Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Admits Military Commissions Act Vote Was Mistake

[babylonsister]

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/8192

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Admits Military Commissions Act Vote Was Mistake
by Cenk Uygur | Jun 19 2007


We interviewed Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) on The Young Turks yesterday. He was attending the Take Back America conference where we are broadcasting from these last couple of days. We had a chance to pose the question we have been waiting a long time to ask him: Why did he vote for the Military Commissions Act?

That was the hideous bill passed right before the 2006 election that allowed the president to define torture (meaning the president would simply make torture legal), took away habeas corpus rights from detainees, made prosecuting war criminals nearly impossible, among many other hideous provisions. It was the worst piece of legislation I have ever seen in my lifetime. I wasn't the only one who thought so, so did The New York Times.

At the time Sherrod Brown was a Democratic Congressman from Ohio running for Senate against Mike DeWine. He was an otherwise progressive candidate. That's part of what made his vote so stunning. It seemed to be crass political calculation.

We finally got a chance to ask the Senator why he did it yesterday. He pretty much admitted that it was a political calculation. But he did take complete responsibility and said he would do everything he could to undo that vote.

Video at link~

As others have noted, it is far harder to undo the vote than it was to vote for it in the first place. Now you need 67 senators to override a certain Bush veto. It seems like a tough thing to let people slide on by simply admitting the error. That being said, we have to start the hard, long way back somewhere. And it is imperative that at least the Democrats who voted for it admit it was a mistake and try to make up for it.

This is not nearly enough. The Military Commissions Act is still the law of the land. But I hope the road to correcting this gross injustice against the principles of America starts here. And for what it's worth, Senator Brown has begun to take steps in that direction.

[Atman]

1. BOO FUCKING HOO

Dude says "Now that I can look backwards, and see that it would have ultimately have been a safe vote to defy the president, now I regret it...now that I see reporters are gonna be askin' me about it and stuff."

Fuck you, Sharrod. Ain't no bravery after the fact.

.

[Guaranteed]

2. I agree. There are no more excuses.

It's one thing to apologize for a late 2002 vote, when only some of us understood what was happening or had the courage to stand up against it. Today there is no more forgiveness, though- everyone knows and should have the strength to do what needs to be done.

[Supersedeas]

5. damn right - not paid to look backwards

[Hippo_Tron]

3. At least he admits it was a political calculation

[shance]

4. Really? As long as they say they're sorry they allowed troops on our streets its okay?

I don't think you'll be quite as forgiving if and/or when the Blackwater tanks come driving down your citie's thoroughfares.

[Berry Cool]

6. Yeah. I'm pissed off at him now.

First that, then voting for the Iraq funding bill. Thanks a lot, Sherrod. You knocked Paul Hackett out of the race for THIS?

[WildEyedLiberal]

7. Hackett's the lawyer representing marines accused of war crimes

You really think he'd have voted differently than Brown? Brown's vote was horrendous but I see no evidence - in fact, evidence to the contrary - that Hackett would've been any "better."

[shance]

8. I have to agree with you WEL. I think they were both manufactured candidates

that would take their marching orders from whoever is giving their commands.

And it isn't the American citizen.

Demand election reform and ban electronic voting and the secret tabulation by private corporations of our votes.

[Alexander]

9. Well, it's a start.

I'd rather get 40% of what I want than 0% of what I want, which is certainly what I'll get if Republicans are back in power.