Senate passes detainee bill
Associated Press:
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.
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 House vote was 253-168. That roll call is here. I’ll post the roll call from the Senate when it becomes available.
ADDED —
Here’s the Senate’s roll call. Eleven Democrats voted yes. One Republican voted no. Can you guess which one?
On Fox News, I just heard Dick Morris say, “The big loser in all this is John McCain.” I think that’s right, even though McCain voted yes tonight. John McCain will not be the Republican nominee in 2008, and his cheerleading for terrorists’ rights is one reason why.
ADDED II —
Meanwhile, dissension on the Left. Here’s Yale law professor Jack Balkin: “What a spineless, worthless lot the Democrats in the Senate are. They deserve every lost Senate and House seat that comes from this.” It’s always good to see that liberals can be as unhappy with their leaders as we can be with ours. It provides perspective.
Technorati tags: Detainee+interrogation, war+on+terror, Congress
John Warner was quoted as saying: Enemy combatants are unlawful by all international standards in the manner in which they conduct war, and yet this great nation … is going to mete out a measure of justice.
A measure of justice? Why just a measure? Is “liberty and justice for all” mere hyberbole? Is justice to be meted out conditionally, depending on the perceived merits of the accused? Depending on the accused’s presumed political allegiances … religious allegiance … nationality … race? Is our “lawfulness” contingent on the “lawfulness” of our enemies? Of whomever we say is our enemy?
Such rhetoric — and such legislation — leads us down a dangerous road, a road that leads us not toward, but away, from liberty and justice.
I’m not at all clear on what your point is here, Tim. Is your point that unlawful enemy combatants have the same rights under our Constitution as U.S. citizens? Is your point that it’s unjust to subject enemy combatants to the same techniques to which we subject our own Special Forces during their capture survival training? Is your point that we should not distinguish between lawful combatants and unlawful ones?
If so, your point is wholly unpersuasive.
Shit-for-brains Paul done wroted:
“Is your point that it’s unjust to subject enemy combatants to the same techniques to which we subject our own Special Forces during their capture survival training?”
Spare us your ass-fucked, ludicrous, fascist, asswiped, lying pissant bullshit.
Thanks.
[Why is it that many leftists think emotion and invective are substitutes for fact and reason? — Ed.]
i’m not sure who john warner is, but the comment: “Enemy combatants are unlawful by all international standards in the manner in which they conduct war” is false in regard to this bill.
unlawful enemy combatants are defined by a military tribunal under the authority of the pres or the sec. of defense (948a of H.R. 6166 i believe, but you should probably read it for yourself before you talk about it anyway).
in other words, and this is not a matter of interpretation, it is simply a paraphrase of the bill that i read (did you?), rummy or bush can (and will) set up tribunals under their authority and, unless i missed something in the bill, without oversight that can deem ANYONE (you included) an enemy combatant. then, according to the bill (LAW actually), you do not have the right to see evidence presented against you, you can be torutured, you can be held indefinitly without being indited, etc.
Don’t believe me? read the bill. Think i am an emotional leftist without anything substative to say? debate me on the actual bill and not on some bullshit about being nice to terrorists or being scared or hateing america whatever narrow discursive terms that keep you in the sheeple pen.
This bill is not about torture (that’s just a bonus). it is about giving absolute power to the president and the secretary of defense. it gives them tremendous powers with few (if any) limits. READ IT. GOOGLE HR 6166 and FUCKING READ IT. then make some SUBSTATIVE comment about what i have written, if you think you can.
jesse farmer, supra:
“ … rummy or bush can (and will) set up tribunals under their authority and, unless i missed something in the bill, without oversight that can deem ANYONE (you included) an enemy combatant …”
Wrong. The bill does not give either the president or the secretary of defense the authority to designate anyone an enemy combatant and subject them to trial by commission. Here’s the text of the bill as agreed to by both the House and Senate. See Section 948a, which reads in relevant part:
Then see Section 948c, which identifies persons subject to the jurisdiction of a military commission:
Excuse Me,But I Hardly Call John McCain A “Cheerleader For Terrorist’s Rights!!”. Excuse Me,But The Man Was A POW In North Vietnam For Nearly Six Years!! And He Was Offered His Freedom By The North Vietnamese When They Found Out That His Father Was The CINCPAC Fleet,Yet He Remained Behind!! Why??Because He Felt That He Owed An Obligation To His Fellow POWS!!! Now That Takes Guts and Courage!!Something That all You Little Ass Kissing,So called “Christians”Neo Cons Have Very Little Of!!! Oh Sure,It’s Easy to Besmirch Brave Men Like McCain;John Glenn;Max Cleland and(possibly in the future)James Webb!! Why??Because They Felt an Obligation To their Country!! Which Is Why The Malkins;Limbaughs;Savages;etal Love To Make Accusations About Brave Men!!! Why??BECAUSE THEYR’E ALL SCARED LITTLE PUSSSIES!!! It’s Easier For SCARED LITTLE PUSSIES To Start “Swift Boats Vets For Truth”Because Theyr’e Scared Of The Truth!!! Somebody Should Out These Necon Chickenhawk Scumbags For What They Are:Bleeding Heart Liberals Hiding Under The Guise of Conservatives!!!