War on terror. Evil-doers. Axis of evil. Islamofascists. Mission accomplished. The Patriot Act. Weapons of mass destruction. Operation: Iraqi Freedom.

We now know that the Bush/Cheney administration ordered the torturing of detainees being held in U.S. secret prisons, in direct and repeated violation of national and international law. That is no longer in dispute. We also know now that the Bush administration ordered torture to be done BEFORE any Justice Department "legal" memos defending those acts of torture had been written.

But why did the Bushies order torture? What was their motivation for violating the Constitution and international treaties in the first place?

Right on time, just like clockwork, comes David "Centrist" Broder, praising Obama and Rahm Emmanuel for stating that there should be no prosecutions of those who carried out the torturing of detainees....and then going on to demonstrate why he is the Dean of the Village of the Damned....

I shouldn't be surprised, really. I mean, W. came out of Texas, so I shouldn't be surprised to find that one half of Texas Republicans polled now think the state should secede from the United States.

"Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Rick Perry's suggestion that Texas may need to leave the United States?"

Today's Akron Beacon Journal editorial has it wrong. That comes as no surprise to me. Those who write the editorials for the Beacon have been way behind the Bush curve for years. There would be no reason to expect a change now.

The editorial calls the Bush-Cheney torture regime "a failure of imagination". Sorry.... it's a bit more than that. Unbelievably, the Beacon editorial, reflecting on the torture revelations of the last few days, concludes by saying this about George W. Bush....

I'm sick to death of reading mindlessly written bullsh*t like this from todays' NY Times....

From 2002-2006 Republicans controlled Congress by an ever-so-slight margin, so if Bush-Cheney were to be successful in carrying out their criminal plans against America and some foreign countries, it would take the help of, at least, a few congressional Democrats.

A prime example of the veracity of this claim is found in Senator Jay Rockefeller's (D-WV) aiding of Mr. Bush and The Dick on immunizing telecommunications companies who participated in a conspiracy with the Terror Twins to spy on Americans illegally. Rockefeller was rewarded handsomely for his efforts from the telcos....lots of campaign bribery cash....and the Bush-Cheney syndicate successfully closed off one more potential ray of light from shining into the darkness of their mostly-criminal administration.

As our dual narrative America continues in opposite directions over torture...of all things......it becomes more and more important to stop and take the time to expose the lies still being touted about torture.

When George W. Bush said repeatedly, "America doesn't torture", he was relying on his own narrative about torture as defined by his Office of Legal Counsel attorneys who had "legalized" torture.

"Proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free," sang Toby Keith, as America pumped it's fist, beat it's chest and rose up in righteous anger immediately after 9-11.

During the presidency of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, I was not proud to be an American. I was ashamed of America.

King dove off the deep end the other day in responding to the Department of Homeland Security report citing far-right extremist dangers. I wanted to post something in response to King's rather conspiratorial comprehension of that report......but instead,.....I'm going to let Fox News do my blogging for me this time. That's right, no typo.....freaking Fox News. It's all part of The Reverend's "fair and balanced" approach to "reporting", allowing YOU to "decide".....you know, like Fox....

When the Biblical Tower of Babel was under construction, as the legendary myth goes, God intervened, (still not sure why), by confusing the languages of the workers so they couldn't continue building. Hard to construct something if the construction workers can't communicate with one another.

Rick Santelli (CNBC)....the "average American" millionaire teevee talker who launched a thousand protest parties with a single rant,....never fully appreciated the comedic value he was adding to America's discourse when he lashed out against President Obama so crazily that fateful day.....the day the mighty 'grassroots' shot was heard 'round the world.

Krugman, today.....

This year, just so readers don't get some hairbrained idea, you know, about me being a totally heartless, godless, socialist-communist sumbitch,......I thought I'd explain the value of the Easter holiday for atheists, the unchurched and, naturally, the hellbound. The meaning of this weekend's Easter holiday, at least for me, an ungodly atheist and proud of it, is relatively simple to explain. So I'll do it with pictures taken with my Verizon, Dare cellphone....pictures taken in and around The Reverend's World Headquarters.

Excellent and brief clip dealing with the responsibility of American media.

No, this is normal, unprovocative, everyday Cable News Journalism. Nothing wrong with Glenn Beck, nothing wrong with Fox's promotion of Beck.....nothing at all.

On February 24th, The Reverend set forth this proposition......

If you've ever had elementary school-age children in the house, you'll remember times when you had to make sure that your children were, you know, prepared for school. Homework done? Teeth brushed? Boots on? Stuff like that.

Nothing really new in the New York Times article today entitled, "Report Outlines Medical Workers' Role in Torture".....

Continuing yesterday's blogging on the Pittsburgh cop killer.

Pittsburg gunbattle....

The Senate has a working rule which allows for one senator to put a hold on nominations to office requiring senatorial consent. Senate majority leader, Harry Reid (D-NV), doesn't have any problem honoring and respecting those holds....just as long as those holds are done by Republicans....like these....

OMB Watch...

Last week we were treated to a Laugh-a-thon emceed by John Boehner(R-OH), in which Ohio's Tanned Bonehead lifted up a blue folder and said, "here it is Mr. President." The GOP House minority leader was holding up a non-budget, budget....which included NO numbers, projections, or deficits. A pre-emptive non-budget, budget, as it were.....quite an alternative.

This week the GOP filled in a few blanks....with blanks....

A wishful thinking meme has been developing within conservative Republican circles and their corporate Village media lapdogs that goes something like this.....paraphrasing.....

"Remember 1994? That's when Republicans roared back under Captain Newton Gingrich and took control of the House of Representatives. The Mighty Republican Revolution. After only two years of President Clenis, voters threw the Democrats out on their ear. That's what is going to happen again in 2010. The tax and spend liberals will be thrown out in 2010 just like they were in 1994. President Obama's policies are so radical, so European and so crazy, that voters will soon reject his political party and fall back in love with the Serious Leaders.....Republicans."