People Upset That ‘We Tortured Some Folks’
At Friday’s impromptu presidential press conference, President Obama went a few extra innings, taking several shouted questions after he had announced the end of the presser, and one of those responses is generating a lot of wet heat in the news hole. While expressing support for CIA Director John Brennan, despite revelations that the CIA improperly investigated Senate staffers, the President also wandered into the forthcoming release of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s summary of their report on the CIA’s Rendition/Detention/Interrogation program.
“(E)ven before I came into office I was very clear that in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 we did some things that were wrong. We did a whole lot of things that were right, but we tortured some folks. We did some things that were contrary to our values.”
Why is this news? As Dave Weigel points out, despite assertions to the contrary, this is not the first time the President has said that we tortured people. No, the aspect of the President’s statement that’s generating almost all of the attention isn’t the fact that we tortured people, or that we stopped torturing people, or that no one has been held accountable for it, but rather, the oddly casual phrasing he used in his off-the-cuff remark.
Admittedly, it was almost as awkward as that time Tomás de Torquemada announced to reporters that “we inquisitioned a bunch of dudes,” or when Captain Edward Smith tweeted “There aren’t enough lifeboats for all my peeps! #unsinkabilityFAIL,” but if there is any news at all in the President’s remarks on torture, it is his doubling-down on the “no look-backs” policy his administration has taken all along on the issue. That’s still not news, but the President’s remarks on that score were rather emphatically dismissive of his left flank…READ MORE
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By: Tommy Christopher
Tommy Christopher is The Daily Banter's White House Correspondent and Political Analyst. He's been a political reporter and liberal commentator since 2007, and has covered the White House since the beginning of the Obama administration, first for PoliticsDaily, and then for Mediaite. Christopher is a frequent guest on a variety of television, radio, and online programs, and was the villain in the documentaries The Audacity of Democracy and Hating Breitbart. He's also That Guy Who Live-Tweeted His Own Heart Attack, and the only person to have ever received public apologies from both Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.
46 responses to People Upset That ‘We Tortured Some Folks’
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tiredoftea August 2nd, 2014 at 14:50
So, POTUS will have no real problem with me taking up bank robbery as I’m under a lot of economic pressure right now. I mean, I’m a patriot, after all.
NW10 August 2nd, 2014 at 14:54
That’s the same type of hypocritical strawman I’d expect from the right, but not from the left.
Scopedog August 3rd, 2014 at 14:50
You’d be surprised to see that when it comes to Obama, some on the Left are perfectly fine with repeating the bulls*** the Right has put out there about the President.
tiredoftea August 2nd, 2014 at 14:50
So, POTUS will have no real problem with me taking up bank robbery as I’m under a lot of economic pressure right now. I mean, I’m a patriot, after all.
(((NW10,PATRIOT! ✓ᵛᵉʳᶦᶠᶦᵉᵈ))) August 2nd, 2014 at 14:54
That’s the same type of hypocritical strawman I’d expect from the right, but not from the left.
Scopedog August 3rd, 2014 at 14:50
You’d be surprised to see that when it comes to Obama, some on the Left are perfectly fine with repeating the bulls*** the Right has put out there about the President.
Always Right August 2nd, 2014 at 15:10
The beginning of “Apology Tour 2014” Is he proud of anything America did or stands for?
Herb Sarge Phelps August 2nd, 2014 at 16:30
Did we torture or didn’t we? Did Republicans claim it wasn’t torture even though after WW2 the United States prosecuted those who had done some of the same things successfully and those people were hanged. If that is apology then it should be, just like our genocide against the Native Americans, we should own up to our bad behavior and admit it because we want to be a good and decent people. Anyone who thinks this is not right is completely a waste of DNA.
jasperjava August 2nd, 2014 at 17:26
Are you proud of torture? Do you think that’s what America stands for?
William August 2nd, 2014 at 17:34
“he proud of anything America did or stands for”?
Torture is NOT what we stand for.
Learn something about our history. At least listen to what a former POW has to say about it.
Ignorance isn’t patriotism.
http://epicanthus.net/2010/02/22/japanese-soldiers-executed-for-waterboarding-wwii-american-pows/
Always Right August 2nd, 2014 at 15:10
The beginning of “Apology Tour 2014” Is he proud of anything America did or stands for?
Herb Sarge Phelps August 2nd, 2014 at 16:30
Did we torture or didn’t we? Did Republicans claim it wasn’t torture even though after WW2 the United States prosecuted those who had done some of the same things successfully and those people were hanged. If that is apology then it should be, just like our genocide against the Native Americans, we should own up to our bad behavior and admit it because we want to be a good and decent people. Anyone who thinks this is not right is completely a waste of DNA.
jasperjava August 2nd, 2014 at 17:26
Are you proud of torture? Do you think that’s what America stands for?
