The Report of My Demise Is Greatly Exaggerated

By Scott Horton

Senator Patrick Leahy rushes to say that he was misunderstood, and that he continues to push ahead seeking a commission to deal with the torture issue.

“I am not interested in a panel comprised of partisans intent on advancing partisan conclusions,” Leahy said. “I regret that Senate Republicans have approached this matter to date as partisans. That was not my intent or focus. Indeed, it will take bipartisan support in order to move this forward. I continue to talk about this prospect with others in Congress, and with outside groups and experts. I continue to call on Republicans to recognize that this is not about partisan politics. It is about being honest with ourselves as a country. We need to move forward together.”

Perhaps Leahy just realized that his proposal got support from the nation’s most popular Republican—Colin Powell.