McCain 'will risk presidency' over CIA jails - MSNBC

[rndmprsn]

this is going to get interesting

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14839155/

John McCain, the Republican frontrunner for the 2008 presidential election, has dramatically raised the stakes in a fight with the White House over interrogation techniques permitted for use at secret Central Intelligence Agency prisons by saying he is unwilling to back down on the issue even if it ruins his chance of becoming president.

The Arizona senator, who was tortured as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, strongly opposes Bush administration legislation that he says would redefine US obligations under the Geneva conventions. The White House played down the escalating dispute yesterday, which mirrors a similar battle Mr McCain won last year against the administration...

...Just hours after a rare visit to Capitol Hill by President George W. Bush yesterday, the Senate armed services committee yesterday approved legislation being pushed by Mr McCain that the White House says would force it to shut down its secret prisons...

...In a move widely perceived as an attempt to boost support for Republicans ahead of the crucial November congressional elections, Mr Bush announced last week that Khaled Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind behind the September 11 attacks, and 13 other high-value al-Qaeda detainees had been transferred from secret CIA prisons – the existence of which the administration had refused to acknowledge – to Guantánamo Bay for prosecution.

Democrats, hoping to avoid being painted as weak on national security, have stood on the sidelines so far. But the politicalcover provided by Republican leaders in the field such as Mr McCain and Mr Powell are likely to embolden them to join in opposing the White House proposal.

[Ignacio Upton]

1. Has Khaled Sheikh Mohammed been tried for anything yet?

He's more linked to Al Qaida than Moussoui was, and yet we have yet to hear about his fate.

[wellst0nev0ter]

22. We Can't Try Him In Open Court

Or else he might accidentily reveal how this administration are the worst torturers since the Soviets.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

2. How the FUCK would it "ruin his chances"? Do Americans WANT to torture

people THAT badly that they'd not vote for him for being against it? :shrug: :shrug:

[Gman]

8. Its Republicans that want torture

He'll never make it out of the GOP primaries... as if he ever had a chance to in the first place.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

9. Don't get me wrong, I'd never vote for McCain anyway. But WTF?!

[Clarkie1]

14. Yes, many Republican primary voters do. nt

[noahmijo]

15. Oh yea hell here in Arizona torture isn't good enough!

You see Arizona is full of superstitious backass redneck little facist wannabes who for the most part consider McCain to be nothing but a stealth democrat. Only reason he has stayed in power is because last election it was either him or a Jewish guy from New York who dared to challenge his faith in bush concerning everything from gay marriage to the Iraq War.

You can guess who Arizona picked.


So I haven't lived in a blue state now for almost a decade since I was dragged out here from NY at an early age. What's it like not having to live in a state where a deputy fire chief wasn't forced down for humping a sheep?

http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/0307deputychief-sheep07-ON.html

[Raksha]

17. Republicans want to be perceived as "tough on terrorism"

even if that means condoning torture. They seem to think this macho(?) posturing impresses their base. Hell, maybe they're right!

[CarlVK]

29. More than you think.

And that is a factoid I'm NOT happy about.

[Danger Mouse]

30. Hell...

Many people think torture is PERFECTLY APPROPRIATE to use on suspected terrorists.
Torture or worse. Guilty until proven innocent.

[MzNov]

3. I'm glad he's standing up on this issue, and also glad

that it might take spotlight off his presidential hopes! He's still a republican!

:dem:

[Keepontruking]

4. McCain risking Presidency

McCain is more Republican than Bush, he will never get my vote
. war hero or not. I understand his stand against torture and
applaud it but that is a smoke screen for all the rest of his
stands..........Circus Girl

[helderheid]

10. welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Clarkie1]

5. McCain regains some integrity. Kudos to him for this.

It occurs to me how elevated and civil a race between Clark and McCain would be in 08', were such a race to transpire. Probably would be the most positive campaign ever run by both sides. And we'd have two candiates who understand the urgency of global warming, besides.

[skipos]

12. "McCain" and "integrity" should not be used in the same sentence

unless the phrase "does not have any" appears in between.

[Clarkie1]

13. Friends can disagree. Kudos also to Powell. Better late than never.

They both have proven that they still have some integrity after all.

