Karen Hughes ‘worried’ that torture would harm U.S. image, was ‘very vocal’ in internal debate.

[jefferson_dem]

Karen Hughes ‘worried’ that torture would harm U.S. image, was ‘very vocal’ in internal debate.

Last month, Phillip Zelikow disclosed that while serving as a top-aide to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in 2005, he had written and circulated a memo expressing grave concerns about the Bush administration’s torture regime. Another memo Zelikow co-authored at around the same time even offered a legal alternative to the program. Now, it turns out that strong opposition to President Bush’s interrogation policies came from within his tight-knit inner circle. Karen Hughes, counselor to the president, told the Houston Chronicle this week that she was “very vocal in the internal debate”:

She acknowledged the current uproar over interrogation tactics and allegations of prisoner torture during the Bush years.

“I was very vocal in the internal debate,” she said. “I worried about how that would make us look in the eyes of the world. But I had left the White House when a lot of that was taking place.”

Then she paused, worried for the first time in 90 minutes that she’d made a gaffe. Whatever Sen. John McCain says about interrogation techniques, she added quickly, she has similar views.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/05/19/karen-hughes-torture/

[jkshaw]

1. Interesting how the Bush insiders are starting to come

out of the shadows. Now.

[butterfly77]

14. I am loving it...

the more they come out the more we know they are afraid. Oh,a tangled web they weaved when they tried their best to deceive...

[Pachamama]

19. One of the things Vincent Bugliosi said in his book "The Trial of GWB for Murder" was that it won't

take much to get the birds to all sing and that they would all start rolling over all over themselves trying to save their own asses. I highly recommend this book and recommend that Eric Holder and every AG across the country read it. I think if Dick Cheney or GWB read it, they aren't sleeping well at night. It basically is a how to book for getting the two of them and making it stick. The most amusing to watch will be if someone is clever enough to follow Bugliosi's "recipe" for how to get Cheney to implicate Bush and vice versa.... :hi:

[William769]

2. Now theres a woman you can trust.

NOT!

[babylonsister]

3. A big case of CYA? Ironic, isn't it. nt

[CTyankee]

4. So Karen Hughes is coming out of the woodwork to cover her rear.

We're gonna see a LOT of senior advisors coming out with their "I was very vocal against torture" claims.

This gives me my biggest laugh of the day...

[tridim]

26. The best part is eventually Bush will have to come out of hiding

and cover his ass too. The only question is when.

At that point Cheney will go ballistic.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

5. Forget Right and Wrong, APPEARANCES are at stake!

Karen, don't worry. We'll find you an orange jumpsuit that doesn't make your ass look fat.

[noamnety]

11. that bit of moral bankruptcy jumped out at me as well

She's at about a 5 year old level of ethics maturity there: We shouldn't engage in war crimes because there might be a negative consequence to us if we do.

[Kaleko]

18. Hughes gives us a rare glimpse into the logic of a sociopath.

“I was very vocal in the internal debate,” she said. “I worried about how that would make us look in the eyes of the world."

Keep talking, Karen.

[Raster]

20. Karen Hughes = Wetnurse to the Beast.

[RichGirl]

23. Don't make promises you can't keep!

I don't think there is such a jumpsuit that will hide that massive derriere!!

[old guy]

6. Prove it.

Show some documentation or some credible person to corroborate what you allegedly said. Just saying you said it doesn't make it true. This ain't the * misadministration anymore.

[redqueen]

7. So... she'd be fine with torture if it were still popular with others.

How do these people sleep at night? They consider themselves religious?

I'm reminded of a line from Zoolander... I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

[polichick]

8. Funny how Bush didn't pre-emptively pardon any of his fellow war criminals...

It's the one thing I thank him for!

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

9. Did they all suddenly discover that "conspiracy to torture" is a crime in itself?

I also like Condi saying SHE didn't authorize the torture , she just passed the authorization along. Right.

[VWolf]

10. Bigtime CYA

Yeah, she was "vocal" but can't come up with a single written opinion from then? Okey dokey.

[Touchdown]

12. So now she comes clean. Too late, too bad. She's still evil.

Makes not on bit of difference.

Remember when she mocked John Kerry on Halloween with Turdblossom by wearing military garb? This woman makes me sick! :puke:

[nichomachus]

24. She's not coming clean

You have to read what she said. She opposed torture because of its public relations ramifications. The problem is that torture is wrong because it's evil -- not because it's bad public relations.

So far, not one person has come forward and said "I opposed torture because it's a grave moral evil." We hear all sorts of crap about how it doesn't work, how it is bad PR, but that misses the central point.

It's morally evil.

[Touchdown]

27. You are right. She is unforgivable.

..and dithpicable!

[Fleshdancer]

13. This does indeed go up to the very top

Bush read the memo co-written by Phillip Zelikow which outlined and advocated humane ways to interrogate detainees. Now we know those closest to Bush did indeed debate this.

There's no blaming just the CIA. It's not just Cheney's problem or Rumsfield's problem. The President of the United States knew and did not stop the torture. No wonder the GOP wants to focus on Pelosi.

Under Bush, our country hit a new low.

[PassingFair]

15. Lest we forget...

Her most beauteous visage:

[Politicalboi]

16. Doesn't Karen work

For Hillary now?

[PassingFair]

17. No way!

I don't believe that.

[Fleshdancer]

21. She works for a public relations company

According to wikipedia: Hughes is currently the Vice Chairman of Burson-Marsteller, a major public relations company.

[PassingFair]

22. Hillary's top "strategist" Mark Penn is CEO of Burson-Marsteller....

:rofl:

What a den of VIPERS DC is!!!

[yellowcanine]

25. Sinking Ship. Rats. Fleeing.