Now matter the pretty bow you put on it, it is still crap.

As a Chicagoan, I did love how Daley stuck it to Durbin.

All these guys need is a little more rope...

Chamberlin: A sheep in sheep's clothing.
Durbin: A jackass in sheep's clothing.

He really didn't apologize for saying it, he apologized for us being offended.

Yogurt is right. Any apology with the word "if" is not an apology.

Well, how about those Dems who thought Durbins original comments were ok, like Pelosi, Reid and Dean. When do we get their apologies?

Again he did not apologize. Again he said the fault lies with dumb Americans that do not understand how bad America is.
Had he said "Gitmo never has been and is not anything like the camps run by the Socialist Labor Party."; that would be an apology.

Palmateer...we won't. I got two newsletters o' outrage from my two state Senators, Boxer and Feinstein, and they've opted to pursue Republicans/conservatives about daring to try to hold PBS accountable for the liberal devotions (about that, what I think it is is that PBS has remained without apology for so long that Democrats are 'outraged' that anyone would dare to suggest there is bias there, and Democrats just can't perceive it, that their hippocket representative is being challenged)...

But, same mindset as to Durbin's statements. He can't apologize because he doesn't understand that what he thinks and opines is vile and awful. So, he "apologizes" that anyone "might have" taken "offense" to what he opined/said before the world...but he then continued on to reaffirm what he said, defying reason.

Durbin failed the most basic concept in communication; the sender is reponsible for crafting a message that the listener can understand. If the sender fails to get his message across, you do not blame the listener for not understanding.

Durbin also failed history miserably. His statement made on the floor of the US Senate contained one of the most asinine analogies I have ever seen or read.

Keep it up Dems, you are sealing your fate to continue to be a minority party.

Mr. Durbin,

I think the '10,000 angels in heaven' Lincoln spoke of will never accept this half-hearted, impossibly weak apology to your incredibly moronic, uneducated and blindly partisan speech you displayed on the Senate Floor on June 14.

I continue to be amazed at how far Right the neocons can go. Anyone who thinks Gitmo is both necessary and providing valuable intelligence is simply not thinking. Clinton was just quoted few days back on this. Yes, it puts your own troops at greater risk…. Yes, if you torture anyone long enough they will tell you anything you’d like to hear. (are these two points really contested?)

This is a huge victory for the terrorists – The fundamental values that the USA is based on are being trampled on and curtailed. Rights and freedoms only apply when they challenge the establish authority.

“If you are in favor of freedom of speech – you are in favor of freedom of speech precisely for views that you despise.” (anyone know were this quote comes from?)

The right to a fair trial, the right to criticize the government, all of the basic freedoms that the USA is supposed to champion are all being lost. One by one they are being either legislated away, or ignored because of the ‘war on terror’ requires ‘temporary’ exceptions.

Who here thinks the ‘war on terror’ is either temporary or even winnable? Is Orwell’s book the first to be burned the new Reich?

Sorry, I live in Canada were FOX ‘news’ has not reached us – yet. Bleeding heart liberal, pot smoking homos all… but at least we have not compromised our deepest beliefs because it is convenient.

(few exceptions though, like the Canadian the US authorities grabbed and sent to Syria to be ‘softened up’. I’m sure the influence from the brokers of freedom is slowly on the move north)

I really am shocked at how far Right, the Right can go. It even crossed my mind that putting my name on this rant may not be a good idea – next visit to the land of the free might just get a detour to sunny Cuba?

brad

Brad:

Sorry, Fox News hasn't reached Canada because it's been—for all intents and purposes—prevented from being aired in Canada by the oh-so open-minded CBC. Your STATE-run news network, by the way versus the INDEPENDENT (aka:. non-government) FNC. Afraid of competition? Afraid of maybe hearing the "other" side of the story? Methinks so.

But to the point. Durbin is no way being censored or the Thought Police being sent after him. Not at all. What is being asked is for a legitimate and honest apology for his completely insensitive, disgusting and historically and grossly inaccurate comparisons of our current terrorist prisons to that of genocidial regimes. it ain't even close to that, Brother from the North. In this country, Durbin is free to speak his mind. We are also free to tell him to go f*** himself with his undeducated and hurtful comments should the need arise. And it has.

And yes, you're two "points" are highly contestable.

Brad,

It even crossed my mind that putting my name on this rant may not be a good idea – next visit to the land of the free might just get a detour to sunny Cuba?

I see that the name you did use lacks a surname and an e-mail address....

Courage, brave dissident.

20%: Gitmo Prisoners Treated Unfairly
Survey of 1,000 Adults

June 20-21, 2005

Treatment of Prisoners at Guantanomo Bay

Unfair 20%
Better than they deserve 36%
About Right 34%
RasmussenReports.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 22, 2005--A Rasmussen Reports survey found that 20% of Americans believe prisoners at Guantanomo Bay have been treated unfairly. Seven-out-of-ten adults believe the prisoners are being treated "better than they deserve" (36%) or "about right" (34%).

The survey also found that just 14% agree with people who say that prisoner treatment at Guantanomo Bay is similar to Nazi tactics. Sixty-nine percent disagree with that comparison. This helps explain why Illinois Senator Dick Durbin apologized for making such a comparison.

Partisan differences concerning prisoner treatment are huge. Only 7% of Republicans believe Guantanomo prisoners are treated unfairly. Thirty percent (30%) of Democrats hold that view along with 22% of those not affiliated with either major party.

Forty-five percent (45%) of Republicans say the prisoners are treated better than they deserve. That view is shared by 28% of Democrats.

The right to a fair trial, the right to criticize the government, all of the basic freedoms that the USA is supposed to champion are all being lost.

Funny how you expect us to extend those rights to people who are not American citizens, and, in fact, have probably been involved in assaults against our nation. If you, as a Canadian, wants to do that when people attack your nation, go right ahead. Me, I am going to be a rightist bastard and defend me and mine.

As for Durbin... damn... if I could have gotten away with that kind of apology when I was a kid, life would have been goooood. If he really thinks that is going to buy anyone (other than those who already agree with him) off, he has another think coming. Dependant apologies are never acceptable, especially when there was absolutely no misunderstanding about his comments - he gaffed the frell up, and is only making it worse.