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Ear to the Ground

Bush Caves on Torture Rules

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Posted on Sep 19, 2006

Only last week, the president drew a line in the sand over his proposed interrogation rules, threatening to cancel the CIA interrogation program altogether if a trio of rebellious Republicans refused to pass his version.  In a total reversal, the Bush administration has reestablished talks with the defiant senators, hoping to work out a deal and pass the stalled legislation.


AP (via Yahoo!):

While no details have been divulged, the change in rhetoric was in stark contrast to last week when the two sides began counting votes and turned to the press to plead their case. And it came amid indications that Bush’s plan was in increasing trouble in the both chambers of the GOP-run Congress.

“We share the president’s goal of enacting legislation preserving an effective CIA program to make us safe, upholding Geneva Convention protections for our troops, and passing constitutional muster,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (news, bio, voting record) in a statement Monday.

Graham, R-S.C., helped lead the charge against the administration’s bill, alongside Sens. John Warner, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and John McCain, a prisoner of war in the Vietnam War.

The Senate Armed Services Committee last week passed the senators’ proposal by a 15-9 vote, with mostly Democratic support. The president’s measure would go further, allowing classified evidence to be withheld from defendants in terror trials and allowing coerced testimony. Bush also favors a narrower interpretation of the Geneva Conventions that would make it harder to prosecute U.S. interrogators for using harsh techniques.

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By Carol, September 20, 2006 at 8:50 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Why is the subject of torture even an issue?  Why not just give the “suspects” a shot of sodium pentathol?  Truth serum.  Not always reliable?  Well how reliable is information “tortured” out of someone?

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By MadelinePelland, September 19, 2006 at 11:08 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Bullies always stamp their feet but all it takes is one person to stand up to them they crumble like this ” war president” apparently has but I wonder if it has anyting to do with the recent facts that the detainees that are now speaking up to the fact that they were indeed tortured AND I wonder if this has anyt hing to do with the Senators who recently saw close to 1800 new pictures of prisoners being tortured and from what I hear they were so disgusted they returned to the hill and just maybe just maybe that is why the Senators Warner, Mc Cain, and Lindsey dug their feet in and refused to let this lying Bush get away with torture maybe…....I mean I think maybe whatever they discovered made them so angry that they realized they could no longer trust this president when he tells them to just trust him….....The Geneva Treaty has worked for 60 years and not one president, prime minister or any leader ever thought it had to be ” CLARIFIED”
so just what is the real reason why ole Bushie boy feels he can run roughshot over these learned and respected men and just say he wants it changed, hasn’t he done enough shredding our precious and dear COnstitution…..this man must be made accountable for what he has caused this great country of America…....

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By Mad As Hell, September 19, 2006 at 6:32 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Geez, just how DUMB are we?????

Bush “caved”??  Bullshit!  Just watch his signing statement where he pisses in the faces of McCain, Warner and Graham!  He’s only done it 750 times before!

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