The Torture Report and the possibility of International Criminal Court charges. Former Sen. Bob Kerry challenges the report.

Sen. Bob Kerrey: Partisan torture report fails America  ... "I do not need to read the report to know that the Democratic staff alone wrote it. The Republicans checked out early when they determined that their counterparts started out with the premise that the CIA was guilty and then worked to prove it." ...

The Volokh Conspiracy via the Washington Post.
"The Senate’s report on the Central Intelligence Agency’s harsh treatment of detainees, amounting to torture, comes shortly after the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced she is conducting a preliminary investigation of alleged detainee abuse by U.S. forces in Afghanistan. (Afghanistan joined the court in 2003 – I do not know what the U.S. was thinking when it allowed this – and torture is certainly a crime, or multiple crimes, within the Court’s treaty-based jurisdiction.) The Senate report, which I have read only in small parts, gives significant impetus and ammunition to the ICC’s investigation, as well as providing a basis for expanding its scope."

"This post will examine possible jurisdictional barriers to a full ICC investigation, especially in light of the new information in the report. " ...  More.

 

Brennan’s reversal: Enhanced interrogation saved lives  ... "That steps on the message that Democrats wanted to send yesterday — that the Bush era had nothing to do with them, and that any intelligence wins on Barack Obama’s watch were his alone. That’s the entire point of this exercise, after all. Dianne Feinstein and her panel pushed the report out before the Republican majority that voters just elected could stop them from releasing their cherry-picked conclusions." ...

 

Former Democratic Senator rails against 'partisan torture report  "Former Nebraska Senator and member of the Intelligence Committee Bob Kerrey wrote an op ed in USA Today, bemoaning the partisan nature of the torture report, and calling on the intel committee to offer recommendations for reform." Read more:

Sen. Bob Kerrey: Partisan torture report fails America  ... "I do not need to read the report to know that the Democratic staff alone wrote it. The Republicans checked out early when they determined that their counterparts started out with the premise that the CIA was guilty and then worked to prove it." ...

Lena Delivers The Apology "Barry" Was Waiting For. Churlishly, Natch

Lena's Campus Rape Story Unravels  "Lena Dunham – the 28-year-old writer, actress, director – seems to be getting more attention for the writing in her “memoir” Not That Kind of Girl in the past two months, than she has for the writing that won her two Golden Globe Awards and eight nominations for the Emmy Awards for her HBO series Girls.

 

"But this attention isn’t the “good” kind.  As a matter of fact, the amount of negative attention this book has gotten due to investigations by various news outlets is beginning to unravel one of the chapters of her book that centers on an alleged rape from a “campus Republican” named “Barry”, that it outed an innocent man who has racked up a tremendous amount of debt in legal fees trying to clear his name – even AFTER reaching out to Dunham and her publisher Random House a few months ago." ...

pastemagazine

JustOneMinute
"Lena Dunham, presumably typing with one arm twisted behind her back, shows how not to apologize:

"Lena Dunham: Why I Chose To Speak Out

 

"Ahh, because your lawyers thought it was the best way to keep your fancy condo?

"Noo! To inspire rape survivors everywhere! Her lead, with the apology "Barry" was looking for:

Lena and Grace Dunham: Life in the Shame-Free Zone  .."First, there is overwhelming evidence that Dunham perpetrated a rape-hoax against a fellow Oberlin student she identified as Barry the Republican. At the time this rape was supposed to have occurred, only one student at Oberlin College was named Barry, a well-known member of the small group of campus Republicans. This man, who now has a family and children, was readily identified and has had the national spotlight shined on him by what appears to be Dunham’s libel. Second, her book provided a multilayered history of her -- by her own feminist definition -- sexually abusing her younger sister, Grace."  Read more:

Obama's Scandal-Tainted BCGB (Best Chicago Golfing Buddy)

Michelle Malkin 

"In his "Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior," George Washington offered this sage advice: "Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company."

