Republicans… or the Mafia?

We always thought Andrew Sullivan would hate this website if he ever stumbled across it, because it skates right on the edge of moral equivlance– especially if you’re coming from the perspective of a wingnut. Sullivan’s not a wingnut by any means, but he is very skeptical of the kind of hyperbole that this site gleefully extolls.

That’s why we were surprised when Sullivan fell in line with other blogger greats like Josh Marshall and, um, let’s say John Hinderaker* today in supporting the ROTM agenda. Take it away, Sully:

Suskind has CIA sources saying that, as part of the torture devised by Bush and Rumsfeld for Khalid Sheik Muhammed,  they threatened to harm his wife and children if he did not talk. KSM told the interrogators to go ahead and kill his family, if necessary. I find it telling that the president, in this instance, became the moral equivalent of a mafia boss, committing what is clearly a violation of the Geneva Conventions, even if his motives were good ones. 

And that’s not even in an excitable moment. This is a big score for ROTM. We feel a certain vindication of our purpose here.

*John Hinderaker has never directly or indirectly given any sort of endorsement of this site and any claim to the contrary is a complete fabrication on our part. He wouldn’t endorse this site even if under the threat of coercive interrogation techinques.

Ok, ok… this is the LAST time we use the Godfather II Senate scene on this blog!

Well.. maybe.

Billmon does a good job of re-writing the scene, setting it in 2009 when Scooter Libby will, presumably, testify before the Senate on how Bush directed him to smear Joe Wilson:

Mr. Libby: When the boss said to push a button on a critic, I pushed a button. See Senator?

Chief Counsel Gorlich: You mean you leaked derogatory information to the media.

Mr. Libby: I what?

Ms. Gorlich: You smeared people at the, uh, behest of your superiors?

[Libby confers with his attorney]

Mr. Libby: Yeah, that’s right Counselor.

Ms. Gorlich: And the head of your family was President George W. Bush?

Mr. Libby: Yeah, Counselor. George Bush right.

Heh.