EPTOn December 15 2014 23:35 oneofthem wrote:
http://20committee.com/2014/12/10/cia-torture-an-insiders-view/
http://20committee.com/2014/12/10/cia-torture-an-insiders-view/
Pretty much what I'd expect to hear.
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xDaunt
United States17988 Posts
Pretty much what I'd expect to hear. | ||
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Nyxisto
Germany6287 Posts
After his page long apologetics I am at least relieved to read that. | ||
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{CC}StealthBlue
United States41117 Posts
Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) is calling all hands on deck to fix his state's huge self-imposed budget crisis, which nearly cost him re-election this year, and the staunch conservative is now receiving an assist from an unlikely source: Obamacare. The state's well-documented budget troubles came after Brownback's dramatic reductions in taxes since taking office in 2011. With its revenue drying up and cash reserves depleted, Kansas is staring at a $280 million hole in its $6.4 billion FY 2015 budget, which ends in June. Brownback offered his proposal for closing that hole last week, a mixture of spending cuts and transferring funds from other parts of the budget to fill it. And second biggest of those transfers is $55 million in revenue from a Medicaid drug rebate program that was bolstered under the Affordable Care Act. The short version then is this: Obamacare is helping Kansas address its fiscal crisis -- even if Brownback's administration seems loath to admit it. "In the simple version, it would be like with your own bank account, you are transferring money from your savings account to your checking account," Duane Goossen, former Republican state legislator and state budget director who now blogs independently, told TPM in a phone interview on Friday. The Kansas Health Institute first outlined what was happening in a story last week. They noted that Kansas Budget Director Shawn Sullivan didn't credit the federal law when explaining why the state would be able to use that money to close the gap. "The additional revenue from the rebates is the result of higher-than-expected pharmacy utilization among the Kansas Medicaid population and better pharmacy program administration by the MCOs in the state,” Sullivan said, per KHI. When contacted by the news agency, a state health department spokesperson initially told reporter Andy Marso that Obamacare "doesn't have a role" in the $55 million that will help save the state's finances. But the spokesperson later corrected themselves, saying they "had gotten incorrect information about the ACA's role in the pharmacy rebate program." The rebate program is complicated, but here is the gist, as it was explained to TPM on Friday by George Washington University professor Brian Bauen. Under the program, pharmaceutical companies pay rebates to states and to the federal government, based on a percentage of their sales to the Medicaid program that year. Source | ||
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Wolfstan
Canada605 Posts
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{CC}StealthBlue
United States41117 Posts
Congress dealt a historic blow to the United States' decades-long war on drugs Saturday with the passage of the federal spending bill, which contains protections for medical marijuana and industrial hemp operations in states where they are legal. The spending bill includes an amendment that prohibits the Department of Justice from using funds to go after state-legal medical cannabis programs. If the bill is signed into law, it will bring the federal government one step closer to ending raids on medical marijuana dispensaries, as well as stopping arrests of individuals involved with pot businesses that are complying with state law. “When the House first passed this measure back in May, we made headlines; today we made history," Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.), who in May introduced the medical marijuana protections amendment with co-sponsor Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), told The Huffington Post regarding the bill's passage. "The federal government will finally respect the decisions made by the majority of states that passed medical marijuana laws," Farr added. "This is great day for common sense because now our federal dollars will be spent more wisely on prosecuting criminals and not sick patients.” The bill protects medical marijuana programs in the 23 states that have legalized marijuana for medical purposes, as well as 11 additional states that have legalized CBD oils, a non-psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that has shown to be beneficial in some severe cases of epilepsy. “Congress has finally initiated a drawdown in the federal government’s war on medical marijuana,” said Mason Tvert, director of communications for the Marijuana Policy Project, in a statement. “This legislation makes it clear that the DEA has no business interfering in states’ medical marijuana laws. Taxpayer money should not be used to punish seriously ill people who use medical marijuana and the caregivers who provide it to them.” Under the Obama administration, the DEA and several U.S. attorneys have raided marijuana dispensaries and sent people to prison, even though they complied with state laws. According to a report released last year by advocacy group Americans for Safe Access, the Obama administration has spent nearly $80 million each year cracking down on medical marijuana, which amounts to more than $200,000 per day. Source | ||
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Sub40APM
6336 Posts
