Senate GOPers **BLOCK** Anti-Torture Bill

[babylonsister]

Please keep this kicked-everyone should know who's responsible for this.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/004917.php

Senate GOPers Block Anti-Torture Bill
By Spencer Ackerman - December 14, 2007, 4:54PM

Just when you thought the GOP couldn't back torture any more. From the AP:

Senate Republicans blocked a bill Friday that would restrict the interrogation methods the CIA can use against terrorism suspects.

The legislation, part of a measure authorizing the government's intelligence activities for 2008, had been approved a day earlier by the House and sent to the Senate for what was supposed to be final action. The bill would require the CIA to adhere to the Army's field manual on interrogation, which bans waterboarding, mock executions and other harsh interrogation methods.

Senate opponents of that provision, however, discovered a potentially fatal parliamentary flaw: The ban on harsh questioning tactics had not been in the original versions of the intelligence bill passed by the House and Senate. Instead, it was a last-minute addition during negotiations between the two sides to write a compromise bill, a move that could violate Senate rules. The rule is intended to protect legislation from last-minute amendments that neither house of Congress has had time to fully consider.

The culprit? One-time torture opponent Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC). Graham: "I think quite frankly applying the Army field manual to the CIA would be ill-advised and would destroy a program that I think is lawful and helps the country." So torture is counterproductive for the military but valuable for the CIA?

[gateley]

1. What the...? Graham was one of the most vociferous opponents to torture!

This is shameful -- in a long line of other shameful acts and stances this country has taken under this administration. Recommend!

[Zodiak]

2. I absolutely detest how careful the newspapers are

in avoiding the word "torture".

Waterboarding is torture...mock executions are torture. All of the sudden the word is completely forbidden from use; this condition bespeaks of the hopelessness of our mass media. They should be shut down for such a shameful display of sycophantism. Jefferson would spit in their rancid faces.

[L. Coyote]

4. "Enhanced interrogation" is a uniquely Republican value, not to mention lexicon.

And waterboarding is a euphemism for water torture.

"W is for Waterboard" is my new bumper sticker idea.

[wtmusic]

5. "Torture" has become "techniques"

unless, of course, you're on the freaking board being suffocated.

[old guy]

3. It will be interesting to see

how the corporate media will blame the Democrats!

[sellitman]

6. How did Lieberman vote?

Like I really need to ask.

[Stinky The Clown]

7. How could those gawddamn fucking Democrats allow this happen?

[EFerrari]

8. Who didn't see this coming. n/t

[babylonsister]

10. How they get away with this without their constituents

being thoroughly ticked off boggles my mind.

[EFerrari]

11. It's the base line difference between the Republic base and Democrats.

Their base see this and thinks, good, they must be taking care of us.

We look at it and think about consequences.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

9. knr