Jay Bee Two

Ah, George Dubya Bush. What kind of a person would say that torture is something that needs to be continued, Geneva Conventions be damned? How does Bush sleep at night? Paul Krugman has this take on Bush’s reasons in his newest column, “King of Pain”:

The central drive of the Bush administration more fundamental than any particular policy has been the effort to eliminate all limits on the presidents power. Torture, I believe, appeals to the president and the vice president precisely because its a violation of both law and tradition. By making an illegal and immoral practice a key element of U.S. policy, theyre asserting their right to do whatever they claim is necessary.

Yeah, I’d buy that. That fits in with Bush’s record-setting use of signing statements to exert more control over laws.

Mr. Bush would have us believe that the difference between him and those opposing him on this issue is that hes willing to do whats necessary to protect America, and they arent. But the record says otherwise.

The fact is that for all his talk of being a war president, Mr. Bush has been conspicuously unwilling to ask Americans to make sacrifices on behalf of the cause even when, in the days after 9/11, the nation longed to be called to a higher purpose. His admirers looked at him and thought they saw Winston Churchill. But instead of offering us blood, toil, tears and sweat, he told us to go shopping and promised tax cuts.

Only now, five years after 9/11, has Mr. Bush finally found some things he wants us to sacrifice. And those things turn out to be our principles and our self-respect.

Are there still people out there that support Bush, torture, the war in Iraq, the PATRIOT Act, domestic spying, etc? Was there ever anyone supporting these things, or was it all spin from the White House public affairs office and Fox News?