Axelrod Doesn't Deny Cheney Charge of Reserving Right to EIT

[qualityrkc]

obama and bush both work for the same people. If you wanted change and voted for the dems then you are blind to the history of both parties. Stop voting for these war crazy fuckers.

[patsagainstrats]

I guess this makes Obama officially complicit in war crimes. When's he going to be sent to the Hague?

[PersonalJesus348]

Torture was always illegal...

[siegristrm]

A pro American stance to torture is that its above our standards. We can't say "don't torture us" if we torture them... we are 1st world country, we need to stand the higher ground. Not just that, I find it highly unfeasible that any of what you said is true. I'm a Republican at heart, and torture is not an American value, or at least not one we want.

[WKaliberr]

Axelrod is brilliant. He could get Michael Steele elected president if he wanted.

[UltraSWG]

The question doesn't even make sense, anyway. Translated:

"Did Obama reserve unto himself the right to break the law?"

Obama just said on national TV that the President's office is not above the law. So how could he possibly have "reserved unto himself" the authority to break the law?

It isn't even within the power of the office to make such a provision.

In all honesty, this is a dumb question.

[Shirakawasuna]

Then it should have been easy for Axelrod to give a straight yes or no.

[milkgodnl]

Both Axelrod and Gibbs are in over their heads. To Chris Matthews' question at (1:55) Axelrod should have simply said: "No. The President never said that .. Mr. Cheney must be engaging in wishful lying .. again".

Just because Axelrod and Gibbs helped on the campaign does not mean they must retain their jobs if they are not suited to them.

[TheIllegit]

LOL @ how fast Axelrod goes into spin mode and dodges the question. Stuttering worse than Obama w/o a teleprompter, nervous as fuck. LOLLLL. This vid is priceless.

[dogstar7]

Dodge the question?

You obviously weren't listening.

[TheIllegit]

Then what was the answer? The question was 'is what Cheney said true?' Was the answer yes or no? Tell me which it was, if he answered it.

[dogstar7]

That would be a "No", Mr. Simpleton

What wrong, can't you pay attention all the way to the end of a sentence? Do concepts broader than yes/no confuse you?

[TheIllegit]

Only he didn't say, or imply 'no' at all. In fact, he DID NOT ANSWER the question, period. He was asked 'does Obama reserve the right to invoke EIT'? Did he say, or imply no? No. Did he say or imply 'yes'? Kind of.. by not answering the question, the implication is that he doesn't want to answer because the answer is yes.

[dogstar7]

WTF?

Is English your second language

or are you just another obstinate partisan?

Maybe you don't have many adult conversations.

[TheIllegit]

Huh? You're the one claiming axelrod answered a question when he clearly didn't. Even partisan hack Matthews realized he didn't, and was forced to reiterate to question, to which Axelrod responded with the same spin and dodge of the question.

"The interrogation practices outlined in the Army Field Manual are sanctified by the Geneva Conventions. Even the 'enhanced techniques' that he has retained for special use are not "torture" under international law." - correct, incl. waterboarding

[dogstar7]

Did you flunk English?

I sorry if you're not following along at home with the rest of us.

[intarwebzz]

creepy.

[growliberty]

Obama coerces bond holders at Crystler and controls wages of bank employees and colludes with GE to have in effect a propaganda network and cloaks himself in the constitutionNBC is not news its abuse of power.

Obama is hypocrite in chief

[intarwebzz]

he certainly has his moments. repeatedly, it seems.

[taoofmichael]

So, I suppose you also hate Fox News too?

[dogstar7]

Wondering if any of the commentators here actually listened to David Axelrod responding to Cheney...it was the sort-of the point, after all.

Obama issued an executive order that interrogations of this sort must follow the DoD Field Manual. This is a clear repudiation of Bush/Cheney use of John Yoo's contrived legal findings that supported torture techniques and a basic return to the fundamental standard of the Rule of Law...and all that entails.

Yeah, what a concept, eh?

[taoofmichael]

I am a huge Obama supporter. And Axelrod is generally one of the smartest politicos around -- but he blew it on this one.

Obama is headed down a long lonely road, if he wants to continue to claim the right to order torture in America, and claim the power to overrule the constitution -- on torture, and prolonged detention.

When one president claims excessive powers -- the next one NEVER gives those powers up.

This is Obama's first MAJOR slip-up. I hope he reverses himself -- SOON.

[dogstar7]

taoofmichael (great screen name, btw)

I agree that it looks just like you say. But I think that the President is playing the long game here. And I still disagree that Obama is continuing torture, specifically it cannot be said that he will condone 'waterboarding', etc.

