So, who still thinks that this administration wants to cover up and/or continue the policies of the previous administration?
Obama administration to release Bush-era detainee photos
Reporting from Washington -- The Obama administration agreed late Thursday to release dozens of photographs depicting alleged abuse by U.S. personnel during the Bush administration of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan.
At least 44 pictures will be released on May 28 -- making public for the first time images of what the military investigated as abuse that took place at facilities other than the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
"This will constitute visual proof that, unlike the Bush administration's claim, the abuse was not confined to Abu Ghraib and was not aberrational," said Amrit Singh, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, which obtained the agreement as part of a long-running legal battle for documents related to Bush-era anti-terror policies.
In my opinion, this is proof that the administration has been planning the release, and public digestion, of this information for some time. Even though the decision was just made, they no doubt have beeb debating this for a long time, just as they did before finally releasing the Bush memos last week.
The biggest possible backlash for the Obama Administration would probably be the derailing of his ambitions policy plans:
With Obama trying to navigate ambitious health, tax and environment legislation through Congress, the White House fears that such an investigation could become a highly partisan distraction -- and Obama has for that reason already rejected the idea of a 9/11 Commission-style review of Bush's anti-terror policies, according to an official.
Now, with the president must consider the release of new materials that could be inflammatory and heighten the already combustible mix of political pressures he faces. Though the liberal base that elected him wants wide disclosure and an investigation of Bush practices, pursuing that course would likely alienate the intelligence and military communities that are crucial to Obama's success as president.
This is, no doubt, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to implement new and necessary programs. I understand why Obama is being so careful, and why the White House has refused to take a solid stance on the handling of this info being made public.
I think that what the admin is doing now is trying to strategically restore the relevance of the rule of law while not totally halting the everyday functions of government. But I did not, and the last few days has proven this to me, think that Obama was trying to obstruct justice. I'm actually surprised by how impatient some people have been, even some very intelligent people. It will be a very interesting spring and summer.