U.S. Democrats Wary of Detainee Trials Compromise: Specter sets hearing

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT/Reuters: U.S. Democrats Wary of Detainee Trials Compromise
By REUTERS
Published: September 22, 2006

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats were skeptical on Friday of a deal negotiated by three hold-out Republican senators to rein in President George W. Bush's program to interrogate and try terrorism suspects....

***

Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the deal "a substantial improvement'' over Bush's plan, but said it still had "a number of problems.''

But Rep. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, derided it for using "legal mumbo jumbo to obscure the fact that the CIA will continue to be allowed to use torture and will actually be insulated from legal liability for previous acts of torture.''...

***

Levin complained that while the deal limits use of testimony obtained by coercion, "it inexplicably'' allows such statements obtained before December 30, 2005.

A number of Democrats also object that the deal strips detainees' habeas corpus rights to challenge their detentions.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, said excluding habeas corpus rights was unconstitutional and set a hearing on the issue for Monday.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-security-guantanamo.html

[BootinUp]

1. That bill is already dead. woohoo!

[annabanana]

2. It should be.

I spoke to Chuck & Hillary's offices today. I got the feeling that they were hearing A LOT about this so called "compromise" being smoke & mirrors..

[w4rma]

9. I think you are right. Thank goodness. (nt)

[silverweb]

3. Here we go.

The Dems appeared to be sitting this out, just watching and waiting from the wings.

I could only trust there were good reasons for that and now, I believe, we're going to see some of those reasons.

:popcorn:

[Demit]

4. They're stirring...they're stretching...looks like they may be waking up..

Could it be? Are there signs of life there?

Please God, don't let this be a fakeout! Don't let this be more Kabuki theater. I can't take much more.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

5. Specter will go through the motions ...

make some noise concerning Constitutional issues and congressional oversight ... and then haul out the rubber stamp.

Seen this act before ... even (foolishly) admired his seeming resolve and commitment to defend the Constitution over partisan politics. "We won't get fooled again!"

[wisteria]

6. Maybe he can stall it long enough for it not to be voted on. n/t

[Thickasabrick]

8. I was just thinking that. Specter's fooled me once, never again.

[flyarm]

12. you have gotten that right..this is another ploy!! n/t

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. All the DEMS need to do

is make sure this abomination never gets to the floor for a vote before they all go on break after next week. Then it's up to us to make damn sure we take back Congress, so this bill can get the proper burial that it deserves.

[truthisfreedom]

7. ahh, so the compromise was just a way of completely letting go of the bill

and letting bushco torpedo itself. nice.

[notadmblnd]

10. Keep your fingers crossed, they do the right thing this time

nt

[flyarm]

11. do not trust Specter..i do not trust him as far as i could spit at him!!

[Straight Shooter]

13. Forked-tongue Specter is going to chair a hearing?

Put your hip waders on, folks, it's gonna be deep.

[flyarm]

14. no shit!!..i believe he is being blackmailed..and they twist him any way

they want!!

he is not to be trusted..ever!

fly

[Bluestar]

15. What Could Happen on Monday

According to Jonathan Turley tonight on Countdown is that the detainees from the secret prisons are going to say they were water-boarded. Maybe that is what the Dems were waiting for? Of course the Neocons will say "you can't trust anything they say" but Turley said that the rest of the world is going to go nuts over this. Maybe circumstances will play out in our favor to kill this crap legislation.

[flyarm]

17. hell no..do you honestly believe the repubs will any way

let little lord pissy pants be held accountable for torture and war crimes??

and since when do the rethugs give one rats ass what the rest of the world thinks????????

only reasonable thinking people care about that..the fucking brain dead rethugs could give a shit!

is there one rethug you know who gives one rats ass about the children we have murdered/killed in Iraq??

i know of not one rethug who gives a shit..all they care about is the price of their fucking gas! and their fucking tax cuts!

when is the last time one rethug you know said..it is so sad we killed a grandma in Iraq??
or blew off a child's arm or half their face??????????

did rethugs give a shit about the Lebanese children our bombs killed..yes our bombs ..innocent children who died with dirt up their noses and in their throats that suffocated them..in a bomb shelter..since when do any rethugs give one rats fucking ass about anyone but themselves?????????

hahahaha and is there anyone here that believes they give a shit about what the world thinks??????????

they are sadistic murdering mother fuckers!

fly

[Bluestar]

22. So happy I could offer you the opportunity to vent . . .

Feel better now? I was merely trying to point out (and maybe I didn't say it clearly enough) that they might not be in as much control of things as we always seem to think. They always go after these ridiculous programs when something BAD for them is about to break. And the more they huff and puff, the worse the news is. I've been trying to figure out what that news will be--I think it could be the information from the secret prisons.

[tex-wyo-dem]

16. The Dems better be "wary" and "skeptical"

More like, they better be screaming from the rooftops that this is just a CYA by Bushco and the CIA to avoid war crimes prosecution for commiting acts of torture.

[Wisconsin Larry]

18. Just another Specterism...

"Specterism n. A threat to stand up to Bush that is never meant to be acted upon and withdrawn at the very first opportunity." Bob Fertik's Blog, April 26, 2006

[jazzjunkysue]

20. Let's hope there's some action behind these Dem statements.

Like, filibustering.

[Solly Mack]

21. I don't believe anything Specter says but I'll wait until the actual

vote to see how it plays out..and maybe it won't even reach a vote

that this is even being debated, much less coming to a vote is a blackmark on America

I've been urging people to call their representatives for well over a week now...let them know how they feel about this horrible, horrible bill. There is no part of this bill that is acceptable. We already have laws in place that need to be followed...and if those laws can't be followed, then we need to hold the guilty responsible.

This bill must be stopped.

[bluedog]

23. don't trust Specter:..we seen this too many times n/t