The interrogation practices outlined in the Army Field Manual are sanctified by the Geneva Conventions. Even the 'enhanced techniques' that he has retained for special use are not "torture" under international law.

[tonycapricorny]

I wish it weren't so hard to convince Republicans that torture is wrong.

[gisforgary]

i think it would be easy -- lets have teabagging parties with a waterboard booth. line em up and enjoy the hijinx that ensue.

[ConservativeNow]

If you are going to try and label "waterboarding" as some extreme type of inhumane form of torture, then yes you are going to have a hard sell with the common sense crowd.

[AngrySkeptic]

It's not the same as having your fingernails pulled out.

But I'd ask you to take a look at the people with FIRST HAND knowledge and their position.

McCain, a victim of torture opposes this technique. It's not something we, as Americans, should do to any person under our control for the purposes of interrogation.

That said, I am fully opposed to prosecuting anyone . It's obvious to me that both parties were aware and signed on during the stressful periods immediately after 9/11.

[pantherprowl22]

AngrySkeptic:

NO. WRONG.

McCain, in an interview just the other day, said in times of emergencies, he too would support the use of EITs

[qualityrkc]

getting your finger nails pulled isnt as bad as waterboarding because when its happening you dont think you are going to die.

[dogstar7]

"If you are going to try and label "waterboarding" as some extreme type of inhumane form of torture..."

The United States "labels" waterboarding as torture.

In 1947, the U.S. charged a Japanese officer, Yukio Asano, with war crimes for waterboarding a U.S. civilian. Asano was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor.

[Ceddyohtwo]

but if you label it as "enhanced interrogation" then you will have an easy sell to inbreds, idiots, and people missing a chromosome crowd.

[growliberty]

Obama has realized he is wrong on many of these points and has flipped on some of them like releasing the photos, but he is stuck with the executive order he rushed to signed for the closing of Gitmo. He signed this order WITHOUT A PLAN and now he tries to rationalize it. Obama is as hypocritical as Pelosi.

[dogstar7]

"Obama has realized he is wrong..."

Huh? Project much?

[growliberty]

GE owns NBC and GE's CEO is conveniently on Obamas board of economic advisors. GE is in collusion with Obama and now NBC is the propaganda wing of the Obaman administration. NBC is not news its abuse of power.

[JOHNINCOLUMBUS]

Cheney is running scared, he's a coward, anyone that got 5 deferments from serving is a total coward. Then Cheney, who has never served a day in the military was running the show, just goes to show how screwed up our government is.

[growliberty]

Obama is hypocrite in chief. He reserves the right to use enhanced interrogation while demonizing their use. He dose the same thing on wire taps, habeas corpus ect. Nancy Pelosi has nothing on Obama.

[AbiltyToThink]

If Cheney keeps talkin he will hang himself !

[ConservativeNow]

CNN's opinion research poll shows his favorable ratings have risen 8% since he left office. Quite to the contrary of your comment. Peace.

[dogstar7]

Risen 8%, eh?

Up to a full 10% approval, you mean?

If Masters and Johnson survey of the prevalence of sado-masochistic behavior is correct, then more people actually prefer a poke in the eye with a sharp stick to Dick Cheney.

[AbiltyToThink]

ConservativeNow-ahahahaha that was the funniest thing anyone ever said to me ,if a corporate owned propaganda machine says something u piss it out like its facts hahahaha that was too much .

[hajqbvii]

Obama doesn't want to lessen the power of the Presidency, Cheney knows this like he knows those files he requested from CIA can't be released.....he's playing everyone....have to give him credit for stirring up the media and GOPs....but I don't like how he wraps himself with our flag while stomping all over the Constitution!....Why is he doing this?....he's trying to sell his book.....lol

[Philinspaces]

Not one of these politicians will give a straight yes or no answer. Always covering their ass. There should be a law that they have to answer the damn question. The reporters should say, "Well, you won't answer my question so I'll say goodbye now and cut the bastard off!

[gomuti]

"change we can believe in" and people say I wasted my vote. It's foolish to think someone looking to gain more power would take some of it away once they've achieved it. By the way, bush and obama are cousins.

[3star2nr]

He siaid he WILL not torture why is this even a debate?

[integral]

And when will the whiners (tj5etc) stop whining?

[boots920]

The President has become a dictator there's no more representation of the individual.

[integral]

Oh stop whining

[boots920]

Another sad result of the "the no child left behind".

They should have called it no moron left behind.

Do ya think they're going to pay back the 4 trillion the government morons running the country into the ground spent on the Iraq war. Think about it for once.

[sailfished]

anyone have any backgrond on this site?

[sailfished1]

I am encouraged that subscribers to tpmtv are waking up to the lies and treason being committed by both the dems, and repubs. Dr. Ron Paul is my preasident

[dogstar7]

In Bizarro World, maybe.

