TPM: Senate Set to Pass Bill Banning Waterboarding (GOP Protecting McCain From Difficult Vote)

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Senate Set to Pass Bill Banning Waterboarding
By Paul Kiel - February 13, 2008, 3:06PM

This is what the administration's recent pro-waterboarding PR offensive had been leading up to. But the Republican side backed down.

Later this afternoon, the Senate will be voting on a bill authorizing the government's intelligence activities. Included in that bill is a measure sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) that would restrict the interrogation methods the CIA could use to the Army Field Manual, which bans waterboarding and other harsh techniques currently used by the CIA. The Republicans had been expected to challenge that provision, forcing a vote. But they didn't. After a vote on the bill in 90 minutes or so, it will be on its way to the President, who has already announced that he will veto it.


So why the sudden retreat? It's not clear how the votes would have come down, exactly. But Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who has frequently spoken out against waterboarding, was considered a key vote, creating the potentially awkward situation of him taking a stand against the president. 60 votes would have been needed to retain the measure. Now that situation has been avoided -- for now. If the president follows through with his veto threat, the Senate would hold a vote to override the veto, and McCain's vote would become an issue again, though perhaps this time, not such a crucial one.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/senate_expected_to_vote_on_use.php

Debate now on CSPAN2: http://www.cspan.org/watch/cs_cspan2_wm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS2

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1. Voting now on the bill.

[allthingsimportant]

10. WAIT

Did Mccain just not vote?

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11. He voted "no"--in other words, he just greenlighted torture. He flip-flopped.

[allthingsimportant]

12. Thanks

I am guessing that both Hillary and obama voted for it?

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13. I think they were not there. It was close too--they should have voted for it.

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2. Well, this is sick: My Dem Senator Nelson voted "Yes" on waterboarding, my

Repub Senator Hagel voted "No". What am I to think anymore?

edit to add: Nelson voted "no" on the bill because it contained an anti-waterboarding amendment. McCain, who is AGAINST waterboarding, also voted no, so apparently, he was against torture before he was FOR torture. Ammo for us Dems in the fall.

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3. 51-45, bill is agreed to, apparently--it will go to the Preznit, with a

provision that the CIA must adhere to the Army Field Manual which essentially bans waterboarding. Chimpy will veto it. Three Repubs crossed over: Smith, Hagel, Snowe. One Dem that I heard: Ben Nelson. A weird Nebraska result. And McCain now supports torture--flippity flop!

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4. Bill to go to * ,

I think I smell a veto.

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5. I'm OK with that--let the GOPers defend torture. Just brings more attention to the issue, and

except for one quisling Dem (that I know of), all the Dems stood firm on this.

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8. Why a veto when a signing statement is so much easier?

Everyone's ass (but *'s) is covered and he gets to sent one more, huge "F.U." to the nation and the world community.

[malaise]

6. Well will flip-flopper McCain now

support torture?

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9. He officially does. That was the sticking point of the bill--Feinstein's provision.

Of course, he might try to blame his vote on other parts of the bill, but he had a chance to stand against waterboarding and torture, and he did not.

[malaise]

14. No surprise here n/t

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7. protecting McCain from the scarey Dems and waterboarding legislation?

Tough guy, eh?