Setting up a possible veto showdown with the White House, the Senate voted overwhelmingly for an amendment to a Pentagon spending bill that sets standards for the treatment of prisoners in U.S. military custody.
The measure, sponsored by Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, would require American troops to follow interrogation standards set in the Army Field Manual and bar "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment" of prisoners in U.S. custody.
On Wednesday night, senators voted 90-9 to include the provision to the $440 billion Defense Department spending bill now wending its way through Congress. Full CNN story
More after fold
Bush has the
amazing record of not having issued a single veto during his first 5 years in office.
Leading the 9 votes against the amendment was boot-boy Ted Stevens:
Opposing the effort, Senator Ted Stevens, Republican of Alaska, said that requiring American troops to follow procedures in the Army manual was not practical in the current war environment. "The techniques vary upon the circumstances and the physical location of people involved," Mr. Stevens said. NYT
First off, talk about spent capital! Bush is so going down on this issue, thank heavens. Second, whatever one's view on the Republicans and McCain in particular, it is somewhat heartening to know that these guys have limitations on exactly how far right wing and crazy they are willing to go to support Adminstration wartime policies. Setting limits on torture should be a no-brainer, and to some degree McClellan is right, saying that this amendment is redundent, after all we are
charter signees of the UN and are historical proponents of the
Geneva Conventions. (Even though that clearly is not what McClellan meant). That said, it has become increasingly obvious that this showdown with the WH is necessary. Given the climate of the times, this confrontation with the Bush league might be signalling the rats jumping ship: Bush is a capitan in distress and the repubs are starting to make some distance here.
On the other hand, the rabid Repub dogs in the House might try to fight this:
Despite his victory last night, McCain has two major obstacles remaining: House GOP leaders object to attaching it to a spending bill, and Bush could veto it. However, senior GOP Senate aides said they believe the differences could be bridged, either by tweaking the measure or by changing the field manual. WP
Ironic that a possible first veto will likely be soundly defeated. And hey, people, psychologically this internal opposition at this point in time is significant. Led by McCain, the Repubs are staking out a safe position here: who really can stomach torture in the US? (Mind you, Jack Bauer has done a good job on Fox's 24 of getting the average joe to cheer him on using methods that are abhorrent, no matter what...)
The Senate vote drew applause from human rights organizations. "Senator McCain's amendments are a key step toward the restoration of the military's traditional prohibition against torture and inhumane treatment," said Leonard S. Rubenstein, executive director of Physicians for Human Rights. NYT
Whatever the possible Republican implosions and however dim our view of the other side of the aisle are, however much this might be signals of weakness or outright rebellion on the Right - let's face it: these guys did the right thing, maybe even for once. And that deserves recognition and at the very least, a sigh of relief. The USA is not that far gone, after all. But just barely.
On a side note, I wonder if saying "No" to little Bushie on this will carry over to denying him on other issues... Miers, maybe?