Why Can’t Bush Simply Say “We Don’t Do Torture. It’s Wrong.” ???

Digby points out GW Bush's non-denial denial when faced with a softball torture question:

Q: Mr. President, I wanted to return to the question of torture. What we've learned from these memos this week is that the Department of Justice lawyers and the Pentagon lawyers have essentially worked out a way that U.S. officials can torture detainees without running afoul of the law.

So when you say that you want the U.S. to adhere to international and U.S. laws, that's not very comforting. This is a moral question: Is torture ever justified?

BUSH: Look, I'm going to say it one more time. Maybe I can be more clear. The instructions went out to our people to adhere to law. That ought to comfort you.

We're a nation of law. We adhere to laws. We have laws on the books. You might look at these laws. And that might provide comfort for you. And those were the instructions from me to the government.

What does it mean when the head of government cannot simply say “Torture is wrong and I would never condone it”? Might it mean that he read a memo or two that suggested the key to making torture legal was giving the torturers reasonable grounds to bleieve that their actions are legal … because the President authorized them?

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3 Responses to Why Can’t Bush Simply Say “We Don’t Do Torture. It’s Wrong.” ???

  1. Pingback: Paperwight's Fair Shot

  2. Phill says:

    Dufus cannot give a straight answer on this question for a simple, obious reason. He may be manipulated by the neo-cons in many ways, but not here I suspect. Bush showed signs of a macarbre sadism/power complex while Texas Governor, “Please don’t kill me”. When are people going to understand that Bush is a sadistic psychopath?

    Wait till the video of kids being raped in front of their parents gets out.

    I suspect that that may be something that even Republican shills like Safire, Mathews and co have difficulty with.

    It is by no means certain that Dufus will be the Republican nominee.

  3. Gayla says:

    That medal would the the Humanitarian Medal.

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