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Around the Web in 81 Seconds, 1.15.09
The Latest on Air America —
... . Here's the old Moonie Washington Times of yore: on the question of rendition and torture , we are told, questions have come up regarding Bill Clinton and, yep, Leon Panetta. Meanwhile, ...
Panetta Faces Rendition Queries
The Corner on National Review Online —
... ] Ace national security reporter Eli Lake of the late, great New York Sun seems to have had no trouble settling in at his new job at The Washington Times . His latest story should cause heartburn for a lot of people on the left: President-elect Barack Obama's choice for CIA director, Leon Panetta, served as White House chief of staff during the time the Clinton administration accelerated a practice of kidnapping terrorist suspects and sending them to countries with records of torturing prisoners, human rights organizations and former U.S. officials say. Republicans on the ...
Republicans on Panetta: Is That Really Your Question?
Firedoglake —
My friend Eli Lake reports for the Washington Times that Republicans on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence intend to question CIA director-designate Leon Panetta about whether he played any role in ordering terrorism suspects extrajudicially kidnapped and sent to other countries for questioning and probable torture while he was chief of staff to Bill Clinton. The 9/11 Commission established that about 100 cases of so-called rendition occurred before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Lake reports that the practice, formally established under George H.W. Bush, might have occurred even before the Reagan administration. ...
Euphemism of the Day
N/A —
... Leon Panetta will face some questions about what advice he rendered on rendition. Rendition is a euphemism for kidnapping. Some suffer no irony. ...
It's Hypocrisy, But Answer The Question
Newshoggers.com —
By Cernig
Eli Lake says Republicans intend questioning CIA director-designate Leon Panetta nomination on the basis of his possible involvement in the Clinton administration's illegal rendition activities.
Put aside the glaring hyypocrisy of rightwingers suddenly deciding such renditions might be a bad thing after protesting vigorously for ...
Remainders: Confirmation
Ben Smith's Blog —
Federal employees, get used to this portrait, the official one.
Obama plans a fiscal responsibility summit for February.
The pres-elect's grandmother is bringing him Kenyan care packages stuffed with Oval Office decor, but no spear.
Spencer Ackerman also wonders whether the phrase "war on terror" has gone out of style.
Cohn's new TNR blog says health care reform is still a first-year priority for Obama.
Ambinder gives a rundown of the PR and admin people hired to push the health care issue.
Vilsack looks set to be unanimously confirmed.
Panetta faces a ...
Extraordinary! [Darleen Click]
protein wisdom —
... a U.S. reputation battered by accusations of torturing suspected terrorists and secret wiretapping of Americans’ overseas phone calls.“To be truly secure we must adhere to our values as vigilantly as we protect our safety, with no exceptions,” Obama said in announcing his picks.“Under my administration the United States does not torture. We will abide by the Geneva Conventions. We will uphold our highest ideals,” he said. Yet, when Mr. Panetta goes into his hearings, he may face some uncomfortable questions President-elect Barack Obama’s choice for CIA director, Leon Panetta, ...
It's Hypocrisy, But Answer The Question
Crooks and Liars —
Eli Lake says Republicans intend questioning CIA director-designate Leon Panetta nomination on the basis of his possible involvement in the Clinton administration's illegal rendition activities.
Put aside the glaring hypocrisy of right-wingers suddenly deciding such renditions might be a bad thing after protesting vigorously for eight years that they were an essential and excusable tool in the War On Some Terror. Put aside the hypocrisy of leftwing pundits who are suddenly using the term "extraordinary rendition" where before they had no problem calling an illegal spade a spade.
It's still a good ...