William August 2nd, 2014 at 17:34
“he proud of anything America did or stands for”?
Torture is NOT what we stand for.
Learn something about our history. At least listen to what a former POW has to say about it.
Ignorance isn’t patriotism.
http://epicanthus.net/2010/02/22/japanese-soldiers-executed-for-waterboarding-wwii-american-pows/
Jeff Allen August 2nd, 2014 at 15:49
“Why is this news?” At the very least, referring to terrorists who either brought harm or intended harm to our country as “folks” is a little disconcerting
arc99 August 2nd, 2014 at 16:58
another day, another hypocritical double standard imposed on this President. it really does get tiresome.
http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050824.html
Our nation is engaged in a global war on terror that affects the safety and security of every American. In Iraq, Afghanistan and across the world, we face dangerous enemies who want to harm our people,*** folks**** who want to destroy our way of life.
Jeff Allen August 2nd, 2014 at 21:01
No double standard, pretty stupid for GW to refer to terrorists as “folks”. Pretty stupid for any world leader to refer to a group people whose sole aim is to exterminate another group of people as ‘folks’. I guess I must have missed the part of my response that said ‘Bush/Reagan/whoever(R) would never say anything like that’. Sorry you had to take up your Saturday night trying to make a point that didn’t need to be made.
arc99 August 3rd, 2014 at 12:57
I did not miss the part of your post where you inserted a hypothetical quote to theoretically improve the credibility of what this President might have said. Not “any world leader” but this President.
Sorry if the facts contradict your nit-picking talking points. But if you are going to post in left-wing forums criticizing a President that most of the regulars voted for twice, for doing nothing differently than his predecessor, I for one am going to call you on it.
Now if your concerns are about the use of the word “folks” by any President is genuine, why not go to a right wing blog, point out that President Bush also used the word, declare it to be stupid, and observe the response. That I could respect. One-sided intellectually dishonest criticism of the current President, not so much.
and as far as your lame remarks about my Saturday evening, the hypocrisy of President Obama’s critics is well-documented. only takes a few seconds to find numerous examples. I had plenty of time to continue with my weekend recreation, but thanks for the concern.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2014/08/barack-obama-and-folks-who-kill-folks.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+powerlineblog%2Flivefeed+(Power+Line)
BARACK OBAMA AND “FOLKS” WHO KILL FOLKS
Jeff Allen August 4th, 2014 at 16:32
Actually, the real time saver would be for me to simply send my posts to you first (and many others on here) so that you can let me know what I “really mean” when I say certain things.
Jeff Allen August 4th, 2014 at 17:29
“if you are going to post in left-wing forums criticizing a President that most of the regulars voted for twice, for doing nothing differently than his predecessor, I for one am going to call you on it.” The list of ways Obama is no different than his predecessor must drive you ‘folks’ crazy.
jasperjava August 2nd, 2014 at 17:25
George W. B*sh, on September 11, 2001, referred to the terrorists who committed that monstrous crime as “folks”. I thought it sounded bad at the time, but I was too shocked and horrified by what was happening to care about semantics.
Not all the people who were tortured were terrorists. A lot of folks who were tortured were just plain folks, who were at the wrong place at the wrong time.
majii August 2nd, 2014 at 19:43
Oh, yes, avoiding the use of the word torture to describe what the last administration did in the name of the American people is such a gooood idea! Not! Facing facts is important because it permits one to acknowledge the truth, and the truth is that the U.S. did indeed torture others in the recent past. Sugar coating torture by using different words in no way excuses the U.S. from having tortured human beings. It might make some people feel better, but it can never cover up the fact that we definitely tortured some individuals. Mature individuals should be able to face up to the wrong things they’ve done/endorsed and pledge to avoid duplicating the same behavior in the future. Do I wish the U.S. had never resorted to using torture as an interrogation tool? Of, course I do. I feel bad that our leaders at the time had to degrade themselves in that manner. I was against torture then, and I’m against it now, but the one thing I am not afraid of is discussing the issue. I think those who want everyone to shut up who reminds us that we did torture some people are doing so because they now want to run away from having supported it in the past. Discussing the issue doesn’t offend me because I have never supported the use of torture in the past or at the present time, but I can well imagine that those who did/do don’t want to be faced with having to deal with the role they played and how it has had a negative impact on America’s image among the nations of the world.
Jeff Allen August 2nd, 2014 at 21:01
“Oh, yes, avoiding the use of the word torture to describe what the last administration did in the name of the American people is such a gooood idea! ” Uhhhhm, I didn’t propose avoiding the word torture. Did you read the whole post or just stop when you determined it didn’t line up with your way of thinking?
majii August 3rd, 2014 at 01:26
I was stating my opinion on the issue same as you. I assume I’m still permitted that privilege. I wasn’t attacking you. I only disagreed with your suggestion about the way President Obama addressed the issue and explained why I did.
