WaPo Oped on terror detainee bill: Profiles in Cowardice

[nam78_two]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/30/AR2006093001027.html?nav=hcmodule

>>
ONCE AGAIN, with a midterm election looming, President Bush stoked and won a major legislative confrontation over a complex national security question. Four years ago, it was the Iraq war resolution and reorganization of the government's homeland security functions. In both cases, hindsight suggests that haste and political pressure foreclosed the kind of nuanced debate that might have served the nation well. The same is likely to prove true of legislation passed last week on the treatment, detention and trial of enemy combatants.
>>

>>
Only a couple of weeks ago, the Senate was poised to move constructive legislation that would have given the administration the tools it needs but not the power to disappear people into secret prisons and interrogate them using techniques too shameful to name in public. Yet Mr. Bush's pressure tactics worked again. He has the lamentable legislation he wanted -- which will bring discredit onto this country in any number of ways -- and Republicans are busily blasting Democrats as terrorist-coddlers anyway.

[mike_c]

1. the last sentence in the excerpt is telling, IMO....

When will congressional dems learn? Congressional republicans are snakes (apologies in advance to all animals of the serpent persuasion...).

[nam78_two]

2. but but but....

They have upstanding ones like McCain -don't you remember :sarcasm:

Those three brave senators that broke from party line dammit to get a compromise on the bill and then came back with one that was actually worse....

Its worth noting that that part redefining unlawful enemy combatants was added after their little piece of theatrics..so actually the "compromise" bill was even worse than the original egregious torture bill....(I wish they would call it what it is..a torture bill).