"We got what the president asked for," WH spokesman Tony Snow said

[Solly Mack]

Headline: Detainee deal would allow interrogations: W.House

"The CIA program to question detainees to get important information about al Qaeda, to foil plots and save American lives -- this program is going forward."

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/WBT006001.htm

Date: September 21, 2006.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

1. This Country Is An Absolute JOKE!!

The repubs pretty much NEVER lose.

I applaud those of you hopeful for November. I pretty much expect status quo, with the Dems losing AGAIN. That's what we do best.

[rfranklin]

5. Well, it took 70 years for the Leninists to fall....

We've only been through less than 30 years (starting with Ronnie Raygun.)

[rfranklin]

2. Bullshit on all accounts!

1. I doubt he got everything he wanted.

2. What plots have been foiled? So far we've seen the impossible "chemistry set" plot. And the "homeless guys blow up the Sears Tower" plot. When are they gonna get real?

[Solly Mack]

9. I wonder what they "got" exactly as well

[LSparkle]

3. This is pissing me off BIG TIME ...

As David Bowie once sang, "This is not America ... "

I agree with Jonathan Turley -- this is a redefining moment for this country and I'm not liking how things are smelling right now.

[elehhhhna]

20. Bowie also said "We can be Heroes" and...

"..love's such an old fashioned word
And love dares you to care
For the people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way
Of caring about ourselves
This is our last dance

This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under Pressure..."


Lotsa relevant Bowie in my head lately.

[LSparkle]

25. That's a good cite ... "This is our last dance ... "

Sidebar: Nice use of the hook of that song at conclusion of "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" ...

[Imagevision]

4. nah! gotta vote these bastard out of office, their worse then the mob

[Nimrod2005]

6. This ranks up there (or very low) with the day the SC selected a

President!

Fuck you McCain and Graham and Warner. Fake patriots mother fuckers.

[Solly Mack]

18. It's a very low period in America and it keeps getting lower

:(

[shain from kane]

7. * sure has a torturous way of getting his way. n/t

[Avalux]

8. Translation: retroactive clause will cover their asses

for torture they've already done. x(

[Solly Mack]

10. That's what I thought too. They "got" at least that

[Kutjara]

11. Great! So now * has a mandate to collect all...

...the 'fantasy intelligence' that torture usually produces. The CIA and Fatherland Security will be chasing ghost terrorists all over the world, based on what they've gathered from desperate, agonized detainees who told them anything to make the pain stop.

Welcome to the witch hunt.

[LSparkle]

12. They only have about a week to get it through Congress, though

I'd love it if somehow there were a snag or a delay and * and co have to go into the midterms without anything certain...

[judaspriestess]

13. Of course they got what they asked for

with torture, anything can be done.

McCain what a pathetic sell out and whats worse is repuke talk show host are calling him a liberal republican and he has "stockholm syndrome". Wake up asshole, your fellow repukes smile in your face and stab you in the back as soon as you walk away.

[KansDem]

14. So how long before this is used on Americans?

Here, at home...?

[chill_wind]

15. And all the fooking DEMS decided to ***sit on their hands***.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2522725

All of 6 recommends. The outrage, right here at DU, interesting enough, was amazingly limited in response. Some as far as hailing it "smart politics".

I hail it as UNFORGIVEABLE.

[TahitiNut]

16. Accessories to War Crimes

It's clear that every member of Congress, Senator or Representative, who promulgates retroactive (unconstitutional) decriminalization of violations of the Geneva Conventions and the War Crimes Act are knowing accomplices in those war crimes.

[Solly Mack]

17. Yes. I agree 100%.

[acmejack]

19. Nuremberg here we come.

I am sick to my stomach.

[elehhhhna]

22. NOW YOU'RE TALKING.

Retroactive codification of fucking TORTURE!

WTF?

[countryjake]

21. So now it's up to other nations to move on prosecuting our war crimes!

If our Senate passes this now it is complicit, more so than they ever were before...they will have condoned "working around" the Geneva Conventions in order to further their torture policies. Will the rest of the world now step up to stop this or will they also condone? Our government has overstepped the bounds of civility laid out by the human rights watchguards...can the UN do anything or will this be allowed to spiral out of control?


U.N. Rights Envoys Condemn Bush Plan on Interrogation

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-09-21T165906Z_01_L21577318_RTRUKOC_0_US-RIGHTS-UN-USA.xml&WTmodLoc=Home-HeadlineTicker-topNews-1

~snip~

GENEVA (Reuters) - United Nations human rights investigators said on Thursday that legislation proposed by President Bush for tough interrogations of foreign terrorism suspects would breach the Geneva Conventions.

In a statement to the U.N. Human Rights Council, the five independent envoys also said Washington's admission of secret detention centers abroad pointed to "very serious human rights violations in relation to the hunt for alleged terrorists".

[Solly Mack]

23. If this passes, I hope some nation stands up and says. "NO!"

If Congress refuses to uphold our laws, then someone needs to call America on this.

[countryjake]

24. Kick the lot of 'em to the Hague!

Doesn't look as tho Americans are gonna do anything about it...look how busy they are ranting on about Chavez. Vilifying someone who condemned our leader's actions! Imagine the response if the world tries to condemn the US for torture policies. We badly need an outside "intervention" at this point!

[oldboy101]

26. Bush did NOT get what he asked for.

Tony Snow is trying to put a good face on it but the truth is they had to compromise. I have not seen the details yet but my understanding is that the agreement they reached does NOT redefine Article 3 of the Geneva Convention, and it also recognizes the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

This is NOT what Bush wanted, as it still leaves him and his minions liable to prosecution for possible human rights violations. We will have to wait and see what the details of this proposed legislation are.

[The Backlash Cometh]

27. Did I miss anything? I thought it still had to go through the Senate?

[Solly Mack]

28. It does - but the very fact torture has been a debate at all and the

fact that there has been a "compromise" that allows this to go forward is more than reason enough to be disgusted

Not outraged cause I'm not surprised that McCain is a piece of shit....but I am disgusted

I'm just venting...sorry

[The Backlash Cometh]

29. If the Dems are smart and personalize it, this would be a wonderful

campaign issue.

[w4rma]

30. Then this bill must be stopped no matter what. Even President Clinton

has spoken out against this.

[Solly Mack]

31. Yes

I've been writing members of Congress, the UN, and the EU...but that's not enough. We need more.

[Straight Shooter]

32. To save American lives.

Why just American lives?

Me, me, me, me
Me, me, me, me
Me, me, me, me
Me, me, me, me.

Little Boots and his gang want the world to help us, they demand the world helps us in our endeavors, but when it comes right down to it, they just want more Americans alive to, uh, go to other places in the world and make them be like us.

Personally, I think Snow is blowing smoke. He lies when he's told to lie.

[Solly Mack]

33. McCain said the program would go forward

but Snow is a liar, and McCain's a piece of shit...so we know there's more to it. There's always more to it

[Straight Shooter]

34. We always wait for the other shoe to drop.

Usually it's a boot dropping on our neck. x(

[Solly Mack]

35. So true

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

36. * will use a "signing statement" to get everything he wants

That's why it was so important to get some legislation -- any legislation -- passed. Once he's made a big deal out of signing the bill into law, * will surreptitiously issue a signing statement negating the parts he doesn't like and saying he can do whatever he wants. He's already done this 700-plus times before.

[Erika]

37. Republicans get torture OK

What has our country come to?