The Torture Caucus

To those with any faith in the human race, the rise of the Nazis in two nations that had been near the center of European culture and civilization was a great shock. Many speculated that there must be some peculiar defects of German culture or character that led to the debacle. The events of the past seven years in the US suggest that those defects are universal, or, at any rate, that we have no immunity. Despite our long experience with democratic institutions, our admirable constitution, and our once admired press, we allowed corrupt and evil people to sieze control of the government, start an unjust and disastrously waged war, and flout the laws and the constitution.

Nothing is more emblematic of that evil than Bush's embrace of what Ronald Reagan called the "abhorent practice" of torture.

In How America Became A Torture Nation
Andrew Sullivan links to a timeline of the American decline and fall.

This particular outrage is mainly a Republican product, of course, but Americans must not forget the shameful role played by a minority of Democrats, especially Senators Schumer and Feinstein. Our slim possibilities of legal or political retribution for Feinstein rest on the hope that she can be prosecuted for her role in steering defense contracts to her husband, but we can try to make sure Schumer never again holds an office of public trust in the United States. Democrats should do everything possible to make sure that they are removed from any important committee assignments.