"Too bad President Obama and his best Chicago golfing buddy (BCGB), Dr. Eric Whitaker, didn't heed our Founding Father's wisdom. The duo's continued intimacy, as the stench of government corruption thickens around them, speaks volumes about our current commander in chief's reckless disregard for his reputation." ...

 Speaking of Obama's circle of friends:

Obama’s immigration taunt: Next president won’t dare reverse my executive action

The Washington Times

 

"President Obama insisted Tuesday that his successor won’t take the political risk that would come with reversing his recent executive action on immigration reform.

"Speaking at a town-hall meeting in Nashville, the president said it’s “theoretically” possible that the next administration could undo the amnesty Mr. Obama has granted to more than 4 million illegal immigrants, but he assured a supportive crowd that such a step it is extremely unlikely." ....

 

 

Near you? Allah in the Classroom — the ABC’s of Forced Conversion

Noisy Room

 

... "Here is an example from a textbook (by the way, this has been going on for some time now in the public school system):

Jesus was mentioned once as a Jewish prophet in the first chapter and the second chapter briefly discussed the division within the Christian Church. Chapter three is dedicated completely to Islam and the story of Muhammad, with multiple quotes from the Qur’an throughout the chapter. The book even goes on to say that “. . .Muhammad revealed the purest version of God’s truth” and that Muhammad is the final prophet of God’s truth with the most complete version of that truth.

"So much for separation of church and state. Evidently that only applies to other religions, not Islam. Can you imagine how confused the children must be? And those that come from Christian and Jewish homes surely know deep down this is wrong and abhorrent to their faith. The children are having to write and say the Muslim declaration of faith (the Shahada), over and over."...
...
"A number of parents across America are beginning to wake up to the brainwashing in the schools being foisted on their children. A number of them are saying enough is enough.

"Let’s start with the Marine veteran who complained about the pro-Islam bias in his daughter’s schoolwork in Maryland. He was banned from her school for objecting to said bias. It’s his child and his right – we are not the Middle East… not yet, any way.

From the Daily Caller:

A Maryland father who asked that his daughter be excused from learning about Islam in her world history class now finds himself under a no-trespass order that prevents him from setting foot on the girl’s public school campus.

More here.

Mandated Teaching of Islam in California Public Schools-Truth! & Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:  " The message says "Public Schools Embrace Islam - A Shocker."  It focuses on seventh graders in Byron, California, and says that although students in a growing number of public schools cannot wear crosses or utter the name of Jesus, they are being required to attend an intensive three-week course on Islam including mandated study of the tenets of Islam, the important people of Islam, wearing of a robe, adopting a Moslem name, and staging their own Jihad.  It says that the California-required course uses a textbook that says a lot more about Islam than about Christianity and quotes a teacher who says she couldn't teach Christianity like that and can't even say the name of Jesus in the classroom, but the seventh graders are learning how to pray to Allah."...

Our Weasel Of The Week Nominees! – 12/09/14

 Tom White at Noisy Room 

"It’s time again for the Watcher’s Council’s ‘Weasel Of The Week’ nominations, where we award the famed golden plastic Weasel to a public figure who particularly deserves to be slimed and mocked for his or her dastardly deeds during the week. Every Tuesday morning, tune in for the Weasel of the Week nominations and check back Thursday to see which Weasel gets the votes and walks off with the statuette of shame!"

Here are this weeks’ nominees. More detail on each at the site.

• Former Secretary of State, Senator And First Lady Hillary “Benghazi Babe” Clinton!!
• 
• Commie, 9/11 Troother, ‘Palestine’ Groupie, Green Energy Scamster And Obama Favorite Van Jones!
• The Obnoxious, Degenerate Lefties At Rolling Stone Magazine!!

• New York City Mayor Kommissar Bill DeBlasio!!
• Journalist’ And Rape Fantasy Fiction Writer Sabrina Rubin Erdely!!

 

Also here.

Rescue or Ransom? Obama Made Right Call.

