A Pernicious and Troubling Vigorous Sentiment

To no one’s surprise, the New York Times reported this morning that the White House’s involvement in the discussion of whether to destroy CIA interrogation tapes which may have depicted torture was far more extensive than previously revealed. Names now familiarly associated with the subject of torture — Gonzales, Addington, Bellinger — were all consulted. And while no one advocated directly for their destruction, there was what the Times called a “vigorous sentiment” that they be disposed of.

So how do the Bushies respond? Do they deny the claims of the report? Heaven’s, no. As has become a hallmark of this administration, their defense comes down to an issue of semantics. Sure they were being evasive, the Bushies admit, but they weren’t misleading anyone (save for of course anyone who’d take such a claim seriously).

While the Grey Lady ultimately caved to the White House’s demands, this silly pushback was so laughable as to almost be undeserving of the usual derision.

But what I and many others do not find the least bit assuming is the fact that the Bush administration did not seek to deny the report. Talk about missing the forest fire for the burning trees. Then again, such should also not be surprising. Any administration that would countenance heinous — and potentially illegal — acts would certainly be more than willing to cover-up said acts. Maybe if the Bushies put more energies toward enacting sound policies as opposed to coming up with excuses to justify bad ones, they mightn’t need to issue statements scolding the media for calling a spade a spade.

Their silence on that is perhaps the thing we should find far more “pernicious and troubling”.

Christy wonders if it is just a coinkydink that a fire should break out at the White House at the same time we are learning their tenants were involved in possible destruction of evidence. Will Bunch on the other hand, delivers the snark.

The Heretik ponders who’s the most vigorous of them all and comes up with only one answer.

(X-posted at The Xsociate Files)