From Raw Story:
Obama signs law blocking release of torture photos
“President Barack Obama received a great deal of media attention on Wednesday for signing a historic hate-crimes bill into law. But, on the same day, the US president also signed a Homeland Security spending bill that received far less attention, even though it effectively blocks efforts by activists to reveal photos of detainee abuse in US custody.
(snip)
Earlier this month, the House and Senate inserted language into the Homeland Security appropriations bill that would shield photos of detainees in the US’s war on terror from the Freedom of Information Act. The language, which was added at the prodding of Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), effectively blocks an ACLU lawsuit currently before the courts that would have forced the government to release the photos under Freedom of Information statutes.
As Daphne Eviatar noted at the Washington Independent, “President Obama initially agreed to release the photos, but changed his mind after consulting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and others at the Pentagon, who warned the photos would endanger US servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan.”"
Another promise broken. Lovely. Doesn’t this remind you of a Bill Clinton move? Do something important that will reap tons of praise and then at the same time do something shady that will fly under the radar because of the former action? Of course all presidents do this sort of thing. But I tend to think of Bush doing the move where he signed laws named after altruistic ideals and then doing the opposite-Patriot Act, No Child Left Behind, etc.
Posted by Vixen as News at 10:31 PM CST