Jeff Allen August 2nd, 2014 at 15:49
“Why is this news?” At the very least, referring to terrorists who either brought harm or intended harm to our country as “folks” is a little disconcerting. The issue of torture is something that Obama has been steadfast on before and through his presidency. Whether or not I agree, I respect the tenacity of his principle, but to water down a person willing to commit atrocities to joe lunchbox is a bit trite. I would have been far more respecting of “Even before I came into office I was very clear that in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 we did some things that were wrong. We did a whole lot of things that were right, but we did some things that were contrary to our values. America should not, does not, and will not engage in torture under my watch.”
arc99 August 2nd, 2014 at 16:58
another day, another hypocritical double standard imposed on this President. it really does get tiresome.
http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2005/08/20050824.html
Our nation is engaged in a global war on terror that affects the safety and security of every American. In Iraq, Afghanistan and across the world, we face dangerous enemies who want to harm our people,*** folks**** who want to destroy our way of life.
http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2005/09/20050922.html
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I can say we’re making progress in the war on terror. If you look at the organizational structure of al Qaeda right after September the 11th and look at it today, you’ll see a lot of people have been brought to justice — Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, al Libbi. I mean, there’s a series of these ***folks*** that had been plotting and planning and ordering attacks.
Jeff Allen August 2nd, 2014 at 21:01
No double standard, pretty stupid for GW to refer to terrorists as “folks”. Pretty stupid for any world leader to refer to a group people whose sole aim is to exterminate another group of people as ‘folks’. I guess I must have missed the part of my response that said ‘Bush/Reagan/whoever(R) would never say anything like that’. Sorry you had to take up your Saturday night trying to make a point that didn’t need to be made.
arc99 August 3rd, 2014 at 12:57
I did not miss the part of your post where you inserted a hypothetical quote to theoretically improve the credibility of what this President might have said. Not “any world leader” but this President.
Sorry if the facts contradict your nit-picking talking points. But if you are going to post in left-wing forums criticizing a President that most of the regulars voted for twice, for doing nothing differently than his predecessor, I for one am going to call you on it.
Now if your concerns are about the use of the word “folks” by any President is genuine, why not go to a right wing blog, point out that President Bush also used the word, declare it to be stupid, and observe the response. That I could respect. One-sided intellectually dishonest criticism of the current President, not so much.
and as far as your lame remarks about my Saturday evening, the hypocrisy of President Obama’s critics is well-documented. only takes a few seconds to find numerous examples. I had plenty of time to continue with my weekend recreation, but thanks for the concern.
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2014/08/barack-obama-and-folks-who-kill-folks.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+powerlineblog%2Flivefeed+(Power+Line)
BARACK OBAMA AND “FOLKS” WHO KILL FOLKS
Jeff Allen August 4th, 2014 at 16:32
Actually, the real time saver would be for me to simply send my posts to you first (and many others on here) so that you can let me know what I “really mean” when I say certain things.
Jeff Allen August 4th, 2014 at 17:29
“if you are going to post in left-wing forums criticizing a President that most of the regulars voted for twice, for doing nothing differently than his predecessor, I for one am going to call you on it.” The list of ways Obama is no different than his predecessor must drive you ‘folks’ crazy.
jasperjava August 2nd, 2014 at 17:25
George W. B*sh, on September 11, 2001, referred to the terrorists who committed that monstrous crime as “folks”. I thought it sounded bad at the time, but I was too shocked and horrified by what was happening to care about semantics.
Not all the people who were tortured were terrorists. A lot of folks who were tortured were just plain folks, who were at the wrong place at the wrong time.
majii August 2nd, 2014 at 19:43
Oh, yes, avoiding the use of the word torture to describe what the last administration did in the name of the American people is such a gooood idea! Not! Facing facts is important because it permits one to acknowledge the truth, and the truth is that the U.S. did indeed torture others in the recent past. Sugar coating torture by using different words in no way excuses the U.S. from having tortured human beings. It might make some people feel better, but it can never cover up the fact that we definitely tortured some individuals. Mature individuals should be able to face up to the wrong things they’ve done/endorsed and pledge to avoid duplicating the same behavior in the future. Do I wish the U.S. had never resorted to using torture as an interrogation tool? Of, course I do. I feel bad that our leaders at the time had to degrade themselves in that manner. I was against torture then, and I’m against it now, but the one thing I am not afraid of is discussing the issue. I think those who want everyone to shut up who reminds us that we did torture some people are doing so because they now want to run away from having supported it in the past. Discussing the issue doesn’t offend me because I have never supported the use of torture in the past or at the present time, but I can well imagine that those who did/do don’t want to be faced with having to deal with the role they played and how it has had a negative impact on America’s image among the nations of the world.
