Partisans Ignore Lessons on Torture

So the Obama administration has decided to reverse course on releasing the torture photographs. Predictably, the left has already started to wring its hands, while the right has howled hypocrisy. To a degree both sides are correct, but once again, they ignore a crucial lesson for the sake of political advantage.
 
The left is wrong to believe that these photos won't have an effect on our national security objectives moving forward. You can't just turn the page with a new President and expect that people around the world (especially people that despise the U.S.) won't use this in a profoundly detrimental fashion to our public diplomacy efforts.
 
However, the right is also wrong to believe in their heart of hearts that we can just cover up what a few personnel did (and never ever received any direction from the top), sugarcoat it, and then expect the world to be so ignorant as to buy our dog and pony show about how "the US never ever tortures."
 
What is being missed, indeed what is always missed by the partisans, are how all decisions have good and bad consequences that must be honestly accounted for. It's time that we had a serious debate on this subject and expose the pros and cons of our policy. But unfortunately, getting national security right might be a lesser objective to electioneering for the 2010 and 2012 races. We should all expect better of our so-called leaders.