Democrats' attempt to criminalize political differences

Washington Times:

Several Republicans on Sunday condemned a potential Justice Department criminal investigation stemming from George W. Bush administration interrogation policies, warning that such a move could be threat to national security and one advocating a "scorched-earth policy" against the Obama administration in retaliation.

"The question is: Do we want America's image harmed more by dragging this out further and further?" Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate, said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."

"We don't want to give the terrorists and the radical Islamic extremists more tools and bullets to shoot against us and help their recruiting in this ongoing struggle we're in," said Mr. McCain, who was tortured by the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War and has consistently criticized U.S. abuse of detainees in the war on terrorism.

Rep. Peter T. King, New York Republican and ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, called for his party to pursue a "scorched-earth policy" of refusing to cooperate with the administration if it pursues such an investigation, which he called an effort to appease Europeans and U.S. intellectuals.

"It's a wrong and shameful criminalizing political differences," Mr. King said during an interview with The Washington Times. "I would find it very hard to work with the administration on bipartisan issues if the attorney general and the administration start going after patriotic Americans who have dedicated their lives to protecting us."

A Justice Department official Sunday told The Times that Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. is considering opening a criminal investigation into Bush administration officials involved in the aggressive tactics that critics consider torture.

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The bad faith exhibited by the Democrats is palpable. They would have done the same thing in similar circumstances and they are lying to themselves if they argue differently. In most of the cases they were aware of what they are now condemning and agreed with the policy.

What they are really doing is trying to cover for Pelosi who was one of the Democrats who was aware of the policies and went along with them. They are also trying to change the subject from the failure of Democrat economic policies as demonstrated by the stimulus bill that is not working.

While it is hard to lower my respect for the Democrat party, this group is plumbing new depths.