irony is the flavor ot the day, for john yoo's "torturer-in-chief" theory of government -- july 4, 2008 -- new "nightly nolo"

on june 26, 2008, before the house judiciary committee chairman john conyers (i.e., while under oath), john yoo -- the chief architect of the hopelessly-flawed purported "legal analysis" condoning cheney and bush's policies of torture from at least early 2002 through late-2006 -- admitted that he believes the question of whether the executive branch -- the president or vice president -- have the lawful authority to torture someone's child in front of him "depends on why the president or vice president "feels" he needs to do that. . ."

this suggestion, by john yoo, marks a fundamental departure from our chosen form of government -- we are a nation ruled by laws -- not men.

to suggest that either of these men might have the lawful right to torture a child, is to admit that one views our government as no more than an old-world monarchy -- one where the crown's word is the only law -- and is therefore "beyond contestation".

this friday, we will celebrate our independence from that view, mr. yoo -- we won that independence at the price of much spilled blood -- we have, for 220 years, disavowed, often forcefully, that notion of government.

ironic -- john yoo would return us to a system of "lex-regis" -- or literally "the king's law".

do watch -- it is only 37 seconds long!