Please tell me you don't know what Rob Corddry does for a living.

Hint: he's not a reporter.

I just spent the last 20 minutes on NPR trying to find contact info for Anna Christopher, to no avail. No contact info, and couldn't find her listed among the following variety of "NPR People":

On-air Staff and Contributors

Behind-the-scenes Staff

Corporate Team

NPR Community Staff Profiles

A search of her name turns up a mention in one article. Pretty funny for an "NPR Spokesperson." Who does she (or Shepard) speak to if not the 'national public'?

Frankly, I don't think "Anna Christopher" really exists.

She's a fictitious personality, like Mister Goodwrench or Betty Crocker, created by the CIA.

By NEDRA PICKLER Associated Press Writer (see sig)

Jul 2nd, 2009 | WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration said Thursday that it needs two more months to review an internal CIA report on the agency's secret detention and interrogation program before making it public.

The Justice Department had originally said it intended to release the report in June as part of a lawsuit, but department officials now say they need until the end of August.

The report by the CIA's inspector general questioned the effectiveness of harsh interrogation methods employed by CIA interrogators during the Bush administration, such as waterboarding.

Justice Department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler said the report contains information that overlaps with other CIA documents that they also must review and release by a court-ordered Aug. 31 deadline.

"As we re-reviewed the CIA IG report it was clear that we would not be able to complete it in an expedited manner as we had hoped," Schmaler said. "There are unique processing issues to this review that made it clear to us we would need all the time the court gave us to complete it."

http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/2009/07/02/D996IIVG0_us_cia_interrogations/index.html

A few weeks ago, someone posted the link to a Scott Horton article which included part of the text of a John Donne Easter Sermon from 1672.

"St Augustine moves a question, and institutes a disputation, and carries it somewhat problematically, whether torture be to be admitted at all, or no. That presents a fair probability which he says against it. We presume, says he, that an innocent man should accuse himself, by confession, in torture. And if an innocent man be able to do so, why should we not think that a guilty man, who shall save his life by holding his tongue in torture, should be able to do so?

And then, where is the use of torture? It is a slippery trial and uncertain (says Ulpian) to convince by torture. For many says (says St Augustine again) he that is yet but questioned, whether he be guilty or no, before that be known, is, without all question, miserably tortured. And whereas, many time, the passion of the Judge, and the covetousness of the Judge, and the ambition of the Judge, are calamities heavy enough upon a man that is accused. If the Judge knew that he were innocent, he should suffer nothing. If he knew he were guilty, he should not suffer torture. But because the Judge is ignorant and knows nothing, therefore the prisoner must be racked and tortured and mangled.

[...]

"In which tortures, the Inquisition hath found one way to escape the generall clamour of the world against them, which is to torture to that heighth, that few survive, or come abroad after, to publish, how they have been tortured."

http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/JohnDonne&CISOPTR=3215&REC=5

Having to watch re-runs of the 2007 BCS National Championship Football game - torture.

Being unconscious in the hospital for the live game - not so much.

where did Glenn get his 'professional' journalism degree.

It's not NPR's torture controversy , It's yours.

That's the part I don't get. If I believe that TORTURING someone is an ethical pursuit in an ethical attempt to produce information that will help me/my nation/fill-in-the-blank, and do so ethically, well, for Christ's sake, just say so!

-- Timothy3

Some of these painfully prevaricating trolls come on with these stench inducing stool droppings that make it obvious to me that they are under the self-deluded impression that they are only positing harmless and well thought out lawyer-like courtroom what ifs and shit, when in fact they are only positing shit, period.

It's not NPR's torture controversy , It's yours.

-- bernbart

It wasn't Glenn Greenwald who received about 400 letters with about 98% of them in total disagreement with the author of the article. That was NPR and their so called ombudsman, Alicia Shepard. I'd say that that clearly makes it NPR's Torture Controversy.

RMP, Andy Worthington has reported on this as well [link@sig].

It seems as though the report itself falls under classified guidelines that require it to be "detained indefinitely".

As Glenn and Worthington's reporting amply demonstrates, in the US "indefinite detention" is all the rage.

speaking of journalistic standards..

where did Glenn get his 'professional' journalism degree.

It's not NPR's torture controversy , It's yours.

That's very perceptive, bernbart. Very perceptive.

I stopped paying when the then ombudsman for NPR apologized to Bill O'Reilly for the questions that Terry Gross gave him on 'Fresh Air' before he walked off her show. She is probably my favorite interviewer ever. She is informed, engaging and always asks interesting questions.

NPR apologized to the brute O'Reilly for Terry's questions. I still listen and don't pay. I was geting close to getting back as a member before I heard this. They need to do better to get me again.

bernbart (and this isn't the first time I've thought this--but I've always hoped I was wrong), you're a goddamn coward.

speaking of journalistic standards..

where did Glenn get his 'professional' journalism degree.

It's not NPR's torture controversy , It's yours.

What, because GG hurt your feelings by saying, truthfully, that you hadn't enough time to listen to his broadcast, you lash out and whine that--gee! holy smokes! jiminy cricket!--this guy's not a certified, by the NYTimes/Wapo (and see Update Three regarding the latter) journalist!!

That's a goddamn disgraceful attitude and--since hope springs eternal regarding the integrity of your soul--I really wish you'd cop to it.