Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

Gonzales Defends His White House Record (washingtonpost.com) Also sprach Sen Cornyn (R-Tex.) in his introduction of Alberto Gonzales:

"President Bush and Judge Gonzales have both unequivocally, clearly and repeatedly rejected the use of torture," Cornyn said. "But is there anyone here today who would fail to use every legal means to collect intelligence from terrorists in order to protect American lives? I certainly hope not."

Ah, but as we learned over the past months and during today's hearings, it all depends on what the definition of "torture" is. This guy is a weasel. He either didn't answer questions by evading them or gave answers that demonstrated his incompetence. He'll end up being approved because he is hispanic. Sure, he has a compelling life story. So what. So do thousands upon thousands of other Americans, none of whom set the stage for the inhumane treatment (torture) of "detainees" at Abu Ghraib, Gitmo, and other undisclosed locations that has actually done more harm than good.

In the words of Sen Durbin (D ) quoting the Army Field Manual on Intellegence Interrogation:

The United States Army agrees. The Army Field Manual on Intelligence Interrogation states:

Use of torture and other illegal methods is a poor technique that yields unreliable results, may damage subsequent collection efforts, and can induce the source to say what he thinks the interrogator wants to hear. Revelation of use of torture by U.S. personnel will bring discredit upon the U.S. and its armed forces while undermining domestic and international support for the war effort. It may also place U.S. and allied personnel in enemy hands at a greater risk of abuse by their captors.

In other words, weakening the rules against torture makes us less secure, not more. Torture produces unreliable information, makes it more difficult to win wars, and places our troops at risk.

So now, because this guy is hispanic, we will have a yes man as AG who will interpret the law as the Whitehouse sees fit and who believes that the President has the authority to disregard U.S. and international laws despite the fact that the Supremes have already ruled on that during the Truman era.

Fantastic!