiston Tribune)
Moscow-Pullman airport gets FAA approval (Moscow News)
Improvements sought for Moscow-Pullman bike trail (Moscow News)
Canyon Co-op store takes memberships (Nampa Press Tribune)
New Good News church in northern Nampa (Nampa Press Tribune)
Banner Building proposed as new TF city hall (TF Times News)
State will review school testing questions (TF Times News)

Eugene schools say gov's budget still not enough (Eugene Register Guard)
Klamath group looks at building code changes (KF Herald & News)
Massive storm hits Medford, Ashland (Medford Tribune)
AG seeks authority for data protection (Pendleton E Oregonian)
GMO labeling advocates concede election (Pendleton E Oregonian)
Big storm rips downtown Portland (Portland Oregonian)
Did streetcar execs inflate numbers of riders? (Portland Oregonian)

Pot grows may be allowed on tribal lands (Tacoma News Tribune, Yakima Herald Republic, Bremerton Sun, Olympian)
Bremerton may demolish CenCom building (Bremerton Sun)
Poulsbo approves city budget of $27m (Bremerton Sun)
KapStone workers irritated by health plan (Longview News)
Heavy storm hits western Washington (Seattle Times, Tacoma News Tribune, Vancouver Columbian, Olympian)
Republicans take full control of state Senate (Olympian)
Survey finds heavy pot use, driving (Port Angeles News)
Studies finding Pioneer Square cracks; due to Bertha? (Seattle Times)
Tesoro responds to Inslee oil planning (Vancouver Columbian)
Good news ahead for spring chinook (Vancouver Columbian)
Business growing fast at Selah (Yakima Herald Republic)