Bush Will Veto Ban On Torture

McCain, Once Tortured Himself, Joins White House To Oppose Bill Prohibiting Waterboarding

(CBS/AP)  The White House said today that President Bush will veto a measure that would ban the CIA from using what the administration describes as "enhanced interrogation methods" on terror suspects.

The provision, part of a broad intelligence authorization bill passed by the House and Senate, would prohibit any interrogation techniques to be used on prisoners that are not authorized or condoned by the U.S. Army Field Manual.

CBS News White House Correspondent Mark Knoller reports that the White House is confident that the president's veto would be sustained.

The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 51 to 45; 5 Republicans joined 45 Democrats and 1 independent in favor of the ban.

White House press secretary Dana Perino characterized the confrontation in partisan terms, saying Americans will have to choose between supporting a ban on waterboarding and protecting national security: "They'll have to ask themselves, 'Do you trust the intelligence community more than you trust Democrats who are beholden to their left wing?' And that's the debate that this country is going to have."

Sen. John McCain, who has previously spoken out against torture (having been tortured himself while held captive during the Vietnam War), voted against the bill, but said his vote was not inconsistent with his previous calls for a ban.

McCain had earlier sponsored the 2006 Detainee Treatment Act which included a ban on waterboarding, which President Bush invalidated by a signing statement giving himself the authority to ignore it.

"What we need is not to tie the CIA to the Army Field Manual, but rather to have a good faith interpretation of the statutes that guide what is permissible in the CIA program," McCain said, in stating his opposition to the bill.

"We're now at the point where we have a clear and concrete law," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. "It's up to the president to sign the bill. If the president vetoes the intelligence authorization, he will be voting in favor of waterboarding, plain and simple - no ands, ifs or buts."

Schumer also warned that a presidential veto of the authorization bill "will hamstring our ability to gather and act on important intelligence at a time of war."

The administration's view is that the ban on waterboarding would force the CIA to shut down its program of enhanced interrogation of terror suspects, something President Bush regards as an important tool in the war on terror.

Although President Bush has stated that the United States has not and will not torture people, it has been learned that Mr. Bush himself has authorized the use of waterboarding on detainees (a practice previously prosecuted by the United States as a war crime), and has claimed the authority to do so again in certain circumstances.

Despite military interrogators' assertions that waterboarding and other brands of torture do not produce reliable intelligence, the Bush administration continues to argue that it needs the option of waterboarding when seeking information from recalcitrant prisoners.

Attorney General Mike Mukasey has declined to declare that waterboarding is torture, despite congressional demands during and after his Senate confirmation process, fueling the administration critics' assumption that admitting such would expose administration figures who authorized the practice to criminal prosecution.

Despite the fight over the waterboarding ban, a senior U.S. Justice Department official said Thursday that laws and other limits enacted since three terrorism suspects held by the CIA were waterboarded have eliminated the technique from what is now legally allowed by the Agency.

"The set of interrogation methods authorized for current use is narrower than before, and it does not today include waterboarding," Steven G. Bradbury, acting head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, says in remarks prepared for his appearance Thursday before the House Judiciary Constitution subcommittee.

"There has been no determination by the Justice Department that the use of waterboarding, under any circumstances, would be lawful under current law," he said, avoiding suggestion that waterboarding might be considered legal in the future.

In 2005 Bradbury signed two secret legal memos authorizing the CIA to use waterboarding, as well as physical violence and freezing temperatures, when questioning terror detainees. Because of those opinions, Senate Democrats have opposed his nomination to formally head the legal counsel's office.

Judge Dismisses Detainee Rendition Lawsuit

In a related story, a federal judge on Wednesday threw out a lawsuit accusing a subsidiary of Boeing Co. of illegally aiding the CIA's secret rendition program by flying detainees overseas where they could be tortured.

U.S. District Court Judge James Ware accepted the arguments made by CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden, who had earlier evoked the "state secrets privilege," saying that going forward with the case would jeopardize national security.

The American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit was filed against Jeppesen Dataplan Inc., of San Jose, Calif.

In arguments Tuesday, ACLU lawyers had said that many of the facts about the rendition program were already public knowledge.

CBSNews.com producer David Morgan contributed to this report.

[luckygirl042]

Who would Jesus torture?