Yes. I trust the judgment of a guy fired from the Naval Academy for sending pictures of his flaccid dick to a random woman he met on twitter. | ||
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Nyxisto
Germany6287 Posts
On December 16 2014 03:50 Sub40APM wrote: Yes. I trust the judgment of a guy fired from the Naval Academy for sending pictures of his flaccid dick to a random woman he met on twitter. that's just one of the newest interrogation methods. "answer my questions truthfully or I'll keep sending more dick-pics" | ||
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{CC}StealthBlue
United States41117 Posts
Gov. Bill Haslam of Tennessee on Monday morning became the latest Republican governor to announce support of Obamacare's Medicaid expansion —and the third in the nation since Republicans gained more power at the state and federal levels in the November midterm elections. Like most other Republican governors who want to take the health-care law's generous federal funding, Haslam is now offering a plan that deviates from the Medicaid expansion envisioned under the Affordable Care Act. Haslam, who made the announcement almost a month after his re-election, said the Obama administration has verbally approved the approach. "We think we have a plan in Tennessee that fits our citizens and also is an answer to budget challenges we'd face in the future," Haslam said during a press conference Monday morning. The Tennessee plan, which Haslam said will be debated by a special session of the state legislature, is a two-year wavier program with two tracks. It will offer vouchers to people earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level — or about $16,100 for an individual — to help purchase employer coverage they would otherwise struggle to afford. Other newly eligible individuals can sign up in health plans modeled after health reimbursement accounts, with people earning above the poverty level required to pay premiums and copays. Haslam's administration didn't immediately offer details about how those payments are structured. In Tennessee, about 142,000 low-income adults fall into what's known as the coverage gap — people who earn too much to qualify for the existing Medicaid program but not enough to qualify for subsidies to purchase private coverage on the Obamacare health insurance marketplaces. That's according to a November estimate from the Kaiser Family Foundation, which finds that 3.8 million poor adults across the country fall into this gap. Haslam's announcement comes after almost a year-and-a-half of discussions with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services over an acceptable Medicaid expansion alternative. That may have been the easiest part for Haslam, who joins Matt Mead of Wyoming and Gary Herbert of Utah in offering a Medicaid expansion plan in the month since the midterms passed. Source | ||
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Doublemint
Austria8545 Posts
On December 16 2014 04:16 Nyxisto wrote: that's just one of the newest interrogation methods. "answer my questions truthfully or I'll keep sending more dick-pics" nah, he probably asked his NSA buddy to check if her former boyfriend also got a date after sending dick pics. and thought "if that worked the first time"... | ||
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{CC}StealthBlue
United States41117 Posts
Under a new Ohio law, Gov. John Kasich (R) will require schools to partner with a religious group in order to receive state funding for mentoring programs. The state legislature passed a measure that would direct $10 million in casino revenue toward a mentorship program. The original language did not require schools to work with religious organizations, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. But now the state requires schools to work with both a faith-based group and a nonprofit set up by a business in order to receive funding. Buddy Harris, a senior police analyst for the Ohio Department of Education, told the audience at a Thursday information session about the requirement. "The faith-based organization is clearly at the heart of the vision of the governor," he said after the session, according to the Plain Dealer. "We do not forsee any proseletyzing happening between mentors and students," Harris added. "That's not really what we're seeking." The program was always meant to include religious groups, but their participation was not originally required in order for schools to qualify for the funding. Source | ||
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GreenHorizons
United States23255 Posts
"The faith-based organization is clearly at the heart of the vision of the governor," he said after the session, according to the Plain Dealer. "We do not forsee any proseletyzing happening between mentors and students," Harris added. "That's not really what we're seeking." Yeah... Don't think too many people are buying that... | ||
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robopork
United States511 Posts
On December 16 2014 03:50 Sub40APM wrote: Yes. I trust the judgment of a guy fired from the Naval Academy for sending pictures of his flaccid dick to a random woman he met on twitter. edit: answered my own question | ||
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DarkPlasmaBall
United States44391 Posts
