It's not what they say, it's what they do

How many times does Congress need to learn this lesson?

From the NYT:

Secret U.S. Endorsement of Severe Interrogations
By SCOTT SHANE, DAVID JOHNSTON and JAMES RISEN
Published: October 4, 2007

A 2005 Justice Department opinion provided explicit authorization to barrage terror suspects with a combination of painful physical and psychological tactics, officials said.
...
Later that year, as Congress moved toward outlawing “cruel, inhuman and degrading” treatment, the Justice Department issued another secret opinion, one most lawmakers did not know existed, current and former officials said. The Justice Department document declared that none of the C.I.A. interrogation methods violated that standard.

It's not like anyone should be surprised, but for crying out loud - somebody needs to hold these monsters' feet to the fire until they fess up to what they are doing.

It's like with NSA surveillance. I cannot say with any certainty that what was and is taking place is unconstitutional, illegal or abusive - but I can say with absolute certainty that the knowledge of what is being done can not and must not be exclusive to the executive branch.

People outside of this administration and its minions must have access to review these programs - or we will create more and more legal black holes where no one has to justify their decisions - and where mistakes and abuses are swept under the rug.