If you are depending upon John McCain -- the guy who wrote the bill supposedly banning Bush from using torture and then, with a wink and nod allowed Bush to exempt himself from that legislation -- then I'd say America is about out of hope and your heart is bound to be shattered.
Posted by A. Alexander at September 14, 2006 11:51 PMdoes anyone remember all of the political experts declaring this move by rove/bush to be political genius at work. not turning out quite like they predicted.
Posted by melonhead at September 15, 2006 02:38 AMWhy would they support it? Because at heart they're all a bunch of craven preeners with one goal in life: reelection. In the final analysis they need to appeal to a xenophobic electorate bent on crusade. 9/11 burns bright in most people's minds and Bushco fans the flame for a very good reason. Give any number of Americans a pair of pliers and they'll crush the testicles of a brown person. Bush will get his torture bill because ultimately it is the will of the people.
Posted by steve duncan at September 15, 2006 03:14 AMto declare this a rebellion is just wishful thinking.
McCain does what he always does: say the right thing then cut a bachroom deal that negates the objections.
withdrawing from a debate - so?
So when will it get out of conference and back to the senate?
"Distancing" them from Bush is a standard tactic in a re-election year. When that "distancing" turns into substantive action, give me a call. But I have do doubt the sheeple will fall for it.
Posted by soccerdad at September 15, 2006 04:14 AMCaption this:
Powell is thinking, "Is this guy insane?"
Posted by Christopher at September 15, 2006 05:03 AMCalifornia, the state with the most electoral votes, is joining an interstate pact ("blue state suicide pact")to award ALL its electoral votes to whoever wins the popular vote. (The bill passed, the Guv may or may not sign it, and the pact itself only kicks in when states with enough electoral votes among them to conclude the election join.)The bill is AB2948
Does someone else know about this?
Posted by idiosynchronic at September 15, 2006 05:11 AMGreat news. But, in typical MSM fashion,
MSNBC http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14839155 says this: "Democrats, hoping to avoid being painted as weak on national security, have stood on the sidelines so far. But the political cover provided by Republican leaders in the field such as Mr McCain and Mr Powell are likely to embolden them to join in opposing the White House proposal".
They fail to mention that all 11 of the Dems were ALREADY opposing the proposal. Even after 4 Republican defected, 9 Republicans STILL voted to blindly support Bush, putting the troops at greater risk and cutting further our moral authority in the world's eyes.
I know I keep beating this horse, but Dems must insist on MSM air time to rebut these intentionally misleading statements. Had Enough? Add to that: Sick of Half the Story?
That said, I do wish more Dems would follow McCain's example. Many of them buck Bush constantly in the House and Senate but the public never hears about that. Many MSM viewers don't begin to understand the damage that one party rule inflicts, day by day by day. The Dems fail to hammer this home in a venue that these people attend. They fail to blow their own horns. They could learn from the McCain camp's statement that he is willing to lose the nomination. That he is willing to stand up for what he believes and be counted.
Posted by Via at September 15, 2006 06:05 AMThe bill is AB2948
Does someone else know about this?
Sounds bizarre. Is it constitutional? I guess CA is trying to avoid a repeat of 2000 when Gore won the popular vote. With this pact, some red state electoral votes would have gone to Gore and the election would have been decided.
Posted by CG at September 15, 2006 06:37 AMI believe the idea with the pact is that it is a way to get rid of the electoral college without having to amend it out of the constitution, which will never happen. The states electoral votes must follow the popular vote.
Sounds pretty clever, and the electoral college is an abomination against democracy.
Posted by euzoius at September 15, 2006 07:02 AMThe dumb Democratic response:
We love John McCain, he's so brave and such a maverick for bucking for his party.
The smart Democratic response:
John mcCain may stand up to the president on this issue, but why does he wwant to ciminalize a woman's right to choose?
Never give you oppenet praise that doesn't include a dig. He's a Republican, you know the party of Rick Santorum.
If you want to have a beer with the guy, throw is ass out of office so he'll have time to stop by your neighbohood pub.
Posted by Richard Bottoms at September 15, 2006 07:56 AMYoung george got his rocks off by blowing up frogs with firecrackers, so it makes sense that he would find the mamby pamby torture part of the Geneva Convention socially unacceptable.
Had he become Pope would he have tossed thou shall not kill, steal, or bear false witness out of the ten commandments?
Posted by TIKI AL at September 15, 2006 08:10 AMfrom Bob Herbert:
"The character of the U.S. has changed. We’re in danger of being completely ruled by fear. Most Americans have not shared the burden of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Very few Americans are aware, as the Center for Constitutional Rights tells us, that of the hundreds of men held by the U.S. in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, many “have never been charged and will never be charged because there is no evidence justifying their detention.”
Posted by ann at September 15, 2006 08:23 AMIt is easy to see when Dumbo has a problem...he starts to smirk...now he's railing on about how we respect the rights of Iranians...blah, blah, blah......Warner, McAcain et al...know that Dumbo is lame after November 7 and don't really care that they are cutting him loose...I think the Dems should let this torture bs play out in the Repub camp...this interrogation rules debate has blown up in junior's face...it was designed to show Dems as soft on terra....ooops, back to the drawing board!...now he's calling the Geneva Conventios as vague...he hasn't read them...what a prevaricating P.O.S!!
Posted by Goyo at September 15, 2006 08:43 AMI heard some of Bush's press conference this morning, and that dude is scared;you can hear it in his voice. When answering a question about how they linked Zarqawi and Saddam before the war, it was like he was a 12-year-old, desperately hoping that a lame homework excuse would not lead to further questioning.
They're just trying to run out the clock now. This latest torture legislation is more about making sure nobody gets prosecuted for the things they've already done than it is about further aggrandizement of presidential power.
Posted by dj moonbat at September 15, 2006 09:34 AMlunar chiroptera: You are right, I saw that same fear in his face today, and it reminded me of the fear he displayed in the Pet Goat- America is under attack briefing.
I now honestly believe this guy is really scared, it's not an act, his night light is on and he's wetting his bed for all he's worth.
Posted by TIKI AL at September 15, 2006 11:09 AM