Party of the Damned

Legal blogger Sandy Levinson writes that there is "a certain logical paradox here: The very fact that the some US interrogator would suggest that some particular conduct is 'reasonable' in some situation would, by definition, mean that there is not 'universal' condemnation of the practice. This is especially true if one accepts the DOJ argument that 'The fact that an act is undertaken to prevent a threatened terrorist attack, rather than for the purpose of humiliation or abuse, would be relevant to a reasonable observer in measuring the outrageousness of the act.' Once one allows what might be termed 'purity of utilitarian motive' to dominate the analysis, the game is over, for there will always be those who will argue that it is worth doing practically anything to forestall any 'terrorist attack.'"

Phillip Carter blogs for washingtonpost.com: "Among the more Kafkaesque arguments proffered by the Bush administration for its coercive interrogation (or torture) regime is this: Cruel, inhuman or degrading acts are not torture if they're done with good intentions."

Gitmo Watch

Jess Bravin writes in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required): "When military prosecutors enter Guantanamo's heavily guarded courtroom Monday, they can expect to face a spectacle: their former boss, in uniform, testifying against them.

"Col. Morris Davis, for two years the chief Guantanamo prosecutor, is expected to testify that the operation he once led has been infected with political agendas and corrupted by the Achilles' heel of military justice -- unlawful command influence.

"The Bush administration's military commissions plan has careered through internal disarray, administrative setbacks and legal debacles since the president announced it in November 2001, and still has yet to conduct a single trial. But Col. Davis's appearance may be the strangest twist yet.

"'It's not that I'm sympathetic to the detainees or say they should get a free pass,' says Col. Davis, now director of the Air Force Judiciary. 'But I do think they are entitled to a fair trial.'"

Iran Watch

This sounded pretty alarming to me.

Ann Scott Tyson writes in Saturday's Washington Post: "The nation's top military officer said yesterday that the Pentagon is planning for 'potential military courses of action' as one of several options against Iran, criticizing what he called the Tehran government's 'increasingly lethal and malign influence' in Iraq.

" Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said a conflict with Iran would be 'extremely stressing' but not impossible for U.S. forces, pointing to reserve capabilities in the Navy and Air Force.

"'It would be a mistake to think that we are out of combat capability,' he said at a Pentagon news conference. . . .

"Mullen made clear that he prefers a diplomatic solution and does not expect imminent action. 'I have no expectations that we're going to get into a conflict with Iran in the immediate future,' he said."

Abbas Watch

Mohammed Daragmeh writes for the Associated Press: "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Friday he failed to achieve any progress in Middle East peace talks with President Bush and was returning home with little to show for his visit. . . .

"'We demanded the Americans implement the first phase of the road map that talks about the cessation of settlement expansion,' Abbas said, expressing disappointment the U.S. hasn't exerted more pressure on Israel to stop. 'This is the biggest blight that stands as a big rock in the path of negotiations.'

"Asked for comment, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said: 'President Bush is helping to push the process forward. This wasn't a meeting in which major breakthroughs were expected."

Bright Young Aide Watch

Michael Abramowitz writes in The Washington Post: "A bright young aide who has worked himself or herself up from a modest staff job gets rewarded with a plum assignment that might ordinarily go to a graybeard.

"So Kristen L. Silverberg, who got her start in the administration in 2001 as an assistant to then-deputy chief of staff Joshua M. Bolten, was named last week to serve out the term -- and possibly beyond -- as the U.S. ambassador to the European Union in Brussels, the White House announced last week.

"Silverberg, 37, a onetime clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas, has been working as assistant secretary of state for international organizations. She also worked for such administration luminaries as then-senior adviser Karl Rove and then-chief of staff Andrew H. Card Jr., and did a stint in Iraq."

Abramowitz also notes: "The schedule is coming into focus for President Bush's second trip to the Middle East this year: He is planning to visit Israel next month to celebrate the country's 60th anniversary. While in Israel, Bush appears likely to visit Masada, the desert fortress overlooking the Dead Sea where nearly 1,000 Jews committed suicide in the 1st century rather than being taken alive by the Romans."

Third Term Watch

Ken Herman writes for the Cox News Service: "The joke, beloved by those who see George W. Bush on a glide path toward the presidential hall of shame, says there's talk of a third term for him: 20 years to life.

"The talk on the campaign trail, embraced by those who want to put a Democrat in the White House, also is about a third term for Bush, channeled through U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz."

Cartoon Watch

Jeff Danziger on McCain's brain.