I've posted previously on the
House G.O.P.'s efforts to make it legal to deport suspects to be interrogated and tortured in Syria, Egypt, Jordan and other countries.
(There are also updates here, here, here, here, here and here.)
Senate Democrats are now saying that these provisions--along with other, equally horrible parts of the House 9/11 bill--are DeLay's & Hastert's attempt to replay the 2002 midterm strategy the GOP used for the Homeland Security bill:
Democrats can vote for legalized torture-by-proxy, restrictions on the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers, and a host of other bad provisions, in a bill that does not even follow the 9/11 Commission's suggestions--or they can vote no, and be criticized as soft-on-terrorism. Hey, it worked on a triple amputee war veteran; it can work on these guys! And maybe the bill will pass but some Democrats will vote against it--then you'd get a legal way to have terrorism suspects tortured AND a subject for lying attack ads! Win win!
That's what even moderate Democrats and some Republicans think is going on. DeLay's spokesman denies it, but Hastert's doesn't bother. From the AP article above:
"There is anxiety -- you will not be surprised to hear -- among some of my Democratic colleagues in Congress, based on the 2002 experience with the Department of Homeland Security, that this will happen again," said Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn....
"There is no confusion about the timing of this bill," said House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland. Republican leaders expect "Democrats to either vote for it or to be attacked about being against protecting the American people if they vote against it."
Even some Republicans are worried that some of the political maneuvering could doom bills addressing the Sept. 11 commission's report. "I have concerns that some on my side of the aisle want there to be some poison pills," said Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn.
"If we can't put partisan politics and presidential campaigning aside when we're trying to strengthen our nation's ability to deter and respond to a terrorism attack, we might as well go home," added Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. "This is just too important to allow partisan politics to interfere with the progress of this bill."...
Democrats say the GOP is hoping the same thing will happen with the Sept. 11 recommendations if they put in provisions that Democrats don't like. "One House member even referred to having Democrats over a barrel in a description of this strategy," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.
"The Democrats got spanked hard on homeland security," said John Feehery, spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. "I don't think they want to get spanked again."
I keep thinking my opinion of these guys can't get any lower, and they keep proving me wrong.
This is another reason to write to your House Rep. in support of Congressman Markey's amendment, removing the torture outsourcing language from the bill.