DE forum: DLC Vice-chair Carper(D) votes with Republicans on torture bill:

[cyberpj]

The legislation was in response to a Supreme Court ruling in June that Bush's plan to hold and prosecute terrorists was illegal.

Bush had determined prior to that ruling that his executive powers gave him the right to detain and prosecute enemy combatants. He declared these detainees, being held at Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba and in secret CIA prisons elsewhere in the world, should not be afforded Geneva Convention protections.

snip...
Under the bill, a terrorist being held at Guantanamo could be tried by military commission so long as he was afforded certain rights, such as the ability to confront evidence given to the jury and having access to defense counsel.

Those subject to commission trials would be any person "who has engaged in hostilities or who has purposefully and materially supported hostilities against the United States or its co-belligerents." Proponents say this definition would not apply to U.S. citizens.

The bill would eliminate some rights common in military and civilian courts. For example, the commission would be allowed to consider hearsay evidence so long as a judge determined it was reliable. Hearsay is barred from civilian courts.

The legislation also says the president can "interpret the meaning and application" of international standards for prisoner treatment, a provision intended to allow him to authorize aggressive interrogation methods that might otherwise be seen as illegal by international courts.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20060929/D8KE6U2O0.html

THE VOTE RECORD:
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00259

[jberryhill]

1. Has Carper made any statement on this?

As in, what on earth made him think voting for this piece of Constitutional toilet paper was a good idea?

Does he believe he is at all vulnerable on the "soft on terrorism" charge?

Or is he just an idiot?

What gives?

[cyberpj]

2. Out of town right now on family emergency business. Will ask though! nt