A Test For The Maverick: Will McCain Vote Against Waterboarding Today?
A Test For The Maverick: Will McCain Vote Against Waterboarding Today?
Today, at 10:30 a.m. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is expected to bring to the floor the Intelligence Authorization Conference Report. One provision in the legislation, pushed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), establishes a single interrogation standard requiring the intelligence community to abide by the same standards as articulated in the Army Field Manual.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a former prisoner of war, has been an outspoken advocate against waterboarding. McCain has said the practice “is not a complicated procedure. It is torture.” He has previously called waterboarding “very exquisite torture.”
In a Republican presidential debate on Nov. 28, McCain said that the Army Field Manual should be the gold standard for interrogations:
I would hope that we would understand, my friends, that life is not 24 and Jack Bauer. Life is interrogation techniques which are humane and yet effective. And I just came back from visiting a prison in Iraq. The army general there said that techniques under the Army Field Manual are working and working effectively, and he didn’t think they need to do anything else. My friends, this is what America is all about.
Watch it:
Today, the Senate will vote on cloture on the conference report, a procedure that requires 60 votes to proceed. Reid “will need some Republicans to cross party lines” for the anti-torture measure to pass. Reid said McCain “could be a major swing vote” today.
McCain has desperately attempted to court skeptical members of his own party as well as the far right in recent weeks. National Journal notes that “Republicans and the White House oppose” the Army Field Manual provision.
McCain has previously skipped votes that he supported, such as the economic stimulus package, because of pressure from the far right. Will he show up for today’s anti-torture legislation or give up on his principles?
UPDATE: McCain voted for cloture, which passed 92-4. It is unclear how he will vote on the upcoming “point of order,” expected this afternoon. As Reid explained:
If, as I hope, cloture is invoked, our Republican colleagues may raise a point of order against the Feinstein provision. We will move to waive this point of order, which, under the rules, requires 60 votes. Should Republicans force a vote to waive the point of order, I urge all of my colleagues to do so.
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McJowls; This is what YOU said.
“It’s not about who they are, it’s about who WE are.”
February 13th, 2008 at 10:10 amHe will skip the vote. He is courting the pro-torture Christian base of the Republican party.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:15 amMcCain says he is against torture. Those who sat through his 25 minute victory diatribe last night may disagree.
If i were your Miss America, my one wish would not for ‘world peace’ or to cure cancer. My wish would be to see the end of John McCain using the patronizing phrase ‘my friends’,
February 13th, 2008 at 10:19 amLet’s see….I predict….A NO VOTE!
Politicians sell out principals to party everyday. Today won’t be any different. I’m sure Bush spoke to McCain about this last week.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:20 amLet’s see…McCain has been getting endorsements from everyone from Bush to Kristol the past 10 days (once they realized Huckleberry wwas a real threat).
February 13th, 2008 at 10:22 amI predict they informed McCain how McCain would vote on this~
Macacaine, well he talked after being tortured and helped the enemy, how do I know? The swift-boat truthers told me so.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:23 amHe probably won’t even vote.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:37 amI doubt he’ll vote.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:38 amHe can’t vote. He is spending the day in Dick Cheney’s man-sized safe.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:40 amMcCain has previously skipped votes that he supported, such as the economic stimulus package, because of pressure from the far right.
McBomb will support anything today that will get him elected tomorrow. GOP ethics can best be described as nonexistent.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:41 amthat’s probably a no-brainer… wish he would surprise us…
February 13th, 2008 at 10:45 ammcCAVE will vote NO, if he votes at all… my guess…
mcCAVE will vote NO, if he votes at all… my guess…
Comment by katy — February 13, 2008 @ 10:45 am
Of course, he wont say that it’s because he supports torture. He’ll have some convenient reason like “we must allow intelligence agencies the leeway to develop their own interrogation standards” or something.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:55 amAnyone who knows what waterboarding is could not be unsure. It is a horrible torture technique used by Pol Pot and being used on Buddhist monks as we speak,”
February 13th, 2008 at 10:57 am-Senator John McCain
Comment by robertoroberto — February 13, 2008 @ 10:19 am
It turns me right off the minute I hear him say, “My friends”. I applaud your tenacity (strong stomach?) if you were able to sit through McCain’s speech last night. After listening to Obama’s speech, which seemed upbeat and positive, McCain’s speech sounded like doom and gloom (and I turned the channel after a couple of minutes). Why would anyone vote for more doom and gloom?
February 13th, 2008 at 10:59 amMcCain will fail to show up for the vote.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:59 amI predict they informed McCain how McCain would vote on this~
Comment by Guido OBGYN Lover — February 13, 2008 @ 10:22 am
My biggest worry if McCain ever became president (next to the expected bombing of Iran) is that I get the impression that McCain would just be doing whatever the shady characters in the background told him to do.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:01 am“If I had water draining into my nose, oh God, I just can’t imagine how painful! Whether it’s torture by anybody else’s definition, for me it would be torture.”
