Glenn, I completely agree with everything you say and have been saying about torture. But your criticism of the Post story is unfair. The third paragraph says the question of whether torture elicited useful information can't be resolved. The next graph quotes someone saying that even if it does, it's wrong and can't be justified. The next quotes the guy who did the investigation saying they couldn't reach a conclusion. These are the same points you make in your piece.

You richly criticises the use of anonymous sources, then quote Jane Mayer who quotes an unnamed CIA person who says they could have gotten the same information with tea and crumpets.

Same deal. Everyone is saying what serves their interests. I don't find the Post article offensive just because it quotes people you and I disagree with.

Joan--

I think you have it just about exactly right. But I believe one has to admire the strategy as well as the speech. I don't think that it would have helped to give this speech two months ago--now was the right time, after all the haranguing from the Republicans, and shortly before the real decisions are going to get made, in conference committee. And I also admire the strategy of going as far as possible to get support from some Republicans. I think the Obama people know that won't happen, but they want to be able to say that they did everything they could, and the Republicans just wouldn't support anything.

So it really is up to the Democrats. Will they climb on this man's back and let him lead them (and us) to the future? Or will they be trapped by their fear of losing their jobs and all the status, power, etc. comes with them. I wouldn't overestimate Obama's ability to "twist arms" and make Democrats vote with him; I realize he's no LBJ, but I also think that those days are mostly gone. As Mama Maybelle sings in Chicago, "Whatever happened to class?"

The Nobel Committee's decision to give President Obama the Peace Prize is a clear reflection of how frightened the world was by the Bush-Cheney doctrine of American unilateral, preemptive war. The award is a message most of all to us, the American electorate, that the world is watching what we do and that we should take care who we choose as our leaders.

We should take heed and support our President in the difficult days to come. Let us continue to urge him to do what is right, and be respectful when we disagree. And always thankful for his intelligence, his grace and his courage.