Col. Larry Wilkerson Calls Rove Coward on Countdown: "I've got something else to say about Mr. Rove"

[Hissyspit]

Wilkerson, former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell, interviewed by Lawrence O'Donnell tonight (12 March 2010) on the matter of Karl Rove's book and its attempts to justify the use of torture techniques during the Bush administration.

WILKERSON: "Let me say this, I saw - I had the highest clearance, Top Secret SCI - I saw almost everything Secretary Powell saw. I saw no proof of any of the things that Karl Rove indicated, and, as a matter of fact, no proof that any of the interrogation techniques, other than those used by the FBI, early on, had a real impact on actionable intelligence.

And I've got something else to say about Mr. Rove: No political counselor should have - he doesn't have the need-to-know. He shouldn't have access to that kind of classified information. He has NO BUSINESS having access, so if the White House allowed him to, THAT is a no-no. And I will guess that he's getting his information from Dick Cheney, because he did not have access to that kind of information."

"He's trying to sell his book."

On Rove's contention that waterboarding was not torture because doctors were present, Wilkerson said: "Slick it up with some doctors, and slick it up with some other medical personnel present. That sounds like the Nazis... Nuremburg cites the responsibilities of physicians in that regard and it isn't positive what they say about them..."

O'Donnell started the segment pointing out that Cheney and Rove and Mark Thiessen, the big fans/cheerleaders of torture, never served in the military.

O'DONNELL: "As a military man, what does that feel like to watch the cheerleaders safely positioned on the sidelines, their whole lives, try to tell you what is the most effective process and technique in war?"

WILKERSON: "Well, it says to me, and I'll make no bones about it, that they're all cowards. I mean, it's plain and simple, they're all cowards."

AUDIO Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly29mE9zmQo

[eleny]

1. Wilkerson called him a coward, too. Rove and Cheney....

....and their people who never served a day in the service but wanted war.

It was a great interview. Wilkerson looked pretty ticked off. Hope it makes it to YouTube.

[Hissyspit]

2. I'll keep an eye out for it.

[malaise]

3. That was fabulous

He destroyed that criminal.

[dchill]

5. Destroyed? You wish.

I wish. As far as I have been able to discern, he's pretty much untouchable.

[gimama]

4. the Col. tore it UP

O'Donnell was also pretty indignant.

I want the war criminals prosecuted, already.

CK out/share:
www.indiegogo.com/bush
www.prosecutegeorgebush.com

[Vidar]

6. K&R.

[rasputin1952]

7. It was a thing of beauty...

:)

[AnnieBW]

8. Man, was there smoke coming out of his ears or what?

I thought that he was gonna blow right there on camera. I hope that Rove never runs in to him. Then again, maybe I do...

[SusanaMontana41]

30. In all of his many interviews on "Countdown," Wilkerson

never has been as angry as he appeared to be Friday. I'd love to see Wilkerson confront Rove live and in person, but chickenhawks, as Wilkerson said, are cowards.

Some of them are war criminals, as well.

[Mopar151]

9. What I want to know

Is what torture videos the goons (CIA, military, and "contractors") sent to Cheney, and who else...Rove, maybe Dubya*, Rush?, some of Dr.Evil's spook buddies? For these steadfast "24" fans, this might be pretty strong porn....






*Dubya was known to have a sadistic streak as pledge master of Skull & Bones, but I am not sure Dick would trust him with the "HOT" stuff.

[rasputin1952]

13. Despots have a "streak" in them that goes beyond our comprehension...

of normal.

One of the things that made nazi's so despicable was that they filmed many of their "sessions", to include torture, executions and the industrialization of murder. The "big" nazi's often watched these with glee, as if it were a game of sorts. The execution of officers by strangulation using piano wire strung from meat hooks is said to have brought great joy to Hitler and his cronies when viewed. Beheading by guillotine was another source of "entertainment" for the "big guys".

The Japanese went to lengths to film torture, beheadings and executions. Films were sent to Tojo and others in the hierarchy.

Pol Pot was said to have enjoyed the films of executions in the Killing Fields.

The sadistic traits of these people, usually far from the crimes that were documented, is a very sick part of their psyche. It would not surprise me in the least that the former administration was privy to scenes of torture and death. I have to wonder if bush, cheney, rumsfeld and others "enjoyed" these scenes of depredation. I get the uneasy feeling they would have.

[Mopar151]

15. Torture porn for the elites

The "torture porn" sub-genre has proven to be very profitable: Saw, made for $1.2 million, grossed over $100 million worldwide, while Hostel, which cost less than $5 million to produce, grossed over $80 million.<15> Lionsgate, the studio behind the films, made considerable gains in its stock price from the box office showing.<16> The financial success led the way for the release of similar films: Turistas in 2006, Hostel: Part II, Borderland, and Captivity, starring Elisha Cuthbert and Pruitt Taylor Vince, in 2007.<15><17> The double feature Grindhouse (2007), produced and directed by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, has also been considered part of the trend,<14> as has the Lindsay Lohan thriller I Know Who Killed Me (2007).<18>

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splatter_film

[elleng]

10. And BULLIES, imo.

I can imagine them on the playground.

