this baltimore sun story and this from the washington post are 2 of many that are making clear that torture in american-run extra-legal detention facilities has been routine, widespread, encouraged, and - when investigated - unpunished. it certainly appears to be a concerted policy, and obviously a good place to begin to understand why would be the work of alberto gonzales. at any rate, at some point apologists for torture who call themselves "idealists," like max (das) boot  or mona charen  are going to have to ditch the orgy of self-praise and face the people they actually are and the things they actually want.