I say the left should act like the grown ups we declare ourselves to be and not practice the same superficial criticisms we point to on the right as childish. I point out the fact of what someone actually said. I respect the rights of private citizens to redress their government for grievances.

And these make me a dick?

Remind me how those on the left aren’t like those on the right?

I have my moments, like most, of both moderation and extremism.

But you comment rings a bit sarcastic. Where in this discussion have I been so extreme as to prompt your comment?

“High value information came from interrogations in which those methods were used and provided a deeper understanding of the al Qa’ida organization that was attacking this country,” Adm. Dennis C. Blair, the intelligence director, wrote in a memo to his staff last Thursday.

Yes. As I’ve been saying.

Especially on a day when Oliver is pulling a Perez Hilton and commenting on men’s hairstyles and whatnot.

J.

The Central Intelligence Agency told CNSNews.com today that it stands by the assertion made in a May 30, 2005 Justice Department memo that the use of “enhanced techniques” of interrogation on al Qaeda leader Khalid Sheik Mohammed (KSM) — including the use of waterboarding — caused KSM to reveal information that allowed the U.S. government to thwart a planned attack on Los Angeles. Before he was waterboarded, when KSM was asked about planned attacks on the United States, he ominously told his CIA interrogators, “Soon, you will know.” According to the previously classified May 30, 2005 Justice Department memo that was released by President Barack Obama last week, the thwarted attack — which KSM called the “Second Wave”– planned “ ‘to use East Asian operatives to crash a hijacked airliner into’ a building in Los Angeles.”

I just reached a spokesperson for former Veep Dick Cheney, and she categorically refused to explain what Cheney meant when he claimed on Fox News last night that he had “formally asked” the CIA to release intelligence allegedly proving that torture works.

But an intelligence source familiar with the situation told me that the CIA has received no such request from Cheney.

I told the spokesperson about the intelligence source’s denial, and asked how procedurally this formal request had been made. The reply: “We have no comment.”

Let’s be as clear as possible about this: If what Cheney did is merely ask for the release of these documents on TV, that doesn’t count as a formal request, because it won’t result in anything. If news orgs are going to reproduce Cheney’s claim, why not try to determine whether it’s true or not?

How poorly you know me. I’d be doing nothing of the kind. But don’t let that stop you from seeing realities that just aren’t there to support your point.

Rheinhard: Remember how the right pretended [pretended? I think they really were upset because those who speak for the right these days really think irrelevancies are important] to get its panties in a bunch several months ago because Obama had the effrontery to set up a White House transition office too soon? But apparently as a Republican ex-vice-pres with no government role at all you can issue requests to the CIA and rationally expect them to be taken under serious consideration. As ever, IOKIYAR.

I wouldn’t expect anyone to respond to a request you or I made during a TV interview (given that we’re not anyone notable). But I think it’s obvious that more attention would be paid to comments made by someone who used to be VP. I’d hope no official response would be coming if all he did was make the request during a TV interview, but expect one would be if he actually filed an official request.

As for whether Cheney “expects” to get a response, I don’t know. There you go reading minds again.

Yes. Any citizen can formally ask. By filing an FOIA request for example.

And no, I don’t think the CIA would pay attention if you asked while being interviewed on TV or the Catholic “Chruch” (nice, I like that. Mind if I use in in future?) would pay attention if you asked to be UltraPope. But whether the request would be answered wasn’t what I was commenting on, was it?

“Who gives a shit what he says? He’s a loser.”

And there are reports that show specifically what we gained as a result of this activity. They have not been declassified.”

They’re probably in your man-size safe, underneath the reports that prove Saddam planned 9-11.

“I formally asked that they be declassified now. I haven’t announced this up until now, I haven’t talked about it, but I know specifically of reports that I read, that I saw that lay out what we learned through the interrogation process and what the consequences were for the country.”

CIA staff made them up just for you to read.

Dick.

Remember how the right pretended to get its panties in a bunch several months ago because Obama had the effrontery to set up a White House transition office too soon? But apparently as a Republican ex-vice-pres with no government role at all you can issue requests to the CIA and rationally expect them to be taken under serious consideration. As ever, IOKIYAR.

Therefore we can with reasonable certainty predict that he is lying again. Since there are no such memos, there will be no such memos released, to which Dick and friends will say “What does the Obama adm. have to hide.”

You cannot release a memo that doesn’t exist, furthermore you cannot prove that such a memo doesn’t exist. The only saving grace here is that Dick is known liar, and so only the idiots will give him the benefit of the doubt on this.

Rheinhard: Somebody needs to remind Biggus Dickus that he is no longer in the motherf**king government and has zero.point.shit authority to tell anybody to do anything.

And where did he try to order anyone to do anything? He asked, as any private citizen can.

But the adults are supposed to be in charge. And adults deal with substance and respond with substance. Children dismiss it with “I don’t have to because you’re an idiot” playground excuses and instead focus on comparing hair color in two differently lit photos.

Sean sure is handsome, isn’t he..?

seph…

Somebody needs to remind Biggus Dickus that he is no longer in the motherf**king government and has zero.point.shit authority to tell anybody to do anything.

Geez louise, can you imagine the fauxtrage if Bill Clinton had said something in 2002 like “I’ve asked the CIA to declassify all the memos explaining the specific actions we took against Bin Laden”? Quelle horreur! The presumption! The unmitigated gall! You’re no longer President you sexual deviant, and can’t ask anyone in the CIA anything! We need a special prosecutor to see if Clinton still has moles inside the CIA!!!11one!