February 13th, 2008 at 11:03 am-Mike McConnell, Director of National Intelligence
“No Show” = “Straight Talk” ?
February 13th, 2008 at 11:05 amKnowing McInsane, he’ll either a) not show up for the vote which, is the most likely scenario or b) show up and vote to keep on waterboarding with some assinine excuse straight from the coward of crawfords mouth like, “look how effective waterboarding was to find all those witches during the Salem Witch Trials, all them witches confessed once they started holding them under water in the dunking chairs”.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:08 am“Waterboarding is torture and should be banned, …I believe that we must reject the use of the waterboard for prisoners and captives and cleanse this stain from our national honor.”
February 13th, 2008 at 11:09 am“waterboarding is a torture technique - period.”
-Malcom W. Nance, former Navy instructor of POW and terrorist hostage survival programs and former advisor on terrorism to the US departments of Homeland Security, Special Operations and Intelligence
TRAITOR McFlipFlop?
Why, he was AGAINST waterboarding before he was FOR IT!
“You’re either with McCain and Bush, OR
You’re with America and the TRUTH”
February 13th, 2008 at 11:10 amDo the right thing, John.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:13 amGood explanation of the procedural stuff going on around this vote at Dkos:
http://www.dailykos.com/ storyonly/ 2008/ 2/ 13/ 101342/ 041/ 205/ 455429
February 13th, 2008 at 11:15 am‘Senate intelligence ranking member Christopher “Kit” Bond, R-Mo., who will lead the charge against the bill, said he is considering raising a point of order against the bill because the provision was inserted during conference. He said he probably would raise this if cloture is invoked.
Bond said the disputed provision would end the CIA’s alternative interrogation program, which he said is lawful, invaluable and does not involve torture. He added that the CIA should not be required to follow military regulations for interrogations. Requiring the CIA to follow the Army Field Manual would allow terrorists to know what kind of techniques will be used against them, Bond added.’
“alternative interrogation program”?! Do they have an Office of Semantics now in DC?
http://thegate.nationaljournal.com/ 2008/ 02/ senate_to_battle_over_authoriz.php
February 13th, 2008 at 11:21 am“Waterboarding has been torture for at least 500 years.”
February 13th, 2008 at 11:22 am-Benjamin G. Davis, Associate Professor of Law at the University of Toledo College of Law
McCain has previously skipped votes that he supported, such as the economic stimulus package, because of pressure from the far right.
McBomb will support anything today that will get him elected tomorrow. GOP ethics can best be described as nonexistent.
Comment by Zimzone — February 13, 2008 @ 10:41 am
GOP ethics are quite similar to Dems:
“Voting with the Republicans (on retroctive immunity)were the following eighteen Democrats (again, rough count):
Bayh, Inouye, Johnson, Landrieu, McCaskill, Ben Nelson, Bill Nelson, Stabenow, Feinstein, Kohl, Pryor, Rockefeller, Salazar, Carper, Mikulski, Conrad, Webb, and Lincoln. Joe Lieberman also voted against stripping retroactive immunity.
who ARE these people???
how disappointing…
Comment by katy — February 12, 2008 @ 11:45 am
“Hillary Clinton did not vote on the immunity issue at all, although she was in Washington at least part of the day Tuesday, competing in the same primaries as Obama and McCain. ”
“It is unclear whether Clinton will pay a political price for her absence, especially in light of her campaign’s decision last fall to highlight Obama’s “present†votes when he was an Illinois State Senator. “A president can’t pick and choose which challenges he or she will face,†she said in October.”
Comment by Marie — February 12, 2008 @ 1:25 pm
February 13th, 2008 at 11:25 am“The United States knows quite a bit about waterboarding. The U.S. government — whether acting alone before domestic courts, commissions and courts-martial or as part of the world community — has not only condemned the use of water torture but has severely punished those who applied it.”
February 13th, 2008 at 11:29 am- Evan Wallach, former Army JAG officer
You didn’t miss much Mary, i assure you. Hearing McCain speak after Obama is kind of like when you watching the Simpsons after Family Guy. You respect them both but McCain does nothing but reference old events whereas with Obama you’re kind of intrigued as to what the future will hold. And after almost half an hour of each, it’s clear as to where who the future resides.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:33 amHe will skip the vote. He is courting the pro-torture Christian base of the Republican party.
Comment by shoeless — February 13, 2008 @ 10:15 am
This is the protect-the-fetus, capitally punish, torture, and starve the rest Christian base? Jesus is spinning!