Jonathan S. Tobin  "This past weekend’s Navy SEAL mission to rescue Luke Somers, an American held by al-Qaeda in Yemen, ended in tragedy when the terrorists holding the photojournalist killed him and his cellmate, South African Pierre Korkie, before they could be rescued. Like all military disasters, the attempt is subject to second-guessing about the risks that were taken. But adding to the anguish of this failure is the revelation that, unbeknownst to the U.S., a South African charity had already negotiated a ransom for Korkie and he was supposed to be released the day after the attempt to free him took place. This opens up President Obama, who personally ordered the mission, as well as the U.S. policy of no negotiations or ransoms for American hostages, to criticism. But as unfortunate as these events may be, the president was right." ... (Emphasis mine, TD)

Feinstein, Democrats Putting Petty Politics above National Security

 

Michael Rubin  "During the Bush administration and in the wake of 9/11, CIA interrogation policy and extraordinary rendition became a lightning rod for controversy (never mind that the Clinton administration had also embraced rendition). In short, terror suspects were often snatched and transferred for interrogation to other countries, some of which allegedly engage in torture. Senate Democrats launched an investigation, and Dianne Feinstein, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, planned to release the report this week." ...
...
"Don’t like CIA methods and extraordinary rendition? By all means, use all legislative and oversight power to put an end to it. But don’t drag allies into a political debate or air dirty laundry publicly. Don’t damage relations. Trust is at the heart of alliances, and once destroyed, it will never be rebuilt. Let us never punish allies and their leaders for standing by America when the request comes, no matter what politicians may, in hindsight, think of that request."

Americans Working Overseas Brace For Release of Democrats' CIA Enhanced Interrogation Report  "Americans and CIA operatives working on counter terrorism operations around the world are bracing this morning ahead of the release of a report produced by Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee about the use of enhanced interrogation techniques to gather intelligence after 9/11/2001. " ...
..."Meanwhile President George W. Bush, who has made it a point to stay out of the current public debate on a number of issues, is standing by the men and women working in the CIA to keep Americans safe from terror."
 

Releasing the Feinstein report on the CIA in the middle of a war would be an act of exceptional recklessness  ... " At the CIA, these concerns are not hypothetical. “I know the Predator program intimately,” a former senior intelligence officer told me. “There have been hundreds and hundreds of Predator shots, the most carefully targeted in the history of warfare, but not 100 percent right. What if the next president, [say] Rand Paul or Elizabeth Warren, comes after people involved in this program?' ”...

...“If you have to worry about a new administration coming along 10 years down the road,” the intelligence officer told me, “making villains out of agency officials following the exact letter of the law, it is sobering. We think about that all the time.'”

Mr. Holder, here is some of that "conversation" on racism you said you wanted

http://terrellaftermath.com/

 

Who Is to Blame for How Black Males Are Viewed by Others?  "The meme that Mr. Smiley and other prominent black Americans keep repeating is that police officers have such a negative view of black males (which Smiley and others attribute to racism) that they place less value on their (black males’) lives.  That in turn causes the police officers to set out from the get-go to shoot to kill.

 

"Now, there is no evidence that supports that claim.  However if that is the case, how did the police officers come to view black males so negatively in the first place?" ...

 

Rowdy white protesters in Portland instruct articulate and polite black man on oppression  ..."Last week, I highlighted a video (embedded below) of a female UCLA student instructing an older black cop from the Deep South that he failed to understand racism.  Today, courtesy of Laughing at Liberals and Gateway Pundit, we have the following video, in which a highly civil and articulate black male in Portland, Oregon attempts to get a group of rowdy, seemingly drunk white protesters to stop chanting “f**k the police!” and is rewarded with similar condescension."...
 

Victor Davis Hanson: Lying for the Cause ; If myths do more for social progress than facts — then why worry?

