Cornyn offers sensible sense of Senate on interrogations

Sen. Cornyn's office sent the following:

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today offered an amendment to the FY09 Supplemental Bill that would express the Sense of the Senate that interrogators, attorneys and lawmakers who tried in good faith to protect the United States and abide by the law should not be prosecuted or otherwise sanctioned. President Obama has echoed this call in previous statements, saying he is more interested in looking forward than looking back and rebuffing calls for a so-called truth commission.

“The current cycle of partisan recriminations is unhealthy, unwarranted, and a major distraction from the important work of getting our economy back on track, keeping our country safe, and winning the War on Terror. Accusations, investigations and so-called truth commissions are a waste of our time, resources and taxpayer money.

“After the 9/11 attacks, there was broad bipartisan consensus that America should work aggressively within the law to deter, detect, and prevent another terrorist attack. In response, patriotic Americans in the CIA, the Administration and Congress did everything within their legal power to protect our country from terrorist attack. I hope my fellow Senators will join me in sending a message that Congress should focus on tackling numerous challenges facing our country instead of backward-looking investigations,” Sen. Cornyn said.
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One of the things I have liked about Sen. Cornyn's Senate service is his ability to put facts in perspective in a way that is inarguable. That is the sign of a smart lawyer. It will be interesting to see how the Democrats react to this wisdom.