Durbin Stands Firm vs. Warner on Statements on Torture: On C-SPAN Now

   Live on C-SPAN2 right now--Senator John Warner (R-Va)is taking Senator Dick Durbin to task for his strong, anti-torture stance--and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)is not backing down.  What a day this has been--short diary, but wanted folks to know.  Mitch McConnel now taking him to task--and Durbin is not backing down again!  Good for him--e-mail him some support.

•  Here's a URL to send some lovin to

  http://durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm

  by ultrageek on Thu Jun 16, 2005 at 03:20:58 PM PDT

  •  My email...

    Thank you for taking such a courageous stand against torture.  I don't understand how America hopes to keep its position of moral leadership if it practices torture, extrajudicial retention of prisoners, extraordinary rendition, etc.

    Every time an American performs or condones a heinous act on any individual, we invite other nations to do the same to us and to others.

    This not only puts American soldiers in jeopardy, it contributes to the breaking down of simple civility across the world.

    Thank you again for your courageous stand.  I am proud to have you as my senator.

    by ultrageek on Thu Jun 16, 2005 at 03:26:54 PM PDT

  •  And mine

    Dear Senator,
    Thank you for your efforts to stop the torture of prisoners by Americans. That I even could say that sentence is in itself a sad comment about the policies carried out by the Bush Administration.

    I agreed with your point that, had I heard the description of this torture without knowing the time, place or source I would never have thought it would have been a description where an American was the perpetrator.

    It troubles me greatly that instead of focusing on the horror inflicted in the name of America, in my name, that some have tried to make your comments the "point" of contention.

    I have a nephew serving in theater and I would hate to think that he would ever become party to this type of activity.  When our soldiers left we worried they might be captured and become victims of some brutal terrorist. Now we have the added worry that they might be coerced into being themselves torturers.

    Although I am not a resident of Illinois, as an American, I am proud that you are one of our Senators.
    

    by Bill Section 147 on Thu Jun 16, 2005 at 03:58:57 PM PDT

•  Um...

  The honorable gentleman from IL is a Democrat.

  by RichM on Thu Jun 16, 2005 at 03:21:45 PM PDT

  •  Oops--I'll fix--what an insult!!

    by bibble on Thu Jun 16, 2005 at 03:22:31 PM PDT

•  That's Durbin with a D

  D-IL

  Apparently only Democrats can be compared to Nazis.  

  by mungley on Thu Jun 16, 2005 at 03:22:48 PM PDT

•  Thanks all, I have fixed. n/lt

  by bibble on Thu Jun 16, 2005 at 03:23:36 PM PDT

•  Byrd is talking now

  It will probably be at least 10 minutes before we know if he is even speaking on this topic...

  by Steve M on Thu Jun 16, 2005 at 03:28:22 PM PDT

  •  LOL--you're right....

    I love Senator Byrd, but for reasons other than his ability to get to the point.  And I say this as one who loves Henry James parenthetical clauses, who loves "slow" Masterpiece Theatre TV, and who loves a good, long, expert lecture --but this man takes the cake for "long-winded"!

    by bibble on Thu Jun 16, 2005 at 08:08:15 PM PDT

    •  that's "Henry James'"--

      sure wish we could edit our comments!

      by bibble on Thu Jun 16, 2005 at 08:09:36 PM PDT

•  Warner and McConnell...

  Those two couldn't represent a more stark contrast.  Warner sounded like he was raising genuine, substantive issues and, justifiably or not, suggested that Durbin exercised poor judgment.  A fight, but a clean one.

  McConnell, on the other hand, tried to get Durbin to say something that could be pasted all over drudgereport.com and RNC action alert emails.  He was just reprehensible.

  by socratic on Thu Jun 16, 2005 at 03:31:18 PM PDT

•  Warner should apologize

  Toture by US forces happened while he held the Chair of the senate armed services committee.If he had an ounce of honor he would have demanded Rumsfeld resignation a very long time ago.Warner is a toal and absolute blowhard who could give a shit less about anyone in uniform.He may even be dumber than the other idiot Virginians sent to the senate, George Allen.

  by ctkeith on Thu Jun 16, 2005 at 03:34:30 PM PDT

•  email

  I emailed some love his way.  

  by krankitup on Thu Jun 16, 2005 at 03:48:51 PM PDT

  •  Me too.

    And I worked in that I was happy to see both Senator Durbin and Congressman Conyers stand up for a better America today.  Figured the more people who realize we're watching (and supporting) the better...

    by SuperMom on Thu Jun 16, 2005 at 03:53:10 PM PDT