Did Democrats and Republicans Endorse Torture?

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The Hill’s Pundits Blog

December 12, 2007

Did Democrats and Republicans Endorse Torture?

Brent Budowsky

The reason a special prosecutor is needed in the torture tapes obstruction of justice case, and the reason there is private panic in many Democratic and Republican circles, is that it now appears that some prominent Democrats, along with some prominent Republicans, gave a private thumbs-up to torture in 2002…

It is time for truth. It is time for truth without fear. It is time to end torture. It is time for those who were wrong, in either party, to put their wrongness to the side and call for a full and complete investigation, no matter where the truth may lead,  because it is clear where the cause of right must stand: End torture now.

My bet is that the president will ultimately issue a mass pardon, including himself and the vice president, which he can do for crimes other than impeachment. My bet is that we will learn that the president and vice president both knew about the destruction of the torture tapes. My bet is that at least some senior Democrats, and close to all senior Republicans who were briefed, gave their approval or assent to torture in classified briefings…

It is time for a special prosecutor, time for the rule of law, time for the triumph of truth and time to end torture here and now, once and forever, in an America that has rejected torture from the days of George Washington and must reject it now, forever.

Budowsky serves on the Advisory Council of the Intelligence Summit and is a contributing editor to Fighting Dems News Service. He handled intelligence issues for Sen. Lloyd Bentsen when the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was originally passed, and was legislative director to Bill Alexander, then the chief deputy whip of the House. He can be read on The Hill’s Pundits Blog and reached at brentbbi@webtv.net.

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