The thing is, most people don't really care that Obama is not doing what he promised.

I don't think that Obama will use the FEMA prisons against dissenters in the way Cheney would have, but he likes to keep his options open.

I am amazed and appalled at all the pundits and republican spokespeople who defend torture. People realize there is an ongoing discussion and of course everyone watches "24."

Viktor Klemperer narrates in his diaries of the severe repression of the Jews during Hitler's regime, but the German people didn't care. They weren't being persecuted. In fact a very enlightening book is "Hitler's Willing Executioners." It points out that a very substantial number of human beings enjoy torturing. In the book it is pointed out again and again how the Germans involved in annihilating the Jews looked at what they were doing as a critical job for the good of their country.

Glenn writes daily of the abuses of the Obama administration relative to the economic crisis and the cover-up of torture, but who is really paying attention. If Obama was screwing an intern then the people would become interested, but torture or keeping the elite establishment comfortable, that's boring.

It seems to me that there must have been tens of thousands of people involved in torturing the people who were rounded up by paying off any repulsive individual with a motive of revenge, with substantial amounts of money. No proof, just cash, and then carry away the accused to a prison. Those rounded up included a 13 year old boy and a 93 year old man. What kind of a person puts a collar around an old man like that and smashes him against a wall?

Out of the tens of thousands of people involved (physicians, designers and producers of the torturing devices and the prisons, training of the torturers, screening of the torturers, people involved in the cover-up, all the paper work, people coordinating the torturing, takers of oaths of secrecy, recording the successes and on and on ad infinitum).

All of them are quiet. Most of the information comes from the Red Cross and their interviews with individuals who were tortured.

As I saw on television, a young female army prison guard proclaims, "I am keeping you safe!"

I have a bumper sticker on my car that reads "My America Doesn't Torture."

I am going to go out and change it to "My America Is Gone!"

SCOTUS appointments

Yeh, he might appoint a Scalia clone as a gesture towards bipartisanship. I share your concern!

On the one hand I am glad the memos were released with minimal redaction. On the other hand, to grant the executioners immunity from prosecution turns my stomach. This is a complete cop-out by Obama.

How can anyone who performed these actions be forgiven?

Perhaps the last word is not in yet and maybe some truly inhumane acts not yet disclosed will be uncovered and the guilty will be punished.

But I am not holding my breath.

After all Goldman Sachs is again making tons of money for its executives, now that the economy they destroyed is making its way back on the taxpayers backs.

Double standards? I think so! The "Establishment" wins again!

Re: Abu Ghraib defendants

I was thinking the same thing. The memo disclosures today should have major repercussions relative to this case. At lease in theory, I would think!

Just like discovering another persons DNA relating to a rape victim 5 years down the road and the wrong person is serving time.

The people who wrote these memos watched Bush declare that there were "just a few bad apples," when he justified what happened, after the Abu Gharaib photographs were published. Everybody involved in the torture conspiracy knew! Everybody involved knew the Abu Ghraib defendants were being railroaded and were only following orders. The same immunity from punishment should apply to them as the immunity given the CIA torturers.

These creators of the torture programs had to rationalize their muteness and must be very proud of their dedication to their country by upholding the right to torture while screwing the lackeys, because they, the people who designed the torture, need to be protected, at all costs.

Thanks, John O. Brennan, for all you do

I feel, for the first time since Obama became President, that he is properly acting in a manner that is "fair and balanced." In essence he is doing what Glenn has been saying he should do on an almost daily basis. This torture dilemma is not Obama's decision, but is Holder's or should be pursued by a bipartisan investigation initiated by Congress.

Before today, when he appeared to call for "no retribution," I was sorely disappointed. Today, I am beginning to have hope again.

I needed his statement today to overcome the repulsive statements made by Hayden, Cheney, and Noonan.

Thanks Glenn, for doggedly pursuing these issues. I appreciate every read, which always seems to be the appropriate topic for the day.

Today, I am feeling that progress is being made!

"Despite Liz's competent delivery, she has only miniscule celebrity power and homogeneous blond looks (lose the bangs, Liz), I doubt her interview with Nora will be picked up by anyone important."

I disagree! The republicans are going to immediately sense her powerful and convincing manner in putting forth their defense of torture and will immediately work to enhance her "celebrity power."

It wasn't a contest. I'd like to see how she does against a Lawrence O'Donnell or see her appear on the Maddow show.