Torture Legislation: Yet more evidence we are sliding towards authoritarian rule.
by soccerdad
Its depicable that legislation to allow torture is even being considered. On top of that, it appears that the Bush administration is trying to push through the legislation without very many legislators being able to look at it.
As lawmakers prepare to debate the CIA's special interrogation program for terrorism suspects, fewer than 10 percent of the members of Congress have been told which interrogation techniques have been used in the past, and none of them know which ones would be permissible under proposed changes to the War Crimes Act.
snip
The lack of consultation means that senators and representatives will be voting next week to authorize a program that most know little about, raising questions about Congress's oft-repeated vow to increase its oversight of the war on terrorism
I mean even the American Enterprise Institute is not happy:
``You're not having any checks and balances here," said Norman J. Ornstein, a resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. ``It sure doesn't look to me as if they stood up and did anything other than bare their teeth for some ceremonial barking, before giving the president a whole lot of leeway. I find it really troubling."
From a member of the fascist, I mean, Republican party
``I don't know what the CIA has been doing, nor should I know," said Senator Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican.
Yes this is how Republicans govern.
But what BS argument about this would be complete without this:
``Specific techniques are classified," said Stephen J. Hadley, the president's national security adviser. ``The reason is, if there's public discussion of techniques, then the terrorists are able to train against them
Oh there is another slight detail:
ITS ALREADY SPELLED OUT IN THE FREAKIN' ARMY FIELD MANUAL
Now, the bottom line:
``This idea that they can't say what the law prohibits and what it doesn't, it's absurd," said Martin Lederman, a Georgetown law professor and former legal adviser in the Clinton administration Justice Department. ``It's not good government. Congress could push back. There are ways to push back, but they just choose not to do so."
snip
Most Democrats appear poised to support the bill, but some say they will insist on being given more information before supporting changes to the War Crimes Act. Representative Jane Harmon, the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said she will insist that the president detail the interrogation techniques he plans to approve, and provide a legal justification for each one before the intelligence committee
If the Democratic Party caves on this, then thats it. It will be time to work to take down this do nothing, Republican-lite, worthless party. They must filabuster, delay, do what ever they can to prevent this from becomeing law. Failure to do so means that they are no better than the party we say we all despise. And dont recite to me any crap from some centerist DLC paid consultant that it would be bad strategy. Either your different than the Republicans or you're not. Which is it?