Thank you for setting Keith and Chris straight, Richard Wolffe!

[jenmito]

He said Obama did NOT shy away from saying waterboarding is torture as some thought he was getting "squishy" about using that word, that obama made it clear that he would NOT waterboard anyone even in the most challenging times since it's toughest to uphold our values when it's tough but that's what separates "us" from "them," and that the reason he didn't come right out and say Bush sanctioned torture is because the last thing he needs to do right now is to make a definite statement and box in those who are investigating it right now. Thank you, Richard!

[jillan]

1. Yes! I heard that.

Every now and then Keith and Rachel need to be brought back down to earth.

[Blue_Roses]

3. yep

[jenmito]

4. Yes, and he also knocked down Matthews who thought Obama left the door

open to waterboarding if it was really necessary (something like that).

[SemiCharmedQuark]

6. Seriousl??? How could Matthew think that??

[jenmito]

14. I don't even know. Something in Obama's example of Churchhill maybe. n/t

[babylonsister]

2. I hope Rachel was listening. And I really like Wolffe.

In case anyone wanted to know. :rofl:

[jenmito]

5. So do I...

and just FYI, I really wanted to know how you felt about him! :D

[babylonsister]

10. Haha! Phew, and thanks!

:fistbump:

[jenmito]

13. My pleasure!

:fistbump: :D

[butterfly77]

48. Let me cool down..

for a minute there I thought you were talking about that damn Wolf blitzer..

[scrappydo]

7. Wolffe seems to be the only one....

with his critical thinking skills in place tonight. This is one time where Keith, Chris, and Rachel have really slipped down the slippery slope. Go, Richard!

[ClusterFreak]

8. Richard Wolfe is up to speed...

...with Obama's masterful chess moves here. Keith, Rachel, Fineman and Tweety need to get off the hysterical liberal pundit bandwagon when it comes to the issue of the CIA memos, torture, and going after Bush and/or his people.

[jenmito]

20. Exactly...

it seems like some people are doing their best to criticize Obama from the LEFT which is never done. But they don't get it in their zeal to criticize him.

[butterfly77]

46. The can't seem to see that...

he is pacing himself and playing a little chess with the CON,he does intend to do what he says but he has to find ways to work around the obstacles they have set for him,now and before he came into office. Remember there was a whole lot of shredding going on at Cheney's in those last few months..

[high density]

49. You've got that right

I was so tired of Olbermann bitching about torture last night that I shut him off as he started talking about torture AGAIN with Richard Wolffe. I went back and watched this segment online. Wolffe was definitely right on, and sounded rather annoyed by it all.

[Connie_Corleone]

9. Rachel still doesn't get it yet.

[jenmito]

15. I know. She just asked Valerie Jarrett if by Obama saying "It was a mistake"

in part of his answer about Bush and torture if he meant there would be no prosecutions or if it would be left up to Holder, Jarrett said Obama was still leaving it up to Holder to prosecute.

[Cha]

11. Thank Goodness someone knows

the Prez as well as more than a few on DU!

:fistbump:Richard Wolffe

[jenmito]

19. Yes...

AND as well as or more than Rachel and Keith! :hi:

[firedupdem]

12. Good...I haven't watched Rachel since forever and keith is hit

or miss.

[jenmito]

16. I don't blame you...

Rachel attacks Obama from the left (wrongly) almost as badly as Faux does from the right on the torture thing.

[firedupdem]

26. I never cared for her show. I tried watching when it first came on

but I couldn't get into it. Then after one of the President's speeches she called it a "wonky sermon" or something and that was it for me. Keith gets stuck on issues and won't let them go. I gave him a break too.

[jenmito]

30. I know...

but I still watch Keith AND Rachel just 'cause I have to keep an eye on them and Keith IS good with getting the RWers.

[Berry Cool]

17. I thought Keith actually listened pretty carefully tonight and didn't go overboard.

He got it righter than Rachel or Tweety did.

[jenmito]

18. He got it more right during his show, but immediately after the press conference

when he was talking with Rachel, they were both lamenting Obama's answer on torture as if he was using Cheney's framing of the issue and "just" calling it a "mistake" like he wasn't going to allow any investigation/prosecution just because he didn't come right out and declare Bush sanctioned torture.

[FightingIrish]

21. Keith and Rachel may have lost me tonight

They seem unwilling to accept anything less than the President making a legal declaration of his predecessor's guilt. When you have a president smarter than the pundits who want to dissect his every move and statement, you get Keith jumping the shark. Unlike Keith and Rachel I have no doubt President Obama wants justice as much as I do. I also have no doubt that he and his legal team have talked about how this will play out. You don't make a case for prosecution by declaring guilt on national television. Doing so would politicize what should be a matter of law and probably give the defendants grounds for appeal.

