After ignoring the rights council under the Bush administration the US is now interacting with it.  This is certainly a good thing.  However, Susan Rice's (US Ambassador to the UN) comments are pure hypocrisy.  From the BBC:

"Obviously there will always be some countries whose respect and record on human rights is sub-par," she said.

Yeah, like ours.  Again, I feel like I'm beating a dead horse but we can not just dismiss torture and war crimes.  Everything we claim to be as Americans depends on us not sweeping it all under the rug.  We have to prosecute war criminals.  On all levels, not matter what their rank or political party.  We are either a nation of laws or we are not.  It is really that cut and dry.

To Rice's credit she did back pedal a little:

We have not been perfect ourselves but we intend to lead based on the strong principled vision that the American people have about respecting human rights [and] supporting democracy.

Nice words of course, but where are these principles in action.  It is very easy to sit back and condemn atrocities committed by some tyrant from a country far away.  True principles of respecting human rights has to include a self-examination.  And when that examination reveals your own country to be guilty there must be people willing to stand up and demand action, demand prosecution. 

Rice's criticism of some countries currently sitting on the Human Rights Council is justified.  However, so are other countries criticisms that we are now on the council.