The administration says that they don't torture prisoners. Senator John McCain is spearheading a bill that would ban torture. The president says that he will veto that bill. But he also wants an exception made for the CIA.

Several times the administration had tried to dodge the issue. A couple years ago a Swedish journalist had Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on the ropes about the matter. But he didn't take the obvious opening and go for the knockout punch. Now Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice has gone to Europe where she is spending a lot of time defending the use of secret prisons. Here is a thought: If you have secret prisons that don't have Congressional oversight, or any other watch dog over them, then chances are that something illegal is going on in there. Otherwise why hide the prisons? If the president says that he will veto a bill that bans torture then chances are its because that someone is somewhere torturing prisoners. And we know who, because he wants an exception made for the CIA.

Never before in our history has a president been so taken up with secrecy. If he had his way the whole government would be secret and then we would be in a dictatorship where people can be arrested on spurious charges. Hey! You broke the law. Which law, you ask? Sorry that information is classified.

This reminds me of a silly statement made by the president a few years ago. It related to the secret energy policy meetings held by Vice President Cheney. He said that the only way that advisors to the president could give good advice is if they could do so secretly. Excuse me? If they had to have their advice held up to public scrutiny then maybe they would give advice that was actually in the country's best interest. Done behind closed doors, however, means that they can set US policy and get away with it.