That's funny.

Next week's column: "Once and for all, which is the One True Religion?"

WOOOOHOOOO!

Thanks to everyone who called, wrote, or emailed.

For today, at least the rule of law still stands!

Though my sentiments are fully with the court's opinion, we all know that this topic was an excellent tool to mobilize the social-issues-Right in 2004, and it may well have cost Kerry that race.

After their recent series of special-election losses, the Right was ready to abandon ship, with every-man-for-himself. Now they've got a uniting issue (an old one, to be sure, but tried and true) and they're going to flog this to death.

Sigh.

I just called, and the first time, I got a recording that noone was available to speak to me now, leave a voice mail...and then when I went to voice mail it said there was no more room for messages!

Fortunately, I tried again and got someone this time, and very politely said if Obama doesn't step up on this I'm going to strangle the next Obama supporter I see. Ha.

Actually, I told them I am an Obama supporter from way back, which is true, and while I knew he was opposed to telecom amnesty ("he is!" said the person on the other end) that being the standardbearer for the party now, I thought he needed to make a statement today.

She said she would bundle my comment with all the others (of which they had many) and let Mr. Obama know.

I emailed (and called) the Obama campaign this past week, and recieved this response:

"Thank you for contacting me in support of core constitutional principles, such as support for basic civil liberties and opposition to torture and indefinite imprisonment. I strongly agree with these views and you can see that in my record. As a constitutional lawyer, law professor and public servant, I have been clear, consistent and outspoken in defense of these core principles. And I will work hard to restore our constitutional traditions as president.

... When I am president, there will be no more illegal wire-tapping of American citizens. No more national security letters to spy on citizens who are not suspected of a crime. No more tracking citizens who do nothing more than protest a misguided war. Our Constitution works, and so does the FISA court...

Our Constitution is not a nuisance. It is the foundation of our democracy. I will continue to fight against the assault on our nation’s most treasured document."

I guess this was last week's boilerplate. Or perhaps his crew is having difficulty coming up with a more pleasant-sounding euphemism for "craven capitulation and sell-out".

Donald Rumsfeld told me so- nay, assured us all, in that lovably folksy way of his, that these were bad people, and that fortunately we didn't need to worry our pretty little head about them- all of our big Daddy Republicans knew best, and would take care of us by locking these bad people up for the rest of their lives with no chance at parole, or even review, for that matter.

Doesn't this judge know that?

I'm personally struck by how closely life has imitated art here. In Orwell's dystopian 1984, the protagonist Winston's torturer ("O'Brien" IIRC) first used a machine that inflicted pain (albeit without resulting serious physical damage, organ failure or death). But do you remember the more feared, and very personalized torture that resided in "Room 101" (again, IIRC)?

In the case of Winston, it was rats released in a cage around his head. In the case of Zubidiah, it was insects in the box that contained him.

We used to recognize that as torture. I think many of us still do.

...seems I wasn't the only one reminded of Room 101.

Am I disgusted by the memos? Sure.

Does this make the repeated "the US does not torture" assertions by the previous administration even more laughable (if that were possible)? Absolutely.

Do I think any of this was justified, or to get right down into the gutter, useful or productive in any intelligence gathering sense? Not a bit.

I think the authors of these memos and those who they were answering to should be (and rightfully, will be) the subject of contempt for the rest of their careers.

But I don't think prosecution is a viable or necessary outcome here.

It took a truth and justice commission to get people to spill the dark secrets of apartheid in South Africa. I think that's what's happened here. Expose what was done for all to see- if you are not subject to prosecution, you have no justification to keep silent. For better or for worse, this is done in our legal and political system nearly every day.

So, personally, I think this outcome is acceptable. I just wish Obama would do the same for the FISA violations, both recent and since 2001.