If god could smote each and every one of his followers, life would be so much better.
Religious people scare the crap out of me.
Jesus loves you but I think you’re a c()nt (to both male and female “followers” who are not following Jesus’ teachings in the least little bit).
And while I am on the subject, our country stands with Israel so much…as if Bush gives two $hits about Israel or the jews…he only cares about money. If there was another holocaust, he’s be on the side of gassing jews again if it meant money - just as grandpappy Bush was. Sorry to borrow this but Buck Fush!
Oh, and McCain won’t stand up for what he once experienced. He is far too much of a panderer.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:34 amGimme a big fat Not Voting or Present, McCranefly, after all, you’ve got those phony baloney fundies to pander to.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:38 amI wonder how many Democrats will vote for it. Let’s see what Hillary & Barack do. And Feinstein and Schumer and Reid, and all the others who are so willingly legislating our rights away. After all, if the Constitution doesn’t apply to us anymore, why not go all the way and torture whomever we choose?
Bush is against the bill; who dares try to curb his power? Gotta keep us SAFE…
February 13th, 2008 at 11:38 amHmm.. usually i don’t speak in broken English. Point was, Obama - Family Guy. McCain - Simpsons.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:39 amHmm.. usually i don’t speak in broken English. Point was, Obama - Family Guy. McCain - Simpsons.
Comment by robertoroberto — February 13, 2008 @ 11:39 am
I will not have The Simpsons insulted in this way. You take that back. Take that back right now! >:(
February 13th, 2008 at 11:41 amMcCain’s reading was pathetic. The room was full of catatonic octogenerians who drifted off and politely clapped at the appropriate “my friends” moment.
Who would vote for a guy who lost his mind as a POW and sired a bunch of half-breeds with Vietnamese prostirutes anyway?
February 13th, 2008 at 11:41 amShoulda said Vietnamese whores. Lot less typing and opportunity to fat-finger.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:42 am“Waterboarding is inhumane, it is torture, and it is illegal.”
February 13th, 2008 at 11:43 am- Rear Admiral Donald J. Guter, United States Navy (Ret.),Judge Advocate General of the Navy, 2000-02
-Rear Admiral John D. Hutson, United States Navy (Ret.) Judge Advocate General of the Navy, 1997-2000
-Major General John L. Fugh, United States Army (Ret.) Judge Advocate General of the Army, 1991-93
-Brigadier General David M. Brahms, United States Marine Corps (Ret.) Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant, 1985-88
Haha. Sorry Toasterhead. I just thought it would be a rather apt analogy. No offence to those Simpsons fans out there. The show contributed heavily, before The Daily Show, etc.. to improving the political knowledge of the young electorate by injecting satire into mainstream television. Unfortunately.. Family Guy seems to be the future, whereas the Simpsons is the past.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:49 amComment by robertoroberto — February 13, 2008 @ 11:33 am
lol! I’m not sure if I’d compare McCain to the Simpsons (because I love the Simpsons) but I agree that Family Guy is edgier and possibly more hip. I love them both.
Let’s see - listening to McCain speak after Obama for me was like being out in a boat and first it’s beautiful, blue skies, everybody’s happy and then, suddenly, the weather turns bad with high winds and ominous dark clouds appearing.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:49 amAny word on this? All I can see on the MSM websites is Roger Clemens, Roger Clemens. Obviously, the them, whether or not a baseball player took some steroids is more important than the future of this country.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:53 amlegislation doesn’t means shit to a tree anymore. He can vote for it to make himself look fair and humane, and Bush will issue a signing statement reserving the right to
torture.
It’s all a joke.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:53 amUpdate: Cloture passes 92-4. A point of order should come next.
Update from DKos.
February 13th, 2008 at 11:58 amUpdate: Cloture passes 92-4. A point of order should come next.
Update from DKos.
Comment by IgnoranceIsNotBliss — February 13, 2008 @ 11:58 am
Wow - does this mean the Senate is actually voting on the bill itself? Unprecedented!
February 13th, 2008 at 12:00 pm“Any word on this? All I can see on the MSM websites is Roger Clemens, Roger Clemens. Obviously, the them, whether or not a baseball player took some steroids is more important than the future of this country”
Mary, if a mere mortal such as i could recommend a comment more once, i would do so for yours. How crazy is it, that during a time where A) a key Hizb’allah member has been killed in Syria and B) The country is about to vote on whether we allow torture or not or C) We’re supposedly involved in WAR. the mainstream media feels that we all care which overgrown baseball players used a growth hormone to make them hit a ball farther?
Unbelievable!