[dogband]

[Americans] will have to ask themselves, ''Do you trust the intelligence community more than you trust Democrats who are beholden to their left wing?

Or do you trust us Republicans to take all your rights, keep you in a war, and give the country away to the rich?

Holy c r a p.

The lies just never stop. My country is doomed.

[watcher269-2009]

Sen. John McCain, who has previously spoken out against torture (having been tortured himself while held captive during the Vietnam War) voted for the bill

---------------------------

Yeah, but at his age and you know how memory fades and changes over the years - he probably thinks now that he spent that time in a Spa and now has Fond memories of it.

[Wolf Eldridge]

Kansas1946 said on this matter of "w" condoning/protecting torture: "This will just add to his "legacy." If he thinks history will remember him kindly he is crazier than I thought. History will fully expose this sociopathic loser for what he is."

I could not agree more. I only hope the full TRUTH is brought to light on the Bush/Cheney "legacy of madness". Then all will truly see the results of ignorance, fraud and apathy that brought this administration (the TRUE Axis of Evil) into power... for two consecutive terms!!

[candide777]

Maybe we should waterboard Cheney and Bush until they admit the truth -- that they deliberately LIED us into Iraq and caused the bloody death of several hundred thousand people.
We are a nation being led by War Criminals. Fascists who use fear and propaganda to mollify and distract an apathetic population.
JAIL BUSH AND CHENEY FOR THEIR WAR CRIMES
Posted by mh4cbs1 at 08:39 PM : Feb 14, 2008

I totally agree -- waterboarding is almost too good for Bush and Cheney -- they have committed crimes against humanity, and it would do a lot of people''s hearts good to see them both swing like Hussein, who deserved it to be sure, but no more than Bush and Cheney do.

[mrconservatv]

WHY I VOTED FOR GRAVEL NOT OBAMA OR HILLARY CLINTON


Impeachment Statement by Presidential Candidate Senator Mike Gravel
January 25th, 2008 by Senator Mike Gravel

As a Candidate for President, and most importantly as an American, I firmly believe that our most important and highest priority, both as individual American citizens and as a whole Nation, is to protect, defend, and nourish the foundation of American Democracy: the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. Every other issue is of secondary importance.

Let%u2019s review a few supremely important and disturbing facts:

Without Impeachment before we choose the next Administration, we as a Nation will be setting a legal precedent. We will be saying yes to the systematic destruction of the Constitution and Bill of Rights engineered by Vice President Cheney and President Bush, and will be formally agreeing to the end of American Democracy. We, as Americans, will be giving our approval and consent to the idea that the Vice President and President are indeed above the law, that they are in fact a law unto themselves.

Cheney and Bush have openly boasted about their supposed right to break the law. This administration has claimed that it has the right to spy on Americans without a warrant.

READ MORE

http://www.gravel2008.us/content/i
mpeachment-statement-presidential-candid
ate-senator-mike-gravel

[mrconservatv]

WHY I VOTED TO GRAVEL NOT OBAMA OR HILLARY CLINTON


Impeachment Statement by Presidential Candidate Senator Mike Gravel
January 25th, 2008 by Senator Mike Gravel

As a Candidate for President, and most importantly as an American, I firmly believe that our most important and highest priority, both as individual American citizens and as a whole Nation, is to protect, defend, and nourish the foundation of American Democracy: the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. Every other issue is of secondary importance.

Let%u2019s review a few supremely important and disturbing facts:

Without Impeachment before we choose the next Administration, we as a Nation will be setting a legal precedent. We will be saying yes to the systematic destruction of the Constitution and Bill of Rights engineered by Vice President Cheney and President Bush, and will be formally agreeing to the end of American Democracy. We, as Americans, will be giving our approval and consent to the idea that the Vice President and President are indeed above the law, that they are in fact a law unto themselves.

Cheney and Bush have openly boasted about their supposed right to break the law. This administration has claimed that it has the right to spy on Americans without a warrant.

READ MORE
http://www.gravel2008.us/content/impeachment-statement-presidential-candidate-senator-mike-gravel

[rwnb2]

AntiZion,

I thought the same thing. I suppose if he gets off on torture, then it would be his way of getting himself off on a lonely Saturday night.