Surgeon general nominee Vivek Murthy, opposed by gun lobby, confirmed President Obama's pick to serve as the next surgeon general was confirmed Monday evening more than a year and half after being nominated, the first of nearly a half dozen of the president's picks set for confirmation this week as Democrats prepare to cede control of the U.S. Senate. Senators voted 51 to 43 to confirm Vivek Murthy, a Harvard and Yale-educated doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, whose nomination had been in limbo amid concerns about his experience, and opposition from the gun lobby. As surgeon general, Murthy, 37, will serve as the nation’s top spokesperson on public health issues. Boris Lushniak has served as acting surgeon general since July 2013. Senators in both parties had questioned whether he was too inexperienced for the job, or whether his efforts to get Obama elected and support the president's health-care law made him too polarizing a figure. But by far the most vehement opposition to Murthy’s confirmation came from the National Rifle Association, which called him a “serious threat to the rights of gun owners” because of his support of tighter gun control laws. That animosity in part dates to a tweet Murthy sent out in 2012: "Tired of politicians playing politics w/guns, putting lives at risk b/c they're scared of NRA. Guns are a health care issue." Earlier this year in a hearing on Capitol Hill, Murthy said if confirmed, he would focus on public health topics of broad agreement such as the need to fight the country’s obesity epidemic. “I do not intend to use the surgeon general's office as a bully pulpit for gun control,” he said at the time. Murthy has received public support from scores of medical and public health organizations, as well as from former Surgeon General David Satcher. But his comments prompted opposition from moderate Democrats from states with strong gun cultures, briefly raising the specter of a rare defeat for an Obama nominee. Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W. Va.), who voted against Murthy, said in a statement Monday that the surgeon general "serves as America’s leader on public health services and chooses what health policies we should prioritize. For that reason, I don’t believe it’s appropriate for America’s number one doctor to participate in political activism." And Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), an orthopedic surgeon, credited Murthy's academic credentials but said he is still unqualified for the position. “Is Dr. Murthy a renowned expert in treating patients or researching diseases? No, not at all. He's not. Has he actually built a career teaching medicine or leading public health organizations? No, not yet," he said in a floor speech on Monday. Obama said in a statement that Murthy will bring "his lifetime of experience promoting public health" to the role and help guide the U.S. response to the Ebola crisis. "Vivek’s confirmation makes us better positioned to save lives around the world and protect the American people here at home," he said. Murthy was the first of 23 nominees expected to be confirmed this week, as Democrats get ready to hand Senate control over to Republicans next year. Democrats secured an agreement from Republicans on those confirmations when senators met during a marathon session prompted over disagreements over how to approve a sweeping $1.1 trillion spending bill. In addition to Murthy, the final batch of nominees included 11 picks for Executive Branch posts and 12 nominees for lifetime appointments to federal district courts in eight states and the District of Columbia. On Monday, senators set up a Tuesday morning confirmation vote for Daniel J. Santos, who has waited more than 500 days to be confirmed as a member of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, one of the longest waits ever for an Obama pick. Others set for confirmation on Tuesday include Antony Blinken to be a deputy secretary of state; Frank A. Rose to be an assistant secretary of state; and Sarah R. Saldaña to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Confirmation of the others is expected later Tuesday or Wednesday. Opening the day’s business on Monday morning, Reid said the Senate could quickly resolve unfinished business, but warned that the final tasks could stretch on for days. “We’re going to have to be here to finish our work, whether that’s Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday,” he said. “So everyone should understand – we can’t be leaving.” ~ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/12/15/surgeon-general-nominee-vivek-murthy-opposed-by-gun-lobby-confirmed/ Why the hell was the vote so close? "Senators voted 51 to 43 to confirm Vivek Murthy, a Harvard and Yale-educated doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston ... Murthy has received public support from scores of medical and public health organizations, as well as from former Surgeon General David Satcher." Seems great so far... "But by far the most vehement opposition to Murthy’s confirmation came from the National Rifle Association" Ah yes, that infamous medical and healthcare group... The NRA. -.-' The NRA has way too much political muscle. | ||
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Wolfstan
Canada605 Posts
On December 16 2014 10:27 DarkPlasmaBall wrote: ~ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/12/15/surgeon-general-nominee-vivek-murthy-opposed-by-gun-lobby-confirmed/ Why the hell was the vote so close? "Senators voted 51 to 43 to confirm Vivek Murthy, a Harvard and Yale-educated doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston ... Murthy has received public support from scores of medical and public health organizations, as well as from former Surgeon General David Satcher." Seems great so far... "But by far the most vehement opposition to Murthy’s confirmation came from the National Rifle Association" Ah yes, that infamous medical and healthcare group... The NRA. -.-' The NRA has way too much political muscle. The vote will always be close as the vote will usually go along partisan lines. Only 1 Republican and 3 Democrats broke party lines. | ||
