There is a 2004 report by the CIA on torture, the so called “Holy Grail,” (also here) and, according to Congressional sources who have seen the classified document, it completely demolishes Dick Cheney’s arguments.

It shows what we already know: Torture does not work, and torture did not work.

This should be released, but Obama and His Clueless Minions^™, will try everything possible to prevent it, because the more evidence that comes out, the greater the push for prosecutions, because it will show what was done, and that Bush and His Evil Minions^™ were told that it did not work.

The Obama administration believes that he needs bipartisan support to implement his agenda, and that prosecutions and investigations of Cheney/Rumsfeld/etc. will prevent this.

The truth is that neither Social Security or Medicare/Medicaid passed with very few Republican votes(none in the case of Social Security), and the benefits of these programs are legion.

The other fact is that the big items on Obama’s agenda would require Republicans to cut their own throats to support him.

Republican support of new financial regulation and stimulus would require them declare that their guiding governmental philosophy since Reagan is a failure, and Republican support for a good public healthcare option would add at least 20 years to their time in the minority, because everyone in the United States would see the personal benefit to “big government”.

Simply put, it is not realistic to expect people to commit suicide for you, particularly when they are your opposition, but Obama continues to work for this, because, he believes that reasonable discourse and his eloquence will work.

This is a delusion. Not only do today’s Republicans not understand the concept of loyal opposition, it is not reasonable for them to support him, because the political fallout is all negative for them.