NP: Gomez, A New Tide

The big story burning up the blogosphere has been President Obama's decision to keep certain photos of detainee abuse classified, and the left wing is pissed.

On the one hand, it is a reversal, and it does go against what a lot of the left was hoping for in terms of ending the "torture regime" of the Bush Administration. But, on the other hand, Obama has seen the photos, and has consulted with the Joint Chiefs and his generals about this issue. After eight years of Dubya, I think we've all been conditioned to think that this sort of decision is made lightly and without much thought. Now, however, I have a similar reaction as when, say, Chicago Fire fans criticize starting lineups. Maybe, just maybe, the president and his team know more than you about this.

I have the same feeling about the prosecution issue here. There used to be absolutely no hubris in thinking that you, as an individual, knew better than the President of the United States, back when said President couldn't form full sentences. But Obama has to think about protecting the country, and that also means protecting it from tearing itself apart, and if he thinks trotting Dick Cheney out in an orange jumpsuit before a judge, that's his call, and I trust that he's thought about it a lot and come to a reasoned decision.

As for the pictures, it's also possible that his hand was forced by the military, particularly as it relates to the change in command in Afghanistan. If this was a concession to his top brass to ensure that he supports them as unequivocally as they need to support him, I can live with it, because there's a difference between simply following your Commander-In-Chief's orders and believing in him, and I'd much rather have the left wing pissed off than the military. Trade-offs happen, and the incremental benefit to the case against what happened in the past might truly not be that great. No, it's not full transparency, but I think Team Obama promised the "most" transparency, which is different.