McCain: Bush Should Veto Anti-Torture Bill

[babylonsister]

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

McCain: Bush Should Veto Anti-Torture Bill
By Paul Kiel - February 20, 2008, 2:29PM


No real surprise here. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) voted against a bill in the Senate that would have confined the CIA to interrogations outlined in the Army Field Manual -- that means no ambiguity about the use of waterboarding or other "enhanced interrogation" techniques. We explained his position at length here.

The President has threatened to veto the bill, and because sometime swing votes like McCain, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) oppose it, a veto override vote in the Senate seems certain to fail. Today, McCain told reporters that Bush should veto the bill and said he's banking on the consistency of his position on the issue of torture overriding the subtlety of his stance. From the AP:

"I think I can show my record is clear. I said there should be additional techniques allowed to other agencies of government as long as they were not" torture.

"I was on the record as saying that they could use additional techniques as long as they were not cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment," McCain said. "So the vote was in keeping with my clear record of saying that they could have additional techniques, but those techniques could not violate" international rules against torture.

Of course, that's the administration's position, too: we don't "torture."

Interestingly, McCain also took the opportunity to outline a real difference between himself and the president: he says that if he were elected president, he wouldn't use signing statements -- those statements Bush has tacked on to a number of important bills (including McCain's anti-torture amendment) that essentially say, "NOT." As McCain put it: "If I disagree with a law that's passed, I'll veto it."

[Virginia Dare]

1. So torture works, eh Gramps?

I guess you would know. What a POS.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Because it doesn't go far enough to protect human rights?

:sarcasm:

[Jack Rabbit]

3. We don't do torture, heh

Image: Pensito Review

[tekisui]

4. I guess McGrumpy has fond memories of his time in captivity.

Torturees for Torture!

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. We watched "Rendition" last night. Very powerful - must see movie.

This post brought me to Meryl Streep's charcter - "We do not torture". Yeah, right.

[DemoTex]

6. " .. consistency of his position on the issue of torture overriding the subtlety of his stance .."

WTF does THAT mean? Can any DUer translate that for me? And is McCain's stance, like that of Sen. Larry Craig, a wide stance? McCain has flipped.

[babylonsister]

7. You know, I have no clue what that means either. nt

[DemoTex]

8. If McCain is ANYTHING, he is not consistent.

And if McCain's stance on torture is ANYTHING, it is not subtle. Nor is his stance on torture consistent.

:shrug:

[damntexdem]

9. Hey, look at me, the zoo favorite: the pander bear!