Whipping up terrorist propaganda for partisan political gain

Looks like US political leaders are about to shoot their country in the head again.

If initial reports are true, Senate opponents of the president plan to fan the flames of anti-American propaganda in order to score political points against his new administration.

Leading Democrat members of the Senate Judiciary Committee reportedly are considering a full, public airing of yet-unreleased videos purporting to show US military abuse of captured terrorist suspects in Iraq. The goal, according to scoop reporter Matt Drudge, is to discredit Attorney General-designate Alberto Gonzales during his Senate confirmation hearing.

The hearing takes place this Thursday.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner (R-Va.) warns that the tactic will stir up anti-US terrorism in Iraq, endangering the lives of American personnel there. Senate Democrats Carl Levin (Mich.) and Edward Kennedy (Mass.) appear to say that disclosure is more important.