Quote of the Day

"The study itself (which suffers from some unfortunate biases, including its assumption that members of the military should be more supportive of torture) suggests that Dick Cheney’s pro-torture media blitz might explain why torture became more popular once a purportedly anti-torture President took power."

"There may be some truth to that. I wouldn’t endorse it unquestioningly without some evidence to support it. But if it is true, it would serve as a lesson about the Obama Administration strategy to avoid fighting for anything it believes in. That is, the study raises the possibility that–by ceding the field to PapaDick’s relentless pro-torture campaign–the Administration served to make its own stated policy less popular."

Marcy Wheeler, aka Emptywheel of Firedoglake.

Cambridge Journals looked at the major polls, during the Bush years, on torture. There was never public approval for torture. The numbers change in 2009. There was a steady increase in approval for torture. The Obama administration's fear of being labeled not centrist has hampered their ability to close Gitmo. Prosecuting Bush officials for torture isn't going to cost the White House Republican Senate votes. Obama never had Republican Senate support for his policies.

The White House is obsessed with the out-of-date neoliberal playbook of the 90s. The White House is talking deficit reduction when the smart polical and policy position would be job creation. Even David Brooks and Paul Krugman agree that unemployment benefits should be extended.

Bill Clinton lowered the deficit so the Obama people feel that takes precedence over the lack of new job creation. Clinton was able to balance the budget because new jobs created created tax revenue to balance the budget. The Obama team has not made extending unemployment benefits a rallying cry or politically made the Republicans pay. Instead, Obama's bipartisan deficit commission has refused to have open meetings. Reports are that military spending is off-the-table. I have a hard time taking a commission with Alan Simpson as co-chair seriously.

The Obama strategy on torture and economics seems to be making grand gestures to Republican voters who were never support them. Bush won two elections and I don't ever remember Bush courting Russ Feingold for his vote or worried about the deficit.