February 13th, 2008 at 12:00 pmI’ll bet he’ll skip the vote. He’s awfully busy on the not-quite-organ-failure express.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:02 pmYet one more law telling Bush that breaking the law is illegal.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:14 pmObama is kind of like when you watching the Simpsons after Family Guy. You respect them both but McCain does nothing but reference old events whereas with Obama you’re kind of intrigued as to what the future will hold. And after almost half an hour of each, it’s clear as to where who the future resides.
Comment by robertoroberto — February 13, 2008 @ 11:33 am
——
LOL, probably not the best comparison. Most of family guy’s humor relies on TV Shows, Movies, and ad campaigns that are over 20 years old.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:33 pm“LOL, probably not the best comparison. Most of family guy’s humor relies on TV Shows, Movies, and ad campaigns that are over 20 years old”
This may be a moot point to carry on my farcical reference, but one might say the same of Obama using the MLK speaking tone to strike euphoric heart string within the nation.
February 13th, 2008 at 12:40 pmnanlichi, what do you have against Vietnamese prostitutes?
February 13th, 2008 at 12:53 pmComment by mary — February 13, 2008 @ 11:53 am
Now, if the MSM could only uncover a link between Clemens and Anna Nicole Smith…
February 13th, 2008 at 12:58 pmMy prediction?
Ol’ Warmonger votes NO. He’s the biggest and most shameless panderer on the planet, and he disgusts me.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:31 pmLet’s not forget that the old crackpot sat there smiling off into space as Bush added a signing statement to his torture legislation which essentially neutered it. The old crackpot didn’t utter a word of protest. He’s the biggest phony in the race. Nobody even comes close.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:34 pmAnd kudos to Chris L. for all those extremely pertinent quotes.
Thanks.
~A
February 13th, 2008 at 1:36 pmJohn McCain should have a lot to say on waterboarding and torture. After all, President Bush broke his promise to John McCain with his December 2005 signing statement accompanying the Detainee Treatment Act issued precisely to exempt the lawbreaking he had already approved.
For the details, see:
February 13th, 2008 at 1:56 pm“Bush Signing Statement, Gonzales Perjury Concealed Torture Policy.”
McCain voted for it. Way to go, torture boy!
February 13th, 2008 at 2:34 pmRUCerious,
Why are you calling McCain “torture boy” if he voted for cloture?
February 13th, 2008 at 3:13 pmRUCerious,
I don’t have anything against Vietnamese prostitutes, or any prostitutes for that matter, with the exception of political prostitutes. I was quoting KKKarl from 2000. I hope that that smear of McCain gets brought up with the hope that the 30%ers would recognize the quote and realize that the smear tactics of their beloved architect might come back and haunt them.
When McCain hugged Bush, after the incredible smear campaign, McCain prostituted himself.
I don’t even know any Vietnamese prostitutes, I was lucky enough to have high numbers when it counted.
February 13th, 2008 at 3:24 pmnanlichi: I wasn’t so lucky with the numbers. I became of age to serve in 1969, and got a low #.
February 13th, 2008 at 3:39 pmThere are a lot here like you Uncle Ho, I am surprised at how many of the regulars here are Vietnam vets. In my mind their/your positions on Iraq and Afghanistan and torture carry a lot of weight. It’s easy to be a chickenhawk and send young men and women out to die when it’s an abstract idea. A little different when you have seen it or have been touched by it.
February 13th, 2008 at 4:09 pmnanlichi; that’s why I march with fellow vets in antiwar protests.
February 13th, 2008 at 4:23 pmIt’s OK nanlichi, I’m married to a beautiful Vietnamese woman, and our daughter is a ‘half-breed’, so you can see why I might be a little put out by your comment…
February 13th, 2008 at 4:24 pmVoting for cloture cuts off fillibuster, right? So he’s voting to bring a vote, isn’t he, and then he voted for it, didn’t he? So he’s a torture boy in my book.
February 13th, 2008 at 4:25 pmDid not mean to offend RUCerious, quite the opposite, I was trying to point out how offensive those lies and smears were when KKKarl trotted them out in 2000.
Half-breed is an anachronistic concept that will be history in a few generations. We are all one species. Remember the perfect gas illustration in high school physics books? Two gasses are separated by a impermeable barrier and when the barrier is removed, the gasses begin to mingle and over time there is a homogenous mixture? Remove the barriers of oceans and cultures and in a few generations, we will be pretty damn homogenous too I bet. Well, except for those isolated pockets of skinhead white supremacists in Idaho and Utah.
February 13th, 2008 at 4:38 pmhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gwqEneBKUs
John McCain’s inspirational video. Had to share it with you guys. Enjoy it ‘my friends!’
February 13th, 2008 at 4:44 pmNo offense taken nanlichi.
February 14th, 2008 at 12:15 am