Mr. President, You Are Wrong!

I like Obama, or, more accurately, I admire Obama. He is a truly remarkable man who seems to overlap my interests and positions on key issues to a decent extent, but most importantly did seem to also reject bush idiocies at a high level. But I was quite unhappy over his failure to take anything in the way of a genuinely populist, anti-corporate-ocracy stance during the campaign (ditto Hilary), to the point of finding myself compelled to make a condemning statement at our local caucus, well out of my normal operational zone.

But here we are with the President we have. Who's up for the lemming approach where we just embrace whatever our leader wants and relinquish the idea that he is supposed to be representing us, responsive to our opinions, and working for our interests?

Not me, by whatever deity you choose!

And I'm very pleased that some major O-supporters continue to nip at his heals on the score of this outrageous Torture business. Mr. Olbermann, as I recall it a big O-booster (and never one to shy from the spotlight), has been properly on top of this:

As promised, a Special Comment now on the president's revelation of the remainder of this nightmare of Bush Administration torture memos. This President has gone where few before him, dared. The dirty laundry - illegal, un-American, self-defeating, self-destroying - is out for all to see.

Mr. Obama deserves our praise and our thanks for that. And yet he has gone but half-way. And, in this case, in far too many respects, half the distance is worse than standing still. Today, Mr. President, in acknowledging these science-fiction-like documents, you said that:

"This is a time for reflection, not retribution. I respect the strong views and emotions that these issues evoke."

"We have been through a dark and painful chapter in our history.

“But at a time of great challenges and disturbing disunity, nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past.

Mr. President, you are wrong. What you describe would be not "spent energy" but catharsis.

Not "blame laid," but responsibility ascribed. You continued:

"Our national greatness is embedded in America's ability to right its course in concert with our core values, and to move forward with confidence. That is why we must resist the forces that divide us, and instead come together on behalf of our common future."

Indeed we must, Mr. President. And the forces of which you speak are the ones lingering - with pervasive stench - from the previous administration. Far more than a criminal stench, Sir. An immoral one. One we cannot let be re-created.

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