Most Democrats Voting For Bush Torture Bill Silent Today

[Bob Geiger]

As someone who spends a lot of time on the official web sites of our U.S. Senators, I can tell you without hesitation that if one of them casts a vote they are proud of, a press release will be up faster than George Felix Allen can spit out a racial slur.

Yet today, the 12 Democrats who checked their consciences at the Senate cloakroom and voted in favor of the Bush Administration's torture bill, have almost nothing to say about their votes. In case you haven't seen the roster of who voted with Republicans on this, here they are:

• Thomas Carper (D-DE)
• Tim Johnson (D-SD)
• Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
• Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
• Joe Lieberman (D-CT)
• Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
• Bill Nelson (D-FL)
• Ben Nelson (D-NE)
• Mark Pryor (D-AR)
• Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
• Ken Salazar (D-CO)
• Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

Of these, only four have issued press releases commenting on their vote and, amazingly, those who are talking spend most of the time sounding apologetic for a vote they obviously know they should not have cast.

"I think there are some unknown constitutional issues and it may take a review by the Supreme Court before we really know whether this approach has towed the line in terms of protecting the civil-liberties of American citizens or whether it has gone over the line," said Tim Johnson (D-SD), in a brief statement that can only leave us wondering why the hell he voted for it then.

Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) expresses a whole bunch of concerns as well and yet voted to make Bush Torturer-in-Chief anyway.

“The bill I voted for today was the best bill we could reasonably expect in this highly charged political environment," said Salazar. "Due to the many controversial and far-reaching implications of this bill, I believe it would be appropriate to force Congressional review of this bill in five years. I have concerns with this bill, but on balance it meets my personal view of what America needs to get the job done.”

But some things never change, and here was the biggest DINO (Democrat in name only) in the Senate, Nebraska's Ben Nelson crowing about what a wonderful vote he cast and making this strange statement: “This compromise goes a long way in protecting the principles of the Geneva Conventions and establishes a standard of treatment that the world will follow.”

Yeah, I'm sure most other countries are gathering right now to rewrite their laws to follow our sterling example.

Finally, we have Joe Lieberman, who has a press release announcing his vote and setting the bar awfully low for what it takes for him to follow George W. Bush.

“I voted for this bill because I believe it is better than the Administration's original proposal to respond to the Supreme Court's Hamdan decision," said Lieberman. "I would have much preferred the bill we reported out of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and I supported amendments to this bill because they addressed concerns I had. I regret that they were rejected by the Senate.”

But Joe clearly did not regret it enough to vote the right way on the torture bill.

Vote Ned Lamont.

[babylonsister]

1. I totally don't get Rockefeller. Didn't he try to attach an amendment

to the bill? And then he goes and votes for it even though the amendment was shot down?

[greyl]

2. Very nice work, thanks. nt

[Atman]

3. Joe SUCKS.

Period.

[Pacifist Patriot]

4. AAGGGHHHH!!!! Bill Nelson is killing me!

Have I mentioned lately that from city council all the way up to POTUS, Bill Nelson is the ONLY Democrat I have representing my interests?

City Council
School Board
County Commission (in fact, the only democrat holding any position in my county is the Tax Collector!)
State Rep
State Senator
Governor
U.S. Rep
U.S. Senator
President

Everyone besides Nelson is a freakin' Republican. How fucked is my district?

[LynneSin]

5. I am interested in what Tim Johnson said

I'm hoping this somehow gets to the Supreme Court

[bif]

6. I just blasted Stabenow in an email

Told her I might be voting Green Party this time around.

[peacetalksforall]

7. Can't stop tearing up about what they did; I announce them traitors

to my country.

[Totally Committed]

8. DINOs, all....

Yet today, the 12 Democrats who checked their consciences at the Senate cloakroom and voted in favor of the Bush Administration's torture bill, have almost nothing to say about their votes. In case you haven't seen the roster of who voted with Republicans on this, here they are:


Thomas Carper (D-DE)
Tim Johnson (D-SD)
Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Joe Lieberman (D-CT)
Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
Ken Salazar (D-CO)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)

I know there are those on this board who say that there is nothing that the Democratic Party has to fear from the influnce of the DLC. Will those same people tell me there is nothing but coincidence that, according to the list I have in my files, ten out of those twelve are DLC?

TC