 

... "From the details of Rigoberta Menchú’s memoir, to Tawana Brawley’s supposed rape, to the O. J. “If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit” myth, to the open-and-shut case of the hate-crime crucifixion of Matthew Shepard by savage homophobes, to Dan Rather’s fake but accurate National Guard memo, to the Duke lacrosse team’s supposed racist raping, to Barack Obama’s autobiographic interludes with his girlfriend, to Scott Beauchamp’s “true” stories of American military atrocities in Iraq, to Lena Dunham’s purported right-wing sexual assaulter at Oberlin College (home of the 2013 epidemic of pseudo-racist graffiti), to the pack of University of Virginia fraternity rapists on the loose, to “Hands up, don’t shoot,” we have come to appreciate that facts and truth are not that important, if myths can better serve social progress or the careers of those on the correct side of history." ...

 

Andrew C. McCarthy: What’s Really Going on with Holder’s Civil-Rights Crusade against Police Departments  ... "Here is how the game works. Holder streams in behind a tragedy that Sharpton and Obama have demagogued. He announces a civil-rights investigation. Eventually, he backs down from the threat of an indictment in the individual case, never conceding that the supporting evidence was not there, usually citing some strawman injustice that has nothing to do with the matter at hand — in Florida, for example, it was “stand your ground” gun laws that purportedly needed reforming. But, the attorney general is pleased to add, the original civil-rights probe of the non-crime has metastasized into a thoroughgoing civil-rights probe of the state or local police department’s training, practices, and . . . drumroll . . . institutional racism." ...

 

Can't this nation find better people to govern us than these?

Krauthammer’s Take: Senate ‘Torture Report’ Will Alienate Much-Needed Allies

NRO Staff
 

 

"The Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on the enhanced interrogation techniques used against terrorists following the September 11 attacks in 2001 — the so-called “torture report” — is expected to be released on Tuesday, and it will have serious effects on American security, says Charles Krauthammer.

“ 'What intelligence service abroad is going to help us when they are going to be exposed and pilloried around the world?” Krauthammer asked. “We’re going to lose all [of our human intelligence]. We’re not going to have any allies around the world. And because we have so little human intelligence, as a result of a drone program that kills our enemy and never captures him — nobody’s gone to Guantanamo in the six years of the Obama administration — we rely on the eyes or ears of other allies.”

“ 'Who are going to help us after this? Nobody.”

Well, now we will have the national security the left has always longed for.  TD

Obama And Global Warmists Strategize On Ways To Inject “Climate Change” Propaganda Views Into Public Schools…

Weasel Zippers

 

"Including one of the people responsible for Common Core."

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new presidential initiative will target students and teachers in an effort to sell global warming to the next generation.
President Barack Obama is gathering educators, government officials, nonprofit leaders and others at the White House on Wednesday to strategize about the best ways to spread the administration’s views on climate change to public school students specifically, and the public in general, according to U.S. News and World Report.
The initiative coincides with the implementation of new “Next Generation Science Standards,” which “place an increased emphasis” on climate change and evolution. Those new standards “were developed by a group of national science and education organizations – including one also involved in developing the Common Core …,” the news site reports.
“Under President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, important steps have already been taken to cut carbon pollution, prepare for the impacts of climate change and lead international efforts to fight this global challenge,” according to a White House fact sheet.

 Keep reading…

"Forgive Me (Founding) Fathers, For I Have Signed". Hope n' Change blogger signs up for Obamacare

Stilton Jarlsberg

"Although the road to Hell is sometimes paved with good intentions, it's even more frequently paved with unavoidable government regulations. And that's the road the Jarlsberg family just reluctantly traveled down (and down and down) to get our shiny new Obamacare policy.

"As a point of principle, I didn't want to change my existing health insurance policy - but the Obamacare demons didn't give me much of a choice. Not only was the price raised another $4000 for next year (raising my premiums to around $21k), but to "provide affordable services for everyone" per ACA requirements, my insurer declared that my policy would no longer cover my rectal regions owing to some benign polyps found a decade ago.

 " ... So I had no choice but to get a new Obamacare policy. Gulp..." 
...
"Do I really have insurance now, or are the errors just out of my sight (and control) now? How much other damage is being done by this bureaucracy and bungled computer programming? And if I'm ever in a strange emergency room, will I bleed out while doctors try to make sense of a blank PDF ostensibly containing my critical government medical records?"
 Full article here.