Crook To Obama: Apologize To Bush

If I wasn't busy being an office lackey, I probably would have written a variation of this article since I've been saying this for some time. Although my criticism of the Bush admin would have been a bit milder, I think Crook is right that Obama has learned quite a bit since moving in at 1600. Those of us who questioned his foreign policy rhetoric, which have largely become the mantras of the Democratic party, were right in doing so, as Obama himself is proving. The "Move On Dot Org-ification" of the Democratic party is being stifled at least in the meantime by its newest hero, and that's a good thing. But pay credit where it is due and at this point Obama should be paying some in Bush's direction (he doesn't necessarily have to bow).

But Crook gets it wrong on Dick Cheney. Cheney's qualms aren't regarding the emasculation of all of the anti-terror policies. His speech at AEI would have been a little longer if that were the case. Rather, Cheney wants to quibble over two issues: the memos re: enhanced interrogation techniques that Obama purportedly cherry picked without full disclosure, and closing Gitmo.

According to Cheney, the most important aspect of the discussion on the enhanced methods-the quality of intelligence obtained from enhanced interrogation methods-has been withheld, distorting the conversation on the methods . I don't think Cheney believes that the whole anti-terror approach is being emasculated, just that a) releasing the memos was strategically foolish and helps the enemy therefore making us less safe; b) don't cherry pick the memos by releasing only those that don't contain information about the intelligence gained from those enhanced interrogation methods, release them all in the spirit of full disclosure so that the American people can decide how they feel about the methods; and c) reconsider closing Gitmo since you don't have a plan in place for the detainees and you're theory on how it recruits more terrorists than it detained doesn't hold water.