Good To Have The Adults Back

Alberto Gonzales wouldn't answer the question, Michael Mukasey did his best to avoid answering, but Eric Holder doesn't have a problem stating the obvious.

"If you look at the history of the use of that technique, used by the Khmer Rouge, used in the Inquisition, used by the Japanese and prosecuted by us as war crimes. We prosecuted our own soldiers for using it in Vietnam. I agree with you, Mr. Chairman, waterboarding is torture."

Later on, when asked if the President could override the law against torture Holder responded:

"Mr. Chairman, no one is above the law. The president has a constitutional obligation to faithfully execute the laws of the United States."

As a bit of a sidenote, I get a bit tired of when Obama is asked if he will direct Holder to start some sort of investigation into the torture ok'ed by the Bush administration he responds with some form of 'we want to look forward, not back'. If Obama believes as Holder does, and considering he is his nominee he should, Bush and company are guilty of war crimes. There should be an investigation and there should be charges. Breaking the law should have consequences. I think the biggest thing people miss on this side of the discussion is that the Bush administration, on this issue, put us on equal standing with the Khmer Rouge.