Dr. J.'s 'He Really Said That': We Must Know Why Those Tapes Were Destroyed

Yesterday, a powerful Senator, Arlen Specter, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, issued his strongest statement yet on the destruction of the well-known secret videotapes. Indignation spewing forth between every word, the Senator stated that those responsible would be called before the Committee to explain, without equivocation or hesitation, just why the tapes of the horrendous practices under discussion were first, made, then revealed, and then without any explanation or apparent justification destroyed. He stated that he had been in touch with the responsible parties over the matter for some time now. The officials in question responded by saying that they had previously been in touch with the Senator's office, but that they had not received any such specific requests for information. The Senator's office responded by saying that they were lying.

It has been noted that this is the strongest position the Senator has ever taken on such a sensitive matter. He has in the past occasionally made statements critical of the Bush Administration. An ultimately loyal Republican, going back to the confirmation hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas, it has often been said that it was his dogged support for the clearly unqualified nominee that eventually won over the then Democratic Majority on the Senate Judiciary Committee (interestingly enough then chaired by Sen. Joe Biden). In recent years, Sen. Specter's pattern has been to speak loudly when controversial policies have issued forth from the Bush White House, but then carry a very small stick, usually tucked between his legs, when push came to shove and he had to vote.

And so, on the issue of the tapes, his uncompromising position that their destruction must be explained forthwith and measures taken to punish the wrongdoers as well as prevent future similar occurrences, does come as something of a surprise. Yes, in the matter of the tapes secretly made, not by the CIA of its extensive torture/interrogations, but rather those made by the New England Patriots of the defensive signal calling during a game with the New York Jets in violation of the rules of the National Football League, which tapes were subsequently handed over to the League office by the Patriots, and then subsequently destroyed by the League, Sen. Specter has taken a stand that appears to be, even for him, unalterable. And on the eve of the Super Bowl too.

It should be noted, however, that none of this will stand in the way of the New York Giants, for the uninitiated, New York's other professional football team, underdogs though they may be and not involved in any secret tapes controversy, of pulling one of the greatest upsets in the history of professional sports.

Steven Jonas, MD, MPH is a Professor of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University (NY), a weekly Contributing Author for the Web zine The Political Junkies.net; a Special Contributing Editor for Cyrano's Journal Online; and an invited contributor to the Web log The Daily Scare.

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