[jenmito]

25. I know how you feel...

I felt this way a long time about Rachel (ever since the primaries when she INSISTED that Hillary would take the fight all the way to the Convention) and Keith is really getting on my nerves with the torture issue even though he should know by now that Obama knows exactly what to say and WHEN. Keith is going overboard with his fear that Obama doesn't care about Bush and his torture.

[Realtalk]

35. Yeah, Keith can really work my nerves.

[Realtalk]

34. I know what you mean, mane. They're sometimes cool, but tonight ain't one of 'em.

[butterfly77]

47. Rachel and Ed sometimes get on my nerves too..

because they seem to be trying to run the whitehouse and trying to tell the pres what moves to make I know that they know a lot about a lot of issues but sometimes you can't show your hand.

[jenmito]

22. Now Rachel has Jonathan Turley on.

They're both puzzled by Obama's answer on torture even though HOLDER WILL STILL LOOK INTO IT!

[SemiCharmedQuark]

24. I don't get it. Turley seems to be agreeing with Obama, but saying that he disagrees.

Obama said that it doesn't matter if torture works or not, because it is wrong. I don't understand what the deal is.

[MarjorieG]

27. Turley wants Obama to call waterboarding/torture a crime, therefore necessary prosecution. That's

what he wants to hear, which really prejudges a lot.

I'm tired of one-note Turley.

[Realtalk]

36. I've been tired of that tired mofo.

[yowzayowzayowza]

31. Turley is politically tone deaf.

Methinkz he just likes to hear himself pontificate. I gotta agree with the Mag. I haven't trusted 'em since impeachment.

[jillan]

28. Did Turley just say that Obama's perfomance so far on this has been disappointing and dangerous?

WTF?

Did you hear that?

[jenmito]

32. Yes, he did.

I now don't respect him.

[jillan]

33. Me neither. Ya know, there has been alot of bashing of Turley here on DU, and

I have just blown it off... not anymore.

Ed is on Hardball and he is explaining why Obama used the language he used tonite.
Because if he called it a crime, that is all everyone would be talking about for the next few months.

Why can't Rachel and Turley get it thru their thick skulls that Obama is playing this whole torture issue very smartly. He is giving the DOJ and the intelligence committees everything they need to move forward. Obama is not going to let this issue take him down - he has too much to do.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

23. It's as though Rachel and Keith wanted Obama to say that torture *never* works.

Which I think it might work, but it might not but all of that is besides the point.

[stillcool]

29. I don't agree with Rachel's deductions..

but I am so grateful that she will not let up on our war crimes. I think the American people need to be saturated with information about what we've done. Someone needs to keep ringing the bell. I don't really care who she goes after, as long as the issue stays alive.

[Norrin Radd]

37. I think both the President and the pundits are right.

President Obama is right if he is indeed trying not to politicize the issue or play his hand too early, and the pundits are right by doing their jobs as journalists in questioning things, instead of saying what any particular person wants to hear them say. They are keeping the issue in the news, and that is good.

[LittleBlue]

38. Ah! My eyes!

Run-on sentences! :P

[jenmito]

40. Hey-

there was only ONE run-on sentence! :D

[JI7]

39. i became confused when Keith and Chris were discussing this

and didn't really know what they were talking about.

i understand when Wolf explained it and felt the same way Wolf did when Obama gave that example.

[Peacetrain]

41. Here you go Jen.. Obama has been very clear on this

"The United States is a nation of laws. My Administration will always act in accordance with those laws, and with an unshakable commitment to our ideals. That is why we have released these memos, and that is why we have taken steps to ensure that the actions described within them never take place again."

How anyone can get confused and not understand that,and exactly where the President stands is beyond me.

[jenmito]

43. Thanks, Peacetrain!

I couldn't believe when Maddow compared Obama's position on torture with getting a parking ticket just because he used the word "mistake" instead of a crime. Doesn't she GET it that if he HAD used the word "crime" that it would have been the only thing talked about-how he short-circuted the legal system which Holder will be taking care of, etc.

[Peacetrain]

45. I love Rachel, but she is as human as all of us.. and if he had used the word crime

the legal system and any possibility of legal action would have been totally nullified.

[ClarkUSA]

42. Rachel Maddow should be set straight on this point, too. It's getting fucking ridiculous....

... how little these political pundits understand the legal process. Team O is doing a fine job of moving the ball down the field to
investigation by the Justice Department. People need to get a clue that President Obama is a constitutional lawyer and knows how
the law works far better than 99.99% of his loudmouthed critics.

[jenmito]

44. We should email the quote in the post 2 above yours to set her straight...

it should also be sent to Turley, Olbermann, and Matthews.