To others here…..America has had it's share of "low moments". No question.

However, I can't think of anything worse than LEGALIZING, PRACTICING and DEFENDING torture. That's what happened over the past 7 years, whether opponents disagree, or not. That is what happened and King agrees with that, saying clearly that, "there was a national security reason for" torture.

Interning the Japanese was terrible, ditto the Vietnam crime, and yes, Kent State…….lots of shameful stuff…..but the mainstreaming of torture by American leaders? That's a whole different level of terrible. That's institutionalizing terrible.

I'm surprised you partially excused FDR's internment of the Japanese by saying there were spies in this country. That seems inconsistent with your other views. Al Qaeda has spies in this country too. All the nineteen 9/11 hijackers were in this country on 9/11. Whether you agree with the interrogation methods of the Bush administration or not, there was a national security reason for them.

Mr. Christopher,
Yeah, Emmanuel is a loathsome bastard. As a founding member of the Democratic Leadership Council, he has helped align the Democratic party to the same moneyed class as the Republicans. He walks in the same swamp as the Republicans.

Mr. Avg joe5,
Ya gotta be kidding.

Mr. King,
I wonder how the NYTimes determined that these prisoners belonged to Al Qaeda. At least some of the prisoners at Gitmo were sold to the CIA for bounty. Yet you are willing to assume that these 14 are not only liars and criminals, but "the sorriest excuses for human beings". Why? Because the government said so. Some libertarian.

I agree that slavery was the worst of sins that our government has allowed. But it predated our government, was not forbidden by law or ethics
of the rest of the world, and did not violate our Constitution. The shame is that it took 90 years to rid ourselves of this crime. FDR's internment of Japanese and other nationalities, while a terrible wrong, had some basis of fact. Hitler, Mussolini, and the Japanese emperor had spies in this country.

The decision to torture prisoners has no parallel nor excuse. A tortured prisoner will say whatever is necessary to stop the torture. Therefore, there are only two reasons to torture, sadism, and to obtain information that agrees with preconceived beliefs of the torturer for use as propaganda.

Rev,
Thanks for pointing out this extortion. The GOP and many Democrats seem comfortable as accesories before, during, and after the crime of torture.

And didn't the Brits burning Washington D.C. at one point during the War of 1812?

Or how about the large number of lynchings during reconstruction and afterwards.

Sept. 11, 2001 was a low point too, I think.

And when Lincoln was shot. And Kennedy. And MLK.

Kent State.

I think I could go on all day with lower moments. Are you always so inaccurate?

Right. You, of all people, should be familiar with the value of propaganda.

And how would the detainees know if the torture cat was out of the bag or not ? They're in Gitmo, isolated. Then again, maybe their lawyers told them what to say to get their cases dropped.

"America's lowest moment."

Actually, America's lowest moment was slavery. Second lowest was maybe FDR's internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII. But you can go ahead and weep for the post-9/11 treatment of 14 of the sorriest excuses for human beings to come down the pike. I don't lose any sleep over it. I'm more concerned with the treatment of the innocent.

There would be no need for detainees to exaggerate….the "we torture" cat got out of the bag a long time ago.

America's lowest moment.

There isn't any chance that Al Qaeda would exaggerate things, is there ? I mean, they'd be completely honest about their treatment by the Great Satan, right ? After all, they are such wonderful examples of humanity.

You are right. We do need a special prosecutor. One to fully investigate our senate and and all of the crooks in washington including Obama and his band of facists. This crew makes Gotti's crew look like boy scouts and Bush and Cheney like amateurs.

Joe Biden is quiet just like Cheney was, I wander what deals he's cooking up for us.

I think Obama knows the divisions that will follow the truth being released about Bush-Cheney.

Obama is making some rather big mistakes in the states secret area….he's simply Bush warmed over. So we'll have to see what happens.

And…..there's no question that Democrats know how to practice lowdown politics. But not to the level of blackmailing a president if he doesn't participate in the GOP obstructionistic cover-up of what everyone knows were crimes.