[Danger Mouse]

6. You know...

Dems are such chickenshits. Honestly. Let's see if McCain actually sticks to his convictions this time, rather than turing around and kisses Bush's ass the first moment it's convenient.
But it's sad...the Dems have to wait for McCain to stand up and say something before they do anything? Typical convictionless cowards. YOU WON'T WIN ANY FRIGGIN ELECTIONS IF YOU DON'T STAND UP FOR SOMETHING FOR ONCE!!!
God, don't make me feel bad about voting for you people. Grow a spine.
On the other hand, if McCain sticks with this (for once), he'd be a pretty good ally in the fight against this garbage. Sigh. So sick of all this. What happened to our country?

[Arkham House]

23. Good post...and welcome to DU...

...I love your name!...:hi:

[Danger Mouse]

27. Thanks =)

It's so dorky, but I came up with it when I was playing Angband for the first time. (Seems I'm not the only person to think of it either =P)
If you know what Angband is, you're almost as big a dork as me.

[Arkham House]

31. We dorks have to stick together...

[joemurphy]

7. How does transferring Khaled Sheikh Mohammed to Gitmo

for exposure to "alternative methods" improve the Republican's chances in November?

How does Democratic opposition to torture paint them as weak on national security?

And how does McCain's opposition to White House efforts to redefine the meaning of "torture" risk his Presidential ambitions?

What kind of a country are we living in now? Sheesh!

[Danger Mouse]

11. It is easily summed up by the reaction...

of the New York Daily News the day after Bush made his announcement. The NYDN is just a shitty tabloid scandal rag, sure, but many many people read it like it's god's honest truth.
The cover had a picture of a tough looking Bush, with a headline about how he 'broke top terror leaders in secret prisons,' basically making Bush out to be a hero because of it.
Many people think of anyone even suspected of terror as subhuman. Another example is a cartoon from Bob Lang (whose cartoons are run on CNN), from back when Gitmo detainees were trying to be heard in court. Unfortunately, the cartoon is no longer available, but it basically portrayed the Gitmo detainee as a caged, rabid animal, screaming 'KILL KILL KILL' while frothing at the mouth.
I think a lot of people share this perspective.

[joemurphy]

20. "We have met the enemy and he is us."

[senseandsensibility]

16. So sad.

So sad that the Dems have stood on the sidelines and are only emboldened to do what's right now that McCain and Powell, of all people, have spoken. Depressing. Sure the media's against us, but can't our side even TRY to seize the initiative and put these idiots on the defensive? Sorry, rhetorical question. We all know the answer.

[sofa king]

18. I 'will risk presidency' by saying this:

I hope it's possible for both McCain and the CIA to lose. While I respect and appreciate McCain for showing some serious sack on this issue, I don't want him to be President, either.

If he does become President, some of you folks are going to learn the hard way what many of us already know: he's George Bush, only smart. The last thing we want to see is competently executed social conservatism.

I hope saying that hasn't jeopardized my own plans for the White House.

[Mz Pip]

19. Bullshit

It will be tweaked just enough for him to declare some kind of victory. But the devil is in the details and in the grand scheme of things it won't mean diddly squat.

Looks good on the outside. But inside it is that creamy nouggat of partisanship that will always be McCain.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[originalpckelly]

21. It's useless McCain, your bill was signing-statemented...

it will happen again. Of course I do believe the President would take more flak this time.

[Change has come]

24. sniff sniff sniff

I smell a rovian ploy here. Hasn't Herr Rove announced he'll be working with McCain on his bid for '08? I'm searching but can't find a link to the story. Anybody else remember this?

[Sydnie]

25. I thought Osama was supposed to be the mastermind behind 9/11?

Couldn't find him so blivet** will put the blame on someone else that he could find? :shrug:

McCain, it's a little late now to complain. Remember, you hugged the devil and now he owns you.

[bullwinkle428]

26. The same guy that's been sucking up to Falwell? I'll let his future

actions speak for themselves...

[Justice Is Comin]

28. Don't you love it that this slapdown was after the phlegm in chief

put on his little cowboy boots and trotted on over to the congress to say oh no...not on this too?