First Principles

John Cole was surprised by the right on torture:

Considering what they have done with virtually every other aspect of the Bush years, I honestly expected them to do what they did with the trillions of dollars of spending and debt that happened with a Republican congress and a Republican President Bush - first, pretend it didn’t happen, then after being forced to acknowledge it did happen, claim that everyone was doing it and blame the Democrats and scream about Murtha and Barney Frank, and when that didn’t work, just pretend that it was “other” Republicans who aren’t “real conservatives” (Move along, these aren’t the wasteful spenders you are looking for) while ranting about earmarks. That is what they did with spending, I figured they would do it again with torture.

But they didn’t and they aren’t. Instead, they are mobilizing and going balls to the wall in defense of sadism. It is really quite amazing, and a testament to just how sick and detestable and rotten to the core the Republican party has become.

What's more staggering is they they defend torture at the same time as produce best-selling books on the threat of tyranny and fascism. They take to the streets to protest a president who threatens to raise taxes in the future on the successful; but they actually support the right of a president to seize anyone at will, detain them without charges and torture them.

I know how Specter feels. I've never been a Republican but they have come to make me feel sick to my stomach.