First of all, I'm surprised he admitted to this travesty in the first place. What will he do next? Admit that his administration conspired to produce fake WMD evidence?
In what will no doubt go down in history as one of the most unassailable defenses of state-sponsored and completely illegal methods of detaining and extracting information from suspected terrorists, Bush admitted to the presence of secret CIA prisons. Bush's defense? I...uh...promise that if I hadna authorized secret torture and imprisonment, well, uh, the terrorists woulda...uh...attacked amarica.
I am no fan of turning a blind eye to extremists and the plots they inevitably concoct - however, the stunning disregard for basic legal principles Mr. Bush displays is contemptible. Why not charge the individuals in question? If there is evidence, present it and make a charge! If these steps had been taken, there wouldn't be this uproar over Mr. Bush approving what are in essence, dictatorial actions with dictatorial justifications. Dictators, by definition do away with courts and legislatures when they "get in the way" of the "best interests of the nation". I'm not saying Mr. Bush is a dictator, but his machiavellian streak needs to end, before his popularity dives further.
That having been said, it is unlikely Bush comes up with any of the policy that he announces, so when I impugn Bush, I'm essentially criticizing the administration officials who have the vision and strategic sensibility required to formulate policy of this kind - however illegal.
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