[Mopar151]

14. This book helped me understand adult bullies

The authour talks about "alternate agression", i.e.
"Definitions of popularity and the inner workings of cliques
Bullying across racial and socioeconomic lines
Hidden jealousy, competition and emotional abuse among close friends"

The scary thing is, it explained that "dog-whistle" response that Bush, Cheney and their inner circle get from seemingly normal people - and how they keep their "friends" in line, with fear and "perks" like the secrets mentioned upthread.

[rhett o rick]

27. Also great book is "The Authoritatians". Altemeyer labels these people as authoritatians, I call

them bullies.

[Mopar151]

29. I'll have to dig it up

Sleeping with a librarian has it's advantages....
And I agree with your basic premise. I am a shoprat, with 6 years as a supervisor. Were I to pen a tome on the subject, it might well be titled "I Shoulda Shot the Prick When I had a Chance! - The feminisation of violence, agressiveness, and backstabbing in the modern workplace."

[rhett o rick]

36. The Authoritarians is free on the internets and cheap via LuLu.com. nt

[troubledamerican]

11. But Wilkerson's boss gave Karl fellatio, right? Let's be honest: Colin Powell

was the key to the Bush/Cheney tragedy, entirely.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

31. Yep. Powell green-lit and sold the invasion for them.

I am not saying he could have stopped it, but if he had any integrity at all, he would have publicly blasted the plans and resigned loudly. Instead, he - as the voice of integrity because the U.N. and many in this country gave him the credibility that they would never give to Bush, Cheney, Rice, etc. - used that integrity to sell the invasion. Regardless of everything he may have done up until that point in his career and everything after, he did that and that is what should be chiseled on his tombstone and written in every history book. He knew is was bullshit, but sold it anyway.

[EFerrari]

38. Powell was also instrumental in the f#cking over of Haiti and

the ouster of Aristide. Powell is nothing to write home about.

[EFerrari]

37. Maybe there's something wrong with me but I don't trust Wilkerson

precisely because he worked under Powell.

[BlueMTexpat]

12. The irony is that the cowards are considered "strong"

on national security, which is the biggest joke ... and tragedy ... of all.
They are also traitors, every one.
And they are also war criminals, every single one.

But since they never lied about having consensual sex with an intern over 21, nothing will ever happen to them in the US.
What a travesty!

[The Wizard]

16. Most of the war mongers are cowards

They have no concept of the sacrifices made by those who do the hard dirty unforgiving work of combat. To the punks who want others to go to war combat is an abstract concept with casualties affecting people they will never know.
All the douche bags who promote the illegal and immoral invasion and occupation of defenseless nations need a good beating. Sometimes a good beating is the only thing these scumbags understand.

[Octafish]

17. Bushco defined: ''THEY ARE ALL COWARDS.''

Thank you, Colonel Wilkerson and you, too, Hissyspit. KBR.

[Zambero]

18. Criminals FIRST

Cowards second

[Zoeisright]

19. Yep, Rove is a Nazi all right.

Lie and kill. That's his M.O.

[Spazito]

20. Video Link to Wilkerson's comments...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/#35845599

Col. Wilkerson certainly didn't pull his punches! Well worth watching, imo.

[southernyankeebelle]

21. I watched that segment and boy he sure didn't leave any doubt where he stood.

[trusty elf]

22. K&R

[laughingliberal]

23. K & R nt

[LiberalFighter]

24. If doctors were present as Rove claims then maybe those doctors need to have their license revoked.

[geckosfeet]

25. "He has NO BUSINESS having access, so if the White House allowed him to, THAT is a no-no."

A "no-no"!?

A fire-trucking "no-no"!?

Are you sneerious?

I call it a breech of national security. A crime against the American people.

on edit: inline styles, font sizing for emphasis etc.etc.

[rhett o rick]

26. The Col. better stay out of small planes. Just sayin'. nm

[tallahasseedem]

28. LOL!

That's what I was thinking as well!

[wial]

32. maybe for the sake of other passengers he should fly in small planes

I can't see the likes of Rove stopping at small ones, even though that's been his MO in the past.

[frylock]

33. insert picture of colin powell holding vial of anthrax..

i agree with everything the col states, but let us not forget that if not for the assistance of colin powell and his 3-d renderings of mobile weapons lab, this war may have never been sold.

[wial]

34. I remember at that time thinking making Powell give the presentation

was a kind of political assassination too. I remember being very dismayed by how even progressive bloggers bought into it. even Josh Marshall, IIRC but I'm not sure I do. Anyhow, what surer way to make guarantee Powell could never be president, and he marched up and did it like a soldier because he felt he had no choice. To be sure, if he'd been truly worthy, he wouldn't have done it. Following orders has never been a good excuse for anything important.

[bertman]

35. Col. Wilkerson is doing his level best to make amends for being an unwitting accomplice to

the runup to the Iraq War. The man is leading the charge to show why we are there and to do something to prosecute those who were responsible. He's not pulling any punches against BushCo. Whoever said he should stay out of small planes is right.

Thanks for posting the link to the segment, Hissyspit.

Kick.