Obama's Rope-a-Dope on the Torture Photos?

That is what Andrew Sullivan, upon further reflection, has concluded. The president may not be so opposed to the release of the photos, but for political reasons (his overall effectiveness, his agenda) he'd rather oppose the release of the photos now and in the meantime let other processes (appeals, other legal cases) move things back in the direction of accountability for the torture regime under Bush. Those other forces may eventually create a situation where it will appear Obama has no choice but to go along with, say, a truth commission, or the release of said photos. This could be wishful thinking, or torture-centric thinking. That the United States systematically tortured prisoners is a big deal, of course, but it is, we can assume, the past. Meanwhile, Obama has his own agenda which he'd like to advance, and for everything the buck now stops at his desk (including renewed anger at the U.S. in the muslim world, a surge in recruitment for Al Qaeda and similar groups). It would not be the first time in history that rather than strictly following principle, a leader allows more pragmatic considerations to guide his actions. Of course, it's also possible that Obama hasn't really made up his mind about whether or how to move toward some kind of accounting over the torture episode. But that, too, would be pragamatism at work.