ABUSE AND SILENCE

This is now the best a defender of Bush can do. I have to say that it’s irritating when you’re criticized for not covering something. You can’t cover everything. So I’m reluctant to hammer some conservative sites for ignoring, condoning or looking the other way on the detainee-abuse issue. But I do find it staggering that National Review, for example, has maintained almost complete radio silence for weeks on the matter. I have no idea what their position on, say, the McCain Amendment is. If you only read NRO, you’d have no idea who Ian Fishback is. The Standard, at least, is prepared to acknowledge the matter – even if it’s after the evidence has become overwhelming. Meanwhile, the Catholic bishops have weighed in. You can download their petition in favor of the McCain Amendment here: it’s called “Letter to Senate on Prohibition of Torture.” It was issued October 4.