Torture Architect Yoo to Write Column for Inquirer
Some things El Somnambulo just cannot make up.
At a time when newspapers are at death’s door, the Philadelphia Inquirer has hired Bush’s point man on torture to write a monthly column.
Philly Daily News’ Attytood columnist Will Bunch is not too thrilled with the move.
The Inquirer thus handed Yoo a loud megaphone on what was once a hallowed piece of real estate in American journalism — to write on the very subjects that have now led Justice Department investigators to reportedly recommend disbarment proceedings against Yoo and has led international prosecutors as well as millions of politically engaged Americans to consider the Episcopal Academy graduate worthy of charging with war crimes.
It was Yoo’s immoral guidance that aided the United States in sanctioning the torture practice known as waterboarding — used in the Spanish Inquisition, by despots such as Pol Pot and by Chinese Communists in the Korean War to obtain false confessions from Americans — as well as slamming detainees into walls, part of a harsh interrogation regime that has been linked to the deaths of at least a dozen U.S, detainees and possibly more.
Here is the full defense by Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Page Editor Harold Jackson:
John Yoo has written freelance commentaries for The Inquirer since 2005, however he entered into a contract to write a monthly column in late 2008. I won’t discuss the compensation of anyone who writes for us. Of course, we know more about Mr. Yoo’s actions in the Justice Department now than we did at the time we contracted him. But we did not blindly enter into our agreement. He’s a Philadelphian, and very knowledgeable about the legal subjects he discusses in his commentaries. Our readers have been able to get directly from Mr. Yoo his thoughts on a number of subjects concerning law and the courts, including measures taken by the White House post-9/11. That has promoted further discourse, which is the objective of newspaper commentary.
Does this mean that the Inquirer will next hire Marion Barry to get his thoughts on “bitch(es) set(ting him) up”? This is plumb loco. The Inky already has Rick “Man on Dog” Santorum writing a regular column at $1750 a pop, according to Bunch.
So, The Beast Who Slumbers proposes this solution. Instead of hemorrhaging reporters left and right, how about the Inky drop both Santorum and Yoo and spend the money they save to do real investigative reporting…like following up on the links between Yoo and torture.
Tags: Media
This is the downside of local ownership — you are subject to the whims of the owner, in this case a rich Republican.
It underscores the absurdity of the “liberal media” meme, though.
Liz Cheney was on Morning Joe today. She had me yelling at the TV again. I haven’t done that in 112 days.
She took on Gene Robinson regarding his column about torture. It was during her battling that I realized that I now support prosecution of the people that made torture a policy.
I hear The News Journal is getting Tom Capano to write a weekly column.
Why do we need to hear the deep thoughts of someone who wrote such poorly reasoned memos to cover people’s asses after the fact? Oh yeah, I almost forgot – IOKIYAR.
All this talk that Cheney and gang are spewing across the airways is submissible in court. Just sayin’.
“He’s a Philadelphian, and very knowledgeable about the legal subjects he discusses in his commentaries. Our readers have been able to get directly from Mr. Yoo his thoughts on a number of subjects concerning law and the courts, including measures taken by the White House post-9/11. That has promoted further discourse, which is the objective of newspaper commentary.”
This is precisely what Will Bunch and the likes of you do not want. When you agree with what is being said, you would all rather only one side be presented.
The VAST majority of writers and columnists at the Philadelphia Daily News and Inquirer are unabashedly liberal. Having another perspective (once a month!) is a good thing.
He is a man who helped author the tortured legal doctrine to help provide cover for the US to torture.
Is he really gonna spill the beans, for example, about Cheney’s involvement? Of course not.
This is not about some columnist with whom people might disagree. It’s about providing column inches to someone who deserves to be brought up on war crimes charges.
To put his column on the editorial pages of an American newspaper is a disgrace. Let him get a job at Faux News where he belongs.
And he should take Bill “I’ve Been Wrong About Everything” Kristol with him.