Opinion: In today’s pages: The Google phone, the torture test, and retro TV
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Columnist Rosa Brooks says torture is the new abortion — that is, the new GOP candidate litmus test:
Not too long ago, judicial nominees and political candidates could expect to be grilled on abortion. As the Republican leadership became dominated by right-wing evangelicals, staunch opposition to abortion became a precondition for those seeking support from GOP insiders. Soon, abortion was a litmus test for both parties. Just as Republicans would oppose any candidate or nominee who supported abortion rights, Democrats would oppose anyone who wanted Roe vs. Wade overturned....These days, you can forget that old-style GOP rhetoric about ‘values,’ ‘human dignity’ and the ‘culture of life.’ Because the GOP has a new litmus test for its nominees: Will you or will you not protect U.S. officials who order the torture of prisoners?
Columnist Patt Morrison asks, who needs writers when you can have retro TV? UC Irvine’s Peter Navarro points out that Yahoo is just one of many tech firms taking part in China’s totalitarian ways. Williams College’s James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn say Hillary Clinton has taken a page from the FDR campaign handbook.
The board praises Google’s plans to create cell phone programs and denounces Pakistan’s targeted assault on democracy advocates. Finally, the board says an overhaul of the tax code would do more good than sticking to the alternative minimum tax.
Readers react to a briefly considered plan to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney. L.A.’s Jon Krampner says, ‘Impeaching, convicting and removing Cheney from office would not only be the right thing to do, it would be popular.’