Just when you are starting to give up hope that the Republicans would get anything done before they took yet another break, they finally did something to make our lives safer! And with a pretty good vote margin. No one can say that the Republicans gave Bush the ability to torture (well, if you are Kennedy, you could) since many Democrats supported it as well:
The Senate on Thursday endorsed President Bush's plans to prosecute and interrogate terror suspects, all but sealing congressional approval for legislation that Republicans intend to use on the campaign trail to assert their toughness on terrorism.And this is a great line (I can't believe that it made it into an AP story):
The 65-34 vote means the bill could reach the president's desk by week's end. The House passed nearly identical legislation on Wednesday and was expected to approve the Senate bill on Friday, sending it on to the White House.
The bill would create military commissions to prosecute terrorism suspects. It also would prohibit blatant abuses of detainees but grant the president flexibility to decide what interrogation techniques are legally permissible.
"We are not conducting a law enforcement operation against a check-writing scam or trying to foil a bank heist," said Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "We are at war against extremists who want to kill our citizens."It's surprising that it has to be said. You'd think that we would all get that by now. The Democrats, the Supreme Court and the McCain Rebels are so 9-10 in their thinking.
And this has to be one of the stupidest lines in the article (and that is saying something when Kennedy is quoted, as well):
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who helped draft the legislation during negotiations with the White House, said the measure would set up a system for treating detainees that the nation could be proud of. He said the goal "is to render justice to the terrorists, even though they will not render justice to us."Render justice???? Justice will not be rendered until they pay for their crimes with their life. I want those who tortured and our journalists, our citizens and especially our soldiers to pay with their lives. And yes, it is Christian to support the death penalty (and no, I don't support torture but I do support sleep deprivation and loud Britney Spears music).
But the award for most confusing quote goes to this one:
"The habeas corpus language in this bill is as legally abusive of rights guaranteed in the Constitution as the actions at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo and secret prisons that were physically abusive of detainees," said Sen. Carl Levin, the top Democrat on the Armed Services panel.Is he saying that this bill violates their constitutional rights? He can't be saying something that stupid, right? I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and admit my ignorance to his superior understanding of the law.
(Link via Drudge Report)
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