[siegristrm]

Dr. Paul is the best candidate I could foresee... maybe his son in a couple years.

[dogstar7]

Ah, a Ron Paul dynasty!

One can only tremble with antici

pation.

[IonicStormFront]

"enhanced interrogation", comes from the German term, Verschärfte Vernehmung, and was originally coined by the Gestapo, the official secret police of Nazi Germany.

Right out of Wikipedia!

They're not even trying to hide anymore what the U.S. has become.

[k166a]

When will Cheney suffocate on the excrement that comes form his mouth...?!

[437thx1138]

Dick you should train to resist waterboarding and being beat to death. Then we'll test it out. See how that works for you. How effective would it really be? Dick.

[dakusahab]

obama is also a fucking hypocrite, America is no longer a country based upon law.

[LeGioNoFZioN]

big surprise, democrats are just like republicans, who didn't already know that other than the partisan hacks on both sides ?

[burntonion05]

You can't train against torture. WTF is he talking about? You probably could try but all it would do is make you more fearful of it. Dick doesn't know dick. He should just shut up already.

[LeGioNoFZioN]

training against torture is why the CIA waterboards their own guys. I get what you are trying to say, but he is right about that one point.

[burntonion05]

So you are saying people can get used to drowning? I would seriously doubt that. And even if you could what good would it do if we aren't ever going to do it again? Are they going to train against torture tactics that they know we won't do? That doesn't make any sense.

[LeGioNoFZioN]

intellectual honesty here please, its not training so you can't drown, but to ensure you experience what they will likely do, so when they do do it, you are more desensitized. Thats all the CIA were doing to their guys, preparing them for what they may experience. Axelrod here didn't deny Cheney's charge that the President resrves the right to use enhaced interrogation in the future if need be. That is the point of the video if you were watching.

[437thx1138]

SERE training is to let them know what to expect. It does not enhance resistance. If you are tortured you WILL break. Professional cops and investigators break people by talking to them. You will not beat torture.

[LeGioNoFZioN]

I agree it doesn't prevent you from breaking, just lets you know what to expect and where your limits are. That said Cops and investigators rarely get sufficient information from talking alone unless they lie through their teeth

[burntonion05]

It lets you know what to expect so you don't want to go down alive. The military does a lot of stupid shit but that doesn't mean they are right or effective. In Army basic they put us in a gas chamber. I still don't understand what good that does but make you fear getting gassed. Maybe it makes you fear it so much you never want to ever be put in that position again but it doesn't make it any easier it it did.

[LeGioNoFZioN]

I agree

[siegristrm]

Dude, the gas chamber is nothing... and it is really good training, especially when you consider the amount of gas that may or may not be used in wars. Not just that, but as Marines get it done 1-3 times a year, we are very comfortable in the gas chamber w/o a mask on. You get used to knowing the feeling and fighting through it.

[burntonion05]

Also are you sure the cia does it to their own? I seriously doubt this.

[LeGioNoFZioN]

no I'm not sure but Jesse Ventura a big libertarian guy and former Navy Seal said he was waterboarded when he was in the service. And he asserts it is definitely torture. So have they before ? yes. do they now ? I do not know.  you can easily check otu the videos on YOUTUBE right now if you want to check. I just watched him preach sanctimoniously about it yesterday.

[Cat443]

If you can train against waterboarding tactics, then wouldn't you think that after 57 times of being waterboarded that KSM would have been "trained" and the other 126 times he was waterboarded would have been superfluous?

[LeGioNoFZioN]

maybe, except each time in the # you quote is just the water being poured, it would be more accurate to think of them as 3 separate incidents. If he had been waterboarded on 57 different days then I would think you were right.

[AngrySkeptic]

As an member of the Air Force, I attended SERE training in Colorado that includes training "against torture".

You are wrong.

[burntonion05]

So was it effective and how?

[siegristrm]

I guess they just let you walk right in there eh? What unit/job were you? There are only a handful of airmen that do SERE. Its interesting to see one right here. Did they break any of your bones in SERE as well?

[AngrySkeptic]

The contents of the program are classified. I swore an oath not to divulge the contents.

I'm not going to give more personally identifiable information in the contents section of youtube. Sorry friend.

[siegristrm]

That is the most lame cop out I've ever heard of. You are definitely NOT military and trying to blow your own horn. I spent a few years in the Marine Corps, I'm aware of situations that are allowed to be divulged and situations not. You making up a story is definitely one of the situations you can divulge. Besides, telling your unit doesn't violate the UCMJ. And if you are in a secret unit, you already gave away too much info. They tell you a fake unit to use. Good try tho.