Yesterday Barack Obama and Dick Durbin were among other Senators to speak out against Bush and the Republican Congress'
Pro-Torture Bill.
The full texts of the speeches are long, but those who are interested can find the transcripts of Obama's speech here and Durbin's speech here. Also here is YouTube videos of Obama's complete remarks.
Below the fold I've got some choice quotes.
Durbin first.
Where is the justice, when soldiers who use these techniques, as wrong as they are, end up in prison, and those who write the memos suggesting these techniques not only are not held accountable, they are rewarded? And now we are presented with this bill, which says we will give amnesty to those who conceived of these interrogation techniques.
And who will accept responsibility for these mistakes? The soldiers. The soldiers will go to jail. But if this bill passes, those who sent out the memos will be off the hook. So while the administration claims they want to do right by the victims of 9/11 and our brave men and women in uniform, it appears that they are not doing what justice requires.
This amnesty will protect someone else. Sadly, it will also protect those who commit war crimes against Americans.
Why is the administration so interested in protecting itself from judicial review?
Perhaps it is because the courts have repeatedly ruled that the administration's policies violate the law.
Obama next.
The world is watching what we do today in America. They will know what we do here today, and they will treat all of us accordingly in the future--our soldiers, our diplomats, our journalists, anybody who travels beyond these borders. I hope we remember this as we go forward.