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The Revolt of Comey and Goldsmith on Torture

By Jeralyn, Section War on Terror
Posted on Sun Jan 29, 2006 at 08:15:16 AM EST
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Newsweek has a five page article, The Palace Revolt, on how former prosecutor James Comey and former Office of Legal Counsel head Jack Goldsmith bucked Cheney and Addington over the Administration's torture policy. An excellent read.

They were loyal conservatives, and Bush appointees. They fought a quiet battle to rein in the president's power in the war on terror. And they paid a price for it. A NEWSWEEK investigation.

[hat tip Patriot Daily.]

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    The Revolt of Comey and Goldsmith on Torture | 5 comments (5 topical)
    Re: The Revolt of Comey and Goldsmith on Torture (none / 0) (#1)
    by squeaky on Sun Jan 29, 2006 at 09:01:49 AM EST
    Great piece. Thanks for posting it. It is heartwarming to know that a few people who have heart and concience can stop fascism from taking hold of America. Looks like they are very few left if any. Hope the public wakes from its deep slumber before it is too late. The MSM is not going to take the lead on this as they are the ones selling the sleep potion.

    Re: The Revolt of Comey and Goldsmith on Torture (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 04:55:59 PM EST
    did anyone else notice that the article refers to Prime Minister Cheney? is that pure snark, or am i missing something?

    Re: The Revolt of Comey and Goldsmith on Torture (none / 0) (#3)
    by watou on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 07:07:41 PM EST
    Who knows how many honest, ethical people are left inside the federal government, wanting desperately to reveal serious crimes they have witnessed, but are terrified that they would throw their careers and finances into chaos? We have got to find a way to help them come forward with their stories--before it's too late and there are no ethical officials left in high levels of government. Do you remember James Comey? Were he and Patrick Fitzgerald the last two good guys in the Department of Justice? We don't know, and that sends a chill down my spine. Do you remember publisher Larry Flynt's reward to anyone who would expose hypocrisy in Congress? As I recall, that worked very well indeed. I think it's time to establish a reward program by the netroots: Government officials who step forward with verifiable proof of major corruption within the federal government will receive a monetary reward equivalent to their salary for some number of years, and high-quality legal services for legal matters stemming from their whistleblowing. The fund would be collected from the netroots and administered by a panel of lawyers who have experience in federal criminal law. The lawyers would be empaneled by the netroots through a rigorous vetting process. The panel would study the evidence and determine through consensus which cases are actionable, and in which venues the matters should be filed. I am not a lawyer, but I believe we need to find a way to do this, using the best minds to determine how such a program could succeed, while resisting any efforts to game it or otherwise allow it be undermined. Any suggestions on how to proceed?

    Re: The Revolt of Comey and Goldsmith on Torture (none / 0) (#4)
    by Edger on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 08:20:14 PM EST
    Who knows how many honest, ethical people are left inside the federal government, wanting desperately to reveal serious crimes they have witnessed, but are terrified that they would throw their careers and finances into chaos? How desperate can they be? They are voting with their wallets by keeping their mouths shut. This won't change till people start to realize that 'what they are losing is more valuable than money'. 'And start to value it more than money'. And start to realize that here is a yawning chasm to be leaped between those two actions.

    Re: The Revolt of Comey and Goldsmith on Torture (none / 0) (#5)
    by watou on Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 10:31:13 PM EST
    I get your point. But I don't care where a potential whistleblower is on the continuum between craven wimp and moral crusader. If anything can be done to lower the barriers, it might just make a difference, a difference we are all in desperate need of.

    The Revolt of Comey and Goldsmith on Torture | 5 comments (5 topical)