[antizion]

"McCain, Once Tortured Himself, Joins White House To Oppose Bill Prohibiting Waterboarding"

Why did McCain torture himself? :-)

[rowdytexan2]

The Democrats should be ashamed. I can see through thier political games. Can you? This all to make Bush look bad. this congress seems to relish in sending Bush stuff they know he will veto. the seem to even look for things to add to bills to get Bush to veto it. Are they so impotent that the only way they can look good is to get the president to veto everything they pass? It seems like the Democrats can only unite for things Bush will veto. How pathetic. I will be happy next year when we chage them out. I only wish we could change all of them. Republic and Democrats. Perhaps electric dog collars would be better the lower the aproval rating the higher the frequency of electric shock.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by cbscrash07 at 08:26 PM : Feb 14, 2008

The democrats don''t have to make Bush look BAD, he does a good enough job of that all by himself, with the help of his Darth accomplice.

Hang them from the flagpole over our capitol building like the treasonous traitors they are!

[kansas1946]

"They''''ll have to ask themselves, ''''Do you trust the intelligence community more than you trust Democrats who are beholden to their left wing?''''
************************************
Democrats??? So the Republican party supports turning our country into no better than Nazi Germany?? No better than the Soviet Union. No better than Lybia, Syria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, El Salvidor, etc., when people are tortured to the glee of the people in power.
Democrats my a**.

I am not a Democrat and torture is immoral period. John McCain is not a Democrat.

The only people that seem to get off on torture are the so-called Jesus lovers in the government. If they ever do meet up with Jesus, he would spit in their face, including GWB.

[kansas1946]

Good. This will just add to his "legacy." If he thinks history will remember him kindly he is crazier than I thought. History will fully expose this sociopathic loser for what he is.

[burneb]

In a word, NO I do not trust the intelligence community, which has ALWAYS been later found to have violated their assurances and abused any rules they claimed they followed. Their track record is effectively ZERO for trustworthiness.

So, even if I do not always trust Democrats, their credibility is far superior to the lying sacks comprising this Administration.

Yes there are dangerous people who mean to harm us, and some of them are probably among those our hypocritical Administration has tortured. There is no credible evidence such torture has produced truly useful results. Just overwhelming obviousness that it has destroyed our national credibility around the world and given excuse to every other despicable regime.

[sgtrds]

The only possible justifiable reason for allowing torture is if it''s to only be used on creatures like Bush, Cheney and their minions, since they''re lower life forms (somewhere down around the maggot level)(my apologies to the maggots) are are not human beings.

[tiredofthebs]

I repeat ..... waterboard our pathetic excuse for a president & that idiot CHENEY.


-IMPEACH BUSH .... Bring him up on War Crimes.

[bozworth4]

From article: White House press secretary Dana Perino characterized the confrontation in partisan terms, saying Americans will have to choose between supporting a ban on waterboarding and protecting national security: "They''ll have to ask themselves, ''Do you trust the intelligence community more than you trust Democrats who are beholden to their left wing?''

Is this the same intelligence community that brought to a screen near you WMD in Iraq? And a nuclear program again in Iraq? I believe they were trusted once before.(By politicians) That''s how this whole mess started. This is the same intelligence community (another word for Big Brother) that has unlimited latitude around the constitution. No republicans or Democrats, only politicians that would pimp their mother for a vote.

[sgtrds]

GO GET SOME PUUSSY......GO TAKE CARE OF YOUR WIVES......

Posted by poopusbuttus at 07:29 PM : Feb 14, 2008

Now THAT is an oxymoron!

[ontheleft]

"They''ll have to ask themselves, ''Do you trust the intelligence community more than you trust Democrats who are beholden to their left wing"

You mean the same intelligence community that said Iraq was trying to build a nuclear bomb? You mean the same intelligence community that in 2003 didn''t care that North Korea actually WAS building a nuclear bomb? That ''intelligence'' community?

[tmn]

Yes, Bush and the Republicons are in favor of torture. Tell me something I DON''T already know...

[mh4cbs1]

Maybe we should waterboard Cheney and Bush until they admit the truth -- that they deliberately LIED us into Iraq and caused the bloody death of several hundred thousand people.

We are a nation being led by War Criminals. Fascists who use fear and propaganda to mollify and distract an apathetic population.

JAIL BUSH AND CHENEY FOR THEIR WAR CRIMES