Michigan Senator Levin Basically Calls A Boldface Liar: The Reaction All Around "TRONN"

(For those who don't know what TRONN stands for, it means The Rational Online Network of Networks).

First, the story that broke the afternoon it occurred, as Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, the Chairman of the powerful Armed Services Committee in Congress, basically called Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz's claims in the media recently far "from the truth."

This all basically started from beachmom's post over at the Kos

As you recall, Levin released a report on the treatment of detainees which was signed off on by the Republicans on the Armed Services Committee as well, which was quite damning of the Bush Administration and the regime Dick Cheney created. In short, Levin has done the research and knows what he is talking about.

When former Vice President Cheney said last week that what happened at Abu Ghraib was the work of "a few sadistic prison guards" acting on their own, he bore false witness. And when he said last week there was no link between the techniques used at Abu Ghraib and those approved for use in the CIA’s secret prisons, he again strayed from the truth. The seeds of Abu Ghraib’s rotten fruit were sown by civilians at the highest levels of our government.

"He again strayed from the truth."

Levin's unwavering statements have picked up traction throughout the TRONN world:
TPM's Eric Kleefield titled it correctly:

Levin Calls Cheney A Liar On Torture

Greg Sargent puts this in the important context that it is

If this is true, it’s big. A Senator who has seen the documents Cheney claims will prove that torture saved lives says that those docs contain absolutely nothing about whether the torture techniques were actually responsible for yielding any valuable intelligence.

Networks such as MSNBC have given literally hours of airtime to Cheney and his daughter Liz to claim endlessly that these docs will prove Cheney’s torture assertions. These claims have gone almost entirely unchallenged, due to the classified nature of the documents. You’d think that a contrary claim from a well-respected Senator who has also seen the docs would merit a few passing mentions, too.

But Kos front pager Barbin MD is not holding her breath

Three words: Not gonna happen.

I begrudgingly have to agree with her on that one (not that I don't like to agree with a great perspective like Barbin does, of course).

But hey, MSNBC and CNN are picking up the story,. Because why would they pass up the chance for "ratings drama" instead of just doing the serious news of this, yeahhhhhhhhhhhh.