Senate Backs Military Custody Of Terror Suspects, Pushes To Complete Defense Bill

[Purveyor]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ignoring a presidential veto threat, the Democratic-controlled Senate moved methodically Thursday to complete a massive defense bill that would deny suspected terrorists, even U.S. citizens seized within the nation's borders, the right to trial and subject them to indefinite detention.

The Senate rejected an effort by Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein to limit a military custody requirement for suspects to those captured outside the United States. The vote was 55-45. Feinstein, D-Calif., said her goal was to ensure "the military won't be roaming our streets looking for suspected terrorists."

The issue divided Democrats with nine senators, many facing re-election next year, breaking with the leadership and administration to vote against the amendment. Republicans held firm, with only Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Mark Kirk of Illinois and Mike Lee of Utah backing Feinstein's effort.

Overall, the deficit-driven bill would authorize $662 billion for military personnel, weapons systems, national security programs in the Energy Department and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. Reflecting a period of austerity and a winding down of decade-old conflicts, the bill is $27 billion less than what President Barack Obama requested and $43 billion less than what Congress gave the Pentagon this year.

Read more: http://www.newser.com/article/d9rbvjbo0/senate-backs-military-custody-of-terror-suspects-pushes-to-complete-defense-bill.html

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[girl_interrupted]

2. Holy Sh*t! Can someone explain to me, the definition they are using of a "terrorist"

Thanks!

[DJ13]

5. Anyone opposed to the US government and its actions?

Think about the protests across the country while reading the above.

[RKP5637]

11. That's what I read it as - Be a protester at OWS and they will have the

right to detain one indefinitely, just like in the police states in the rest of the world. This, is a failed democracy.

[No Elephants]

6. If the Executive Branch accuses you of being a terrorist, you are a terrorist.

No trial needed, apparently, so a military trial is gravy.

[girl_interrupted]

15. Thank you all for your responses, that's what I was afraid of!

[No Elephants]

3. Aw, heck. The blue team is the home team, no matter what, so let's cheer, no matter what..

[RKP5637]

13. Yeah, great, isn't it, the winning blue team, makes one wonder WTF. A=B. I wonder

how many citizens "really" understand WTF is going on ... as they snooze. I've mentioned this to some people and they're absolutely clueless.

[No Elephants]

25. True. I think the populace who are not political junkies get it on a visceral level,

which is why they just keep dumping incumbents or staying home. But, they don't know why they are doing what they are doing.

My sister was a history major at an Ivy League. Was graduated in the top 3 students in her class--only 3 summa cum laudes that year--and it has alwasy bothered her where in the top 3 she fell, LOL. She reads at least two newspapers a day faithfully and also many magazines. Had been a ;oyal Democrat all her life, but, more recently, has voted Republican in some local elections (feh--no one else in my nuclear or extended family has ever voted Republican for anything).

During the Bush years, she was desperate to get a Democrat into the Oval Office. Lately, though, she has been saying she thinks the country is just screwed.

She never heard of the DLC until a few months ago, when I mentioned it during a conversation.

[RKP5637]

31. I've run across similar, mention DLC, for example, and I just get a

blank stare ... what is that ... I explain and I get a look of complete bewilderment. As some have mentioned to me before, some republicans think they're still voting for Eisenhower, and some democrats think they're voting for JFK.

[Nihil]

30. Like you say: A=B

> I wonder how many citizens "really" understand WTF is going on ... as they snooze.

"Very few" would be my guess and "Fewer still" if you asked them the follow-up
question of "Do you care?".

Sheep running in whichever direction the sheepdogs point them, moving away
from the good grazing in response to a few well-timed barks and patiently
moving along - with maybe an occasional bleat - in the queue for the abattoir.

[Blue_In_AK]

4. This makes me absolutely sick,

and I'm appalled that both of my senators voted against the Feinstein amendment. Mark Begich will NOT have my vote next time (2014), even if I have to boycott the senatorial race that year. He has been such a huge disappointment.

[RKP5637]

7. "...the Democratic-controlled Senate moved methodically Thursday to complete a massive defense bill

that would ..." ensure rapid movement toward a total police state.

[valerief]

8. So how is that getting paid for?

:shrug:

[stockholmer]

20. more debt for you and yours, enforced at gunpoint

[valerief]

23. At the expense of social safety net programs. What we work hard for. nt

[Eric J in MN]

9. "Ask Obama To Veto Indefinite Military Detention of AMERICAN CITIZENS"

http://act.demandprogress.org/act/ndaa/

[Tx4obama]

17. Why ask? Obama already said he would veto the bill if the detention language is in the bill n/t

[Eric J in MN]

18. The Obama administration said that senior officials would recommend a veto.

The money in the bill is needed to fund the military.

A veto isn't certain.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/legislative/sap/112/saps1867s_20111117.pdf

[stockholmer]

21. the reason Obama may veto this is NOT some 'civil liberty' minded action, he simply wants the POTUS

to not be held to having to reporting ANYTHING to congress in regards to who the Executive Branch decides is terrorist, why they did, and if (as well as where) the 'so-called-terrorist' is now being held under indefinite military detention.

[No Elephants]

26. To show him how people feel?

[ProSense]

10. Here's the

roll call

[Plucketeer]

12. I'm reminded of that early Star Wars scene

where the princess and her saviors are in that giant trash compacting room - trying to evade that monster that lurks in the swill while the walls close in on them. How did they escape that predicament - how do WE escape the walls closing in on us???

It's a joke to even bother to suggest what a REAL Lady Justice, and those who created her, would think of how and where this nation's headed.

[Eric J in MN]

19. The heros had the help of friendly robots...

...who stopped the walls from crushing them.

[No Elephants]

27. LOL! Why didn't we think of that?

[Fantastic Anarchist]

14. They're preparing ...

... for anyone who has a mere thought about changing the system.

[RKP5637]

32. Yeah, exactly what is going on IMO ... and OWS has shocked R's, D's and I's because

it goes around the established political machinery, and they can't seem to co-opt OWS, so they can only control it by intimidation, force and incarceration.

[zeemike]

16. If Obama signs this into law that will be the sign that

We are fucked....and have a military dictatorship just around the corner.
I watched some of the debate and the democrats that "opposed" the bill made a "well maybe we should think some more about it first"argument...right there I smelled the good cop bad cop game being played...what the dem were saying is that the idea of trashing the constitutional grantees was ok in principle....thus really agreeing with the republicans...

[No Elephants]

28. You need another sign?

[SoapBox]

22. ...just plain creepy.

Thanks DINO's.

[davidpdx]

24. The authorization bill was S1867 which passed 93-7

Here is who voted against:

NAYs ---7
Coburn (R-OK)
Harkin (D-IA)
Lee (R-UT)
Merkley (D-OR)
Paul (R-KY)
Sanders (I-VT)

I'm damn proud of my two senators!

What a odd bunch though, you have two teabaggers (Lee and Paul), a deficit hawk (Coburn), a liberal independent (Sanders) and three liberal dems (Harken, Wyden and Merkley).

It will be interesting to see what Obama does. A veto won't do him much good (they obviously have the votes to override it) except as a gesture which may make him look weak if it's overturned. If I were him, I'm not sure what I'd do.

[No Elephants]

29. I know Harken was on the wrong side of some gay issues a while back, but

he has modified that position.

He was one of few Democrats to stand firm against both Greenspan and Clinton when it came to repeal of Glass Steagall; and he has been looking better to me every day.

However, I fear Warner will be the next Democratic Presidential nominee. A lot of signs have been pointing in that direction.