Bruce Fein wants an expanded CIA probe

On yesterday’s Hardball, host Chris Matthews interviewed Bruce Fein, an Associate Deputy Attorney General to President Ronald Reagan, and Fein argued that the Justice Department should expand a probe into the CIA’s interrogation techniques — including the possibility of targeting former Vice President Dick Cheney.

In response to a clip of Dick Cheney saying (in his interview with Chris Wallace of Fox Noise) that even if they violated the rules (laws), don’t investigate, and don’t even think of indicting..:

“What I find most dangerous about Mr. Cheney’s statement is that he really suggests that the rule of law means nothing as long as you’re trying to go after terrorists. We have a way to do these things. Go to Congress and you have them amend the law—a ticking time-bomb exception or something like that. The executive branch doesn’t unilaterally declare the law no longer serves any purpose because we’re going after terrorists. That’s what despotic governments do. We are the United States of America. Rule of Law is our ultimate safety and guarding of our liberties.”

“I think there should be an investigation, and perhaps a pardon would be appropriate under the circumstance, but certainly a full-fledged investigation. If there are no mitigating circumstances a prosecution is appropriate. If there are, then that’s the pardon, and that’s the situation where the president would have to take full accountability like President Ford did with Mr. Nixon.”

I agree. Let the investigation go where it must. This country needs to see accountability so we as a nation can regain our confidence that we really ARE a country based on the Rule of Law, that there really are lines that cannot be crossed, that those laws really work—for ALL of us (including our elected leaders and lawmakers).

The Watering Hole: September 2 – State Health Care

My brother-in-law suffers from MS. It was first detected 31 years ago. He was fortunate enough to be a state employee. That placed him under the aegis of state sponsored health care. State benefits carried him until he reached 65. After that, Medicare kicked in. There was a transition cost of about 10 grand while he exhausted his satellite accouterments (Primarily a state life insurance policy).  Now he receives home care with physical therapists and bully nurses at zero costs. If he had been a waiter or a mechanic, he would be dead now or his wife would be destitute.

Members of the House and Senate share like benefits for life.

We can only hope for a more level field when it comes to health care for their constituents.

It was 70 years ago today..

Franz Honiok

..that the second World War started.

The biggest catastrophe of the 20th century was finally triggered by the German attack on Poland. The first dead of the war was Franz Honiok. He was murdered, dressed up in Polish uniform and positioned in the Gleiwitz (Gliwice) radio station as a “proof” for the alleged Polish attack on the station. The attack, of course never had happened but was orchestrated by the SS, led by one Alfred Naujocks,  in order to make the case of the invasion into Poland.  In the end almost 60 Million more people were dead and a great part of Europe was reduced to rubble and ashes.

Out of the debris rose a united Europe where former foes are friends. In central Europe we now live in peace for 64 years. We pass from Italy to Austria, from France to Germany,  from Germany to Holland without any border controls and share a common currency. Not even a century ago this was unthinkable.

Today’s the day to remember and mourn the incredible loss of lives and pray for a more peaceful world for those who are still mired in decades or centuries of conflict. May they, too find a way to overcome enmity and bloodshed to create peaceful solutions for their region and a better life for all who live there.

Mock of The Week

H/T to Sauerkraut at Run4Chocolate.   The British take on American health insurance.

When you don’t care about real solutions, ridicule and patronize

Rep Jenkins’ and her “Great White Hope” would gladly see this young woman work herself into an early grave, just to make sure she couldn’t get a government-run option.

HT:  ThinkProgress

A little help here, Mr President?

Created for TheZoo by Paul Jamiol
All cartoons are posted with the artists’ express permission to TPZoo.
Paul Jamiol, Jamiol’s World

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Rachel Maddow: “Planet Cheney”

Rachel Maddow discusses Dick Cheney, and his recent attempts at defending the torture of terror suspects during the Bush administration, with Chris Hayes of The Nation.

Read Chris Hayes’ article “The Secret Government“.
Also read Jeremy Scahill’s “Rebuking Cheney’s Torture Propaganda in 7 Easy Steps“.

The Watering Hole: September 1 – Universal Health Care

Today, we will move the concept of universal Health care back a few years. When Social Security was being proposed, health care for all was but one tine of a fork.

From a 1934 report on implementing Social Security:

It is clear that  a complete system of social insurance, in the broadest possible meaning of the term was intended. It was to include workers’ compensation, health insurance, disability insurance, unemployment compensation, old-age benefits, survivors’ benefits and various types of family and maternity benefits. This was to prove an illusive challenge. When the dust settled, health insurance, disability insurance and survivors’ benefits would be absent from the Administration’s proposal. The latter 2 would eventually become part of Social Security, one not for 20 years, and another only after  30 years. Health care still eludes the national agenda.

For more detail, look into the full 1934 report. That report was issued over 75 years ago. When WWII rolled around, the health of our citizens jeopardized the ability of the nation to respond.

In November 1945, President Truman delivered a message to Congress detailing the effects of substandard healthcare on our national defense.

At the very least, a certain very annoying anal cyst might have been removed from the public airwaves.