Jeff Allen August 2nd, 2014 at 21:01
“Oh, yes, avoiding the use of the word torture to describe what the last administration did in the name of the American people is such a gooood idea! ” Uhhhhm, I didn’t propose avoiding the word torture. Did you read the whole post or just stop when you determined it didn’t line up with your way of thinking?
majii August 3rd, 2014 at 01:26
I was stating my opinion on the issue same as you. I assume I’m still permitted that privilege. I wasn’t attacking you. I only disagreed with your suggestion about the way President Obama addressed the issue and explained why I did.
Obewon August 2nd, 2014 at 17:25
GWB’s Cheney admin was the worst in (modern?) U.S. History: 2001-2008 unconstitutional torture murdered many uncharged & untried GTMO detainees! Even C.J. Robert’s SCOTUS ruled U.S. detainees were always constitutionally protected. Violating UCMJ, Geneva and treaties the U.S. remains a party to.
The CIA reports argued GWB / Cheney U.S. torture was illegal on any U.S. Base, military vessel, or U.S. land and territory. Sen. (R-KY) Rand Paul calls for removing CIA Director John Brennan because Randal is too uninformed to admit these abuses happened perhaps under CIA Dir George Tenet. Definitely under CIA Dir Porter J. Goss Sept. 2004 — May 2006 and possibly under CIA Dir General Michael V. Hayden, USAF (Ret.) 30 May 2006 — 13 Feb 2009. When have the GOP ever cited anything accurate? Not in the 21st century and not since Eisenhower.
William August 2nd, 2014 at 17:30
Just thought you’d like to know.
Obewon August 2nd, 2014 at 17:35
Yay’! We’re winning the war against radio terrorism! Limbaughtomized Listeners may greet us as liberators:)
arc99 August 2nd, 2014 at 19:57
maybe right wingers have a point. long live the free market.
Obewon August 2nd, 2014 at 17:25
GWB’s Cheney admin was the worst in (modern?) U.S. History: 2001-2008 unconstitutional torture likely murdered several uncharged & untried GTMO detainees. Even C.J. Robert’s SCOTUS ruled U.S. detainees were always constitutionally protected. Violating UCMJ, Geneva and treaties the U.S. remains a party to. 9 detainee deaths at Guantánamo since detainee operations began there in January 2002. According to the US military authorities, 6 of the previous eight deaths were the result of (impossible) “suicide” and two from natural causes.
The CIA reports argued GWB / Cheney U.S. torture was illegal on any U.S. Base, military vessel, or U.S. land and territory. Sen. (R-KY) Rand Paul calls for removing CIA Director John Brennan because Randal is too uninformed to admit these abuses happened perhaps under CIA Dir George Tenet. Definitely under CIA Dir Porter J. Goss Sept. 2004 — May 2006 and possibly under CIA Dir General Michael V. Hayden, USAF (Ret.) 30 May 2006 — 13 Feb 2009. When have the GOP ever cited anything accurate? Not in the 21st century and not since Eisenhower.
William August 2nd, 2014 at 17:30
Just thought you’d like to know.
Obewon August 2nd, 2014 at 17:35
Yay’! We’re winning the war against radio terrorism! Limbaughtomized Listeners may greet us as liberators:)
arc99 August 2nd, 2014 at 19:57
maybe right wingers have a point. long live the free market.
majii August 2nd, 2014 at 19:26
I think those who are most offended by the current president admitting that the U.S. tortured some people are those who are deeply ashamed today that they endorsed the policy during the last administration. They are now engaged in expressing fake outrage because, you know, America is never wrong, no matter what it does. What they are really doing is trying to stop any conversation about the U.S. having tortured people from occurring. The fact that Liz Cheney has once again crawled out of her lair to condemn President Obama for admitting the U.S. tortured some people is all the proof I need. I expect Daddy Darth to pop up on Fox News tomorrow to do the same. He’s trying to “protect” his already f*cked up legacy, to no avail.
majii August 2nd, 2014 at 19:26
I think those who are most offended by the current president admitting that the U.S. tortured some people are those who are deeply ashamed today that they endorsed the policy during the last administration. They are now engaged in expressing fake outrage because, you know, America is never wrong, no matter what it does. What they are really doing is trying to stop any conversation about the U.S. having tortured people from occurring. The fact that Liz Cheney has once again crawled out of her lair to condemn President Obama for admitting the U.S. tortured some people is all the proof I need. I expect Daddy Darth to pop up on Fox News tomorrow to do the same. He’s trying to “protect” his already f*cked up legacy, to no avail.
Roctuna August 2nd, 2014 at 19:36
We cannot “as a country take responsibility for that” until “the country” brings to trial those that gave the orders. Until then, they’re empty words.
Roctuna August 2nd, 2014 at 19:36
We cannot “as a country take responsibility for that” until “the country” brings to trial those that gave the orders. Until then, they’re empty words.