I believe that you grasp reality. But let’s face it, it’s all political games with the rightwingers/conservatives/Republicans.

And may I express my deep loathing for the song you reference in your header for this thread? It’s almost sufficient to make me abandon my shopping cart, mid-shopping excursion at the local supermarket. But I must admit it’s been a long time since I’ve heard it piped over the grocery/retail sound system. I think somebody caught on that it doesn’t energize the spending neurons of female shoppers between the ages of 0 and 130 years.

Republicans get to either a) declare their intentions of moving left (”compassionate conservative”, hydrogen cars are a good idea) without actually having to do anything, or b) making exceptions for their family and friends (Mary Cheney, Sarah Palin’s nameless gay friends) which are understood as exceptions to the rule.

You forget the shrub’s Sister Harriet moment. A mere drop in the bottomless well of Rethuglican Stupidity, but memorable nonetheless.

(heh .. he said ‘bottomless’)

What I was thinking is that the whole idea of “sistah soljah” moments is to act out the spite and rage of the upper class/white on some relatively helpless and unimportant representative of the lower classes/non white people. So its literally impossible for Obama to “sistah soljah” anyone over the god damned torture photos. Its just an incredibly stupid move in an ongoing battle about legality and torture. Its not really something that has anything to do with the base or electoral politics. And once you also admit that spite is its key component you grasp how stupid it would be to use “spite” as the key motivator for an important, far reaching, political act on an international field. Mind you, since spite is and always was a prime motivating force in republican party politics and policies, perhaps they don’t get that.

aimai

Did he maybe mean “Sister Soldier”, aka Lynndie England?

Perhaps not, he has been WOTD on more than one occasion.

To the larger topic, I agree to some extent, that releasing the pictures may inflame some of the dozen or so Muslims who are as yet un-outraged by the behaviors that have already been documented.
I do, however, have a suggestion rather than just criticism!
We should release those pictures in conjunction with other pictures, taken after the executions.
I personally think that images of Cheney, Rumsfeld, Bybee, Yoo, and others swinging from a gallows would have a strong ameliorative effect on the inflamed passions of the co-religionists of those abused by US contractors and service personnel. I suppose pictures of the same strapped to a gurney, or electric chair might also be effective, but I really think the gallows will be most easily understood by non-US/Western cultures.

It gets to that “do as I say, not as I do” problem.
Directly, I would add.