Torture Balance

Maybe that's what the Philadelphia Enquirer was seeking when it signed a contract with John Yoo to write a regular column for them. How offensive is that? Not only printing the deep legal thoughts of the man who gave the Bush Administration judicial thumbs up on torture, but paying him to do so? Read this column by Philadelphia Daily News Columnist Will Bunch. [The News and The Inquirer have editorial independence, but are printed on the same presses and share the same building. Like many other newspapers, they are also equally in bankruptcy court.]

Of course not everyone is upset with the hiring of Yoo. The now ubiquitous "comments" section following the column includes this gem: "The mere pleasure of seeing Muslim terrorists suffer under torture is enough to justify it. If they get some good info out of it, great. If not, well, the infliction of pain on these maggots is good enough." So maybe the Inquirer has found a tool to help them dig out from bankruptcy. Columns by the great thinkers of the world. Reprint Goebbels writings. Feature weekly "Bulls" from Pope Innocent III (who wasn't). And perhaps there are some Gestapo experts they can provide a voice to. It'll be huge hit. And sell papers too.