McCAIN And Torture - The Most Frightening Flip-Flop Of Them All

[kpete]

McCain and Torture
A Brief History of McCain and Torture
Submitted by davidswanson on Fri, 2008-09-12 22:17

1968 John McCain is tortured.

...........................

2005 John McCain champions the McCain Detainee Amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill for 2005, which passes the Congress and is signed into law by Bush, adding one more redundant ban on torture to existing U.S. law, despite Vice President Cheney having lobbied hard against it. But McCain allows a major loophole for the CIA and then keeps quiet when Bush throws out the whole thing with a "signing statement." Bush and Cheney's administration continues to torture.

2006 Time Magazine recognizes McCain's efforts to supposedly ban torture in naming him one of America's 10 Best Senators. Time makes no mention of the fact that torture had always been illegal, the fact that Bush had thrown out the new law with a "signing statement," or the fact that the United States was continuing to torture people on a large scale.

2006 McCain votes in favor of the Military Commissions Act which supposedly leaves torture decisions up to the president.

2008 McCain runs for president, and almost nobody mentions his positions on torture, not even his fiercest critics. It is as if the most repulsive moral collapse in U.S. political history has never happened. And yet McCain and his campaign rarely open their mouths without taking us back to 1968 when McCain was tortured. McCain critics even make lists and videos of his "flip-flops" and never mention the most frightening reversal of position imaginable. Are they scared to do so? Are they not really serious about keeping this tortured torturer out of the White House?

much more at:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/35970

[Klukie]

1. kick

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

2. K&R. It does amaze how this very obvious point of attack...

...where tremendous rhetorical blows could be repeatedly landed against McCain, are somehow overlooked by Obama's campaign.

BushCo as illegally authorized torture and McCain has both supported and applauded it -- go figure.

[BelgianMadCow]

3. The Military Commissions Act was a huge step towards a totalitarian state

and yes, this flip-flop totally undercuts the "maverick" theme. If a POW bends on THIS issue...credibility = gone.

thanks ffor highlighting that.

K& R

[OwnedByFerrets]

4. I am hoping they are keeping some of the juciest stuff for

the week before the elections.

[kpete]

5. in my mind

this is the most unforgivable.

I have no respect for him, pow, or not, sorry.

WE DO NOT TORTURE?

peace, kp