McCLELLAN’S TORTUOUS ANSWERS

Another must-read from Marty Lederman on the pirouettes Scott McClellan now has to perform to prevent the obvious conclusion that the administration supports the use of torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment of some detainees. McClellan’s point is that the administration resisted the idea of a Congressional ban on cruel, inhumane and degrading practices for the CIA outside U.S. territory because it was already banned and the legislation was superfluous. Yet Condi Rice’s letter at the time stated that she opposed the new restrictions because they would “provide legal protections to foreign prisoners to which they are not now entitled under applicable law and policy.” So it would change things but was also redundant? I don’t get it. Poor Mclellan. It’s only going to get worse.