Obama Is As "Eager To Go The Extra Mile To Hide The Truth As Assiduously As" BUSH "If Not More So"

[kpete]

Punishing the Truth-Tellers

By Robert Parry
March 15, 2011

It appears the most serious offense you can commit in Washington these days is telling the truth. You get a pass on torture, aggressive war, killing civilians, lying, destroying evidence and such, but don’t dare give honest information to the American people.

The penalties can range from possible life imprisonment for Pvt. Bradley Manning, who allegedly disclosed classified information to the public via WikiLeaks, to getting fired, like what happened to State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley for calling the Pentagon’s harsh and humiliating treatment of Manning “counterproductive and stupid.”

Yet, no one suggests that what Manning allegedly released wasn’t true; nor could you dispute Crowley’s assessment that the forced nudity and the maximum security treatment of Manning hurt the U.S. image, especially since these acts recall George W. Bush’s mistreatment of “war on terror” detainees.

But it seems President Barack Obama is especially eager to go the extra mile to show the Establishment that he can be trusted with the secrets, that his administration can hide the truth as assiduously as the last one, if not more so.

the rest:
http://consortiumnews.com/2011/031511.html

[nc4bo]

1. What a guy! nt

[dennis4868]

2. I agree...

this article is bullshit with not much backing it up....

By the way, later in the afternoon, Obama will accept an award from a coalition of good government groups and transparency advocates in conjunction with Sunshine Week, on transparency in government.

[kpete]

6. dennis4868

that was lovely!

peace, kpete

[pacalo]

24. How ironic. Awards seem to mean nothing now, other than to garner public perception.

[old mark]

3. K&R- Mr. Obama seems to really love the Patriot Act and the super-legal powers of the DHS, too...

This bothers me more than anything else he has done since his election...so far, at least.

mark

[BeFree]

4. Carter is proof

Carter told the truth and he was sent out of DC on a rail.

Tarred and feathered.

And the biggest liar ever took over the white house.

Nothing new, just another who.

[gkhouston]

5. I can remember thinking that a lot of the abuses of the Bush administration would

end when Obama came into office. Sad, sad delusion.

[Imagevision]

7. Obama's rap has gotten old news months ago...!

[slay]

8. Sure looks that way to me

i think all the foxnews screaming "he's a kenyan socialist!" has distracted people from the fact that Obama is really a center/right-wing authoritarian who ran and got elected as what people thought would be a left of center Dem at worst and possibly a true progressive. hope and change? HA! wouldn't be the first time center/right peeps got elected as Dems (Blanche Lincoln, Joe Lieberman) but it has been unusually successful this time since so many judge Obama on his poise and charisma (of which he has plenty) rather than his actions which are in fact quite troubling - especially for someone who claims to be a democrat.

[Angry Dragon]

11. +1000

[KittyWampus]

9. Manning admitted what he did. The trial is a mere formality. And saying Obama is worse than Bush

is fucked up.

But it will get Parry a bunch of hits today, I'm sure.

[kpete]

10. only in this one issue

trust me, i do not want to relive BUSHCO
i just want the truth when we can get it...
i expected more from Obama, that is all

peace, kpete

[bemildred]

12. If it's a formality, why is it taking so long?

Or as I like to paraphrase: "If you've got your shit together, what's that stuff all around it?"

[markpkessinger]

14. NO trial is a "mere formality!"

The day ANY criminal trial, civilian or military, is seen as a "mere formality" is the day we can all kiss our civil rights goodbye. No court has, as yet, ruled on the admissibility of his confession, nor has he pleaded guilty. He is entitled to every presumption of innocence unless and until he has been convicted oft he crimes with which he has been charged.

[_ed_]

16. They can't get past their worship of Obama

Nothing else matters, not even the Constitutional provisions of equal protection and due process.

This is scary. If so-called liberals are this willing to trash our system of laws to protect their Dear Leader, I think America is fucked. Politics is nothing more than identity and celebrity.

[_ed_]

15. Your post is un-American

Every citizen ACCUSED of a crime is granted the presumption of innocence in our court system. NO TRIAL is a mere formality. Can you explain why you think Manning isn't entitled to the presumption of innocence? Or are you so blind in your hero worship of Obama that you're willing to shit on our Constitution and our cherished legal principles of equal protection and due process only in the service of a single politician.

[Bluebear]

31. Thank you.

Even though I can't see what "ignored" wrote.

[gratuitous]

21. Why not just gun him down in his cell?

Trials are not "mere formalities," and while it will no doubt be a shock to many, it's just possible that the official line from governmental sources might not present a complete picture. From what I've been able to tell, Manning hasn't admitted to doing anything, certainly nothing like what he's been charged with. And were these admissions made before or after his punitive detention began? Is an admission submitted after torture really an admission at all? And, if Manning is the traitorous monster some people seem to think he is, hardly worth the cost of the bullet to end his miserable existence, wouldn't it be better to put on a public trial under established rules of evidence and procedure, so that his guilt would be apparent to all?

Unless, as I say, we aren't getting a complete picture from governmental sources. Who I'm sure have nothing to hide. At all.

[bemildred]

13. If you are going to be in Public Relations, you are going be a professional liar.

That's what they get paid for.

[JuniperLea]

20. That's a mighty broad brush...

Some PR firms have a good moral compass. Some of the best actually.

[CoffeeCat]

30. Hey sweetie...

...where's the like button?

:)

[CoffeeCat]

29. I'm in PR...

...and I don't lie.

[cali]

17. breathless and false. Perry used to be good. he hasn't been for some time.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

18. Obama is protecting us from the evils of knowing what our government does.

Or, protecting the government from the people if it finds out our government does.

[Bluebear]

25. +

[noise]

27. There is no chance any government officials would ever

abuse the classification system to conceal evidence of corruption.

:sarcasm:

[swilton]

19. The truty is hidden - not from the rest of the world

our the victims of our military run wild. The truth is hidden from the American public.

[truth2power]

22. There is nothing in that article that I can disagree with....

and I am more sickened by Obama's actions every day. Ugh!

[ladjf]

23. "The dog must have eaten his homework." nt

[killbotfactory]

26. Let me know when Obama released classified information SPECIFICALLY to endanger his critics

Until then, no, he is not worse than Bush.

[Poboy]

28. Recommend

[treestar]

32. I thought we all knew the truth and were blaming Obama because we

didn't like the procedures? I thought I saw dozens of threads on that.