BOOMERANG
"Many Democrats in Congress have pushed for release of documents and the holding of hearings on waterboarding and other interrogation methods," William A. Jacobson writes at www.legalinsurrection.blogspot.com.
"Putting aside for now whether the release of such information should take place, it appears that Obama started the ball rolling down hill by releasing the interrogation memos. Barring active intervention by Obama, there will be some further level of document release, congressional investigations and public hearings," said Mr. Jacobson, a law professor at Cornell.
"This presents a problem mostly for Democrats. Republicans who were briefed on the interrogation methods at least will be consistent, for the most part, in maintaining that the methods were lawful and useful. No Republican is going to be harmed politically by the revelations because most Americans support these methods against people like Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. If leaks of a Justice Department report are to be believed, there will be no prosecutions. Republicans are safe politically and legally.
"For Democrats, however, the damage could be significant. Nancy Pelosi already has lost a great deal of credibility from her changing stories. Dozens of other Democrats, including such senior senators as Jay Rockefeller, apparently also were briefed on the interrogation methods and either were silent, approved or encouraged the policy.
"The irony is that a full-blown investigation and hearings will turn mostly on what the Democrats knew, and when they knew it. ...
"Where this seems to be heading is: (1) Republicans claim Democrats are damaging national security, thereby setting Democrats up for blame when there is a terrorist attack; (2) Republicans claim the mantle of putting the safety of the country ahead of politics; (3) Democrats claim the mantle of putting politics ahead of the safety of the country; (4) Democrats end up exposing Democratic Party leaders to be untruthful, misleading, deceptive and/or too smart by half; (5) the CIA fights as it always has for its institutional interests in a battle politicians mostly lose; and (6) Democrats turn on each other." |
