Comments on: Brennan http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/11/15/brennan/ n. the principle of good order<br /><br /> "Observe the strange inversion of all order and sense! Dignity debased; how vilely is the function of a consul prostituted!" ~The Craftsman Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:07:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Daniel Larison http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/11/15/brennan/comment-page-1/#comment-18850 Daniel Larison Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:45:40 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/?p=7627#comment-18850 It would be straightforward, except that Mr. Bush also publicly affirmed that "we don't torture" when, in fact, the government had authorized doing exactly that. I don't assume that Obama is engaging in the same twisting of definitions when he makes his statements on this, but this is something that I will believe when I see action and not before. His appointments or likely appointments tell us something about what his priorities are. Obviously, he's going to be in charge and he will tell them what they're going to do, but if he appoints Brennan to either of these posts you do have to assume that Obama has no serious interest in revisiting the FISA debate. I am less concerned that Obama will backtrack on interrogation procedures. If Brennan were not his top intelligence advisor in the campaign, I wouldn't be very concerned. It would be straightforward, except that Mr. Bush also publicly affirmed that “we don’t torture” when, in fact, the government had authorized doing exactly that. I don’t assume that Obama is engaging in the same twisting of definitions when he makes his statements on this, but this is something that I will believe when I see action and not before.

His appointments or likely appointments tell us something about what his priorities are. Obviously, he’s going to be in charge and he will tell them what they’re going to do, but if he appoints Brennan to either of these posts you do have to assume that Obama has no serious interest in revisiting the FISA debate. I am less concerned that Obama will backtrack on interrogation procedures. If Brennan were not his top intelligence advisor in the campaign, I wouldn’t be very concerned.

]]> By: conradg http://www.amconmag.com/larison/2008/11/15/brennan/comment-page-1/#comment-18816 conradg Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:06:54 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/?p=7627#comment-18816 All these efforts to read the tea leaves of various Obama advisors' histories to discern what his policies will be seem rather premature and almost useless. What do you think of Obama's simple statement on 60 minutes last night that his administration will "make sure we don't torture" as "part and parcel of an effort to regain America's moral stature in the world."? Seems pretty straightforward, doesn't it? All these efforts to read the tea leaves of various Obama advisors’ histories to discern what his policies will be seem rather premature and almost useless. What do you think of Obama’s simple statement on 60 minutes last night that his administration will “make sure we don’t torture” as “part and parcel of an effort to regain America’s moral stature in the world.”? Seems pretty straightforward, doesn’t it?

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