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GreenHorizons
United States23255 Posts
1) Abu Zubaydah broke immediately and gave up Khalid Sheikh Mohammed along with the majority of actionable intelligence rapidly. 2) Abu Zubaydah didn't "stop talking". Government contractors said he wasn't giving up all the information to the CIA and they needed to step in. So they pulled out the original CIA interrogators, locked him solitary with no human contact for 40+ days. Then started the torture. 3) Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was NOT, I repeat NOT, a member of Al Qaeda (he says we have known for a long time) and the US has removed related charges from the list of charges at Guantanamo. On it's face it looks a lot like they were torturing him to make him say what they needed to, in order to justify whatever they wanted to do. I'll add a print source when I find it. Haven't found it from the interview but I did find this Taken just before he disappeared: Syed Saleem Shahzad (November 3, 1970 – 30 May 2011) was a Pakistani investigative journalist who wrote widely for leading European and Asian media. He was found dead in a canal in North-east Pakistan, showing signs of torture, two days after he was kidnapped. Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the Pakistan intelligence services of being behind his killing, and US government officials later announced that they had “reliable and conclusive” intelligence that this was the case. Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) denied the accusations. Video SHAHZAD: You have to appreciate two things when you would investigate the 9/11 plot. Number one, the broader ideas. The broader ideas actually came from Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, who actually wanted a friction between the West and the Muslim world on very broad lines. And for that, he actually wanted a flashpoint to be created. And the second element was Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was not al-Qaeda's member. He was a standalone jihadi. And he came up with this idea of 9/11. And then he proposed that idea to Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden. Ayman al-Zawahiri was the most happy person. And if you study Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri's personality, you would be knowing that he is a silent manipulator. He cunningly manipulated Osama bin Laden's mind, and that way he made sure that 9/11, like, even would happen in America, but because it would guarantee a massive friction in the world, and massive polarization in the world, and would divide the world on ideological lines, and that is what he was precisely looking for. So I don't think that there is any question of the Saudi involvement, Saudi establishment's involvement or the Pakistani military establishment involvement. No matter how close they were to the Taliban or Osama bin Laden or any other personality--even Osama bin Laden was very well manipulated by Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri. | ||
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{CC}StealthBlue
United States41117 Posts
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Danglars
United States12133 Posts
On December 15 2014 19:32 WhiteDog wrote: When did I say that?Say he is libertarian.... Defend state in a torture scandal. On December 15 2014 22:29 Hagen0 wrote: What a laughable claim. It's honestly as if you think by repeating that it was ineffective that it becomes ineffective. We're a two-party system here, and thus far one party has put its political propaganda in its best shot out there. If they had a prayer of proving it ineffective, they would've interviewed CIA agents, heads of department, chiefs ... but absolutely none of that was done. So much for wanting to know the results.I wonder. To the best of our knowledge the CIA torture program was almost completely ineffective. Why do you persist in asserting the opposite? I agree with Engel on one thing. The political leadership is trying to absolve themselves of responsibility by pretending they didn't know anything. Cheney, Bush, Yoo and co. should indeed be indicted for their crimes along with the CIA torturers. One other thing: If one really cares about the troops it is a good idea to not send tem off to fight neo-colonial wars within some sectarian hotbed or other. If, however, you think any or all of those methods should never be used under any circumstances, you have gained something by reading the report. | ||
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Danglars
United States12133 Posts
I do not need to read the report to know that the Democratic staff alone wrote it. The Republicans checked out early when they determined that their counterparts started out with the premise that the CIA was guilty and then worked to prove it. Talk about a money quote. Maybe I'm the real naive one for thinking more people would see this publication for the tripe it is. I don't hear these champions of bipartisanship speaking up now. | ||
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GreenHorizons
United States23255 Posts
On December 16 2014 12:38 Danglars wrote: Talk about a money quote. Maybe I'm the real naive one for thinking more people would see this publication for the tripe it is. I don't hear these champions of bipartisanship speaking up now. I'm trying to understand your position here. What kind of stuff do you think that interviews would of uncovered that would significantly change the conclusions of the report or the conclusions people like John McCain are drawing from it, and his personal knowledge? | ||
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IgnE
United States7681 Posts
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