Politics is what this is mostly about, at the moment, and that's sad. The whole country's leadership (including the Democrats in congress) were so scared of another attack after 9/11 that they even approved torture. We should take that as a warning of how fragile human rights (and decency) are, even here in the US, and learn from it.

Obama (and his supporters) should stop politicising these events, trying to use them as as a way to "get" Bush, Cheney and the "evil" Republicans, CIA, etc. Release the full memos, and all of them, not just the politically expedient ones. Tell the FULL story so we all can learn from it, and hopefully similiar events won't happen again should another 9/11 type attack occur. Utherwise, the real message of these events is being lost.

So if somebody doesn't follow an approved liberal line, he shouldn't get paid? Maybe we should have the leftist editors decide the renumeration of all the country's writers, instead of the marketplace. A self-appointed tribunal, to make the world, you know, "more fair." What in the world has happened to so many so-called "liberals" in this country lately? Whatever happened to the concept of "I don't agree with what you say, but I'll fight to the death for your right to say it?." Absolutely appalling comments from someone in your position, Joan!

International Law really exists on paper only. You can get as many academics and "International Law" experts to say that "the US must do this", and "Obama must do that" because of some treaty or past precedent as you want. It's meaningless. No country, and certainly not the US, will willingly give up their national sovereignty to some outside legal bureaucracy in this way. Especially not to the UN, with its own very troubled and checkered history. We may "demand it of others" but tell me - Who has complied, except at the barrel of a gun?

In making such arguments, you're just giving your opponents ammunition to say your a fruitcake with you head in the clouds somewhere. Do you really expect US citizens to trust the International Court or the UN for fair, non-political decisions? Beam down to earth, Glenn.

Sorry, Glenn, but your far leftist Vienna Professors from the UN is not going to convince anyone in the US but your own choir. Especially not one who has been an enemy of the Bush administration for years, calling forced feedings at GITMO torture, saying torture in Iraq under the US occupation was now worse than under Saddam Hussein, etc. His "opinion" on this is therefore a foregone conclusion. So how exactly does an interview with him add anything meaningful to the present discussions?

You are absolutely correct. The call for prosecutions is an all to obvious revenge attack by the far left on the Bush administration. And Obama knows it, but is trying to wring some political advantage for the time being. Let's see how willing he is to continue along this path, continuing to divide and weaken the country, hoping to maintain the Democrats' political advantage of "continuing to run" against the Bush administration. The Democratic congressional leadership is certainly willing to do such a thing forever, as weak and hypocritical as they are. They just ran for cover following 9/11, and they were aware and at the very least complicit with all of the Bush administration torture "outrages" now being discussed.

I expect, though, that Obama is too good of a politician not to be able to control this and will soon see it's time to end it. They've already wrung most of the political advantage out of it they can, and any further investigations (and certainly prosecutions) would risk exposing their own part in this. Plus Bush's anti-terrorist overkill, if nothing else, did prevent another 9/11 attack. If the Democrats are preceived to have weakened that effort, and and a new 9/11 type attack happens on Obama's watch, the Democrats he can likely kiss the White House and Congress goodbye for a generation.

The GOP will criticise everything Obama does. The Dems likewise (and their supporters like Joan) will keep attacking the GOP. But it's all irrelevant. The Dems are in charge now. If things go good, they win next time. If not, they're out, just like just happened to the GOP. Sorry, the strategy of attacking the opposition, saying in effect "we screwed up, but they're worse" won't work to keep the Dems in power, any more than it elected McCain this last time around. I wish Obama luck, but he's going to have to run on his performance next time.

I expect someone on his staff knew where he was. They just wouldn't tell the press. And all those concerns so many here have about him leaving the state vulnerable to "natural disasters" and the like sound pretty hollow.

Obviously the fellow is going through some mid-life crisis or other. Glad to see the "liberals" here are so understanding, and mocking him for it. I guess the mistake he made is trying to keep it private, instead of writing a lengthy, self absorbed column for Salon about it, as so many liberals do about their own relationships and sexual crises ad nauseum. Sorry it didn't turn out to be gay sex, which you were so hoping for (nice, disgusting jokes so many here made on that, by the way).