Bush will veto anti-torture law after Senate revolt

[norml]

Bush will veto anti-torture law after Senate revolt
By Francis Harris in Washington
(Filed: 07/10/2005)

The Bush administration pledged yesterday to veto legislation banning the torture of prisoners by US troops after an overwhelming and almost unprecedented revolt by loyalist congressmen.

The mutiny was the latest setback for an administration facing an increasingly independent and bloody-minded legislature. But it also marked a key moment in Congress's campaign to curtail the huge powers it has granted the White House since 2001 in its war against terrorism.

The late-night Senate vote saw the measure forbidding torture passed by 90 to nine, with most Republicans backing the measure. Most senators said the Abu Ghraib abuse scandal and similar allegations at the Guantanamo Bay prison rendered the result a foregone conclusion.

The administration's extraordinary isolation was underlined when the Senate Republican majority leader, Bill Frist, supported the amendment.

The man behind the legislation, Republican Senator John McCain, who was tortured as a prisoner in Vietnam, said the move was backed by American soldiers. His amendment would prohibit the "cruel, inhumane or degrading" treatment of prisoners in the custody of America's defence department.


snip


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/10/07/wus207.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/10/07/ixworld.html

[Charlie Brown]

1. This was supported by 90 SENATORS

Time for impeachment.

[Kagemusha]

3. There's a reason only the house can impeach.

If the house won't support this in any way, shape or form, then America deserves what it gets.

[understandinglife]

2. What else would you expect from America's first Torture President?

Peace.

[noahmijo]

4. You gotta be kidding me..Chris Penn's character said it best

in Reservoir Dogs says it best "YOU KEEP BEATING THIS PRICK LONG ENOUGH AND HE'LL TELL YOU HE STARTED THE GODDAMN CHICAGO FIRE BUT THAT DON'T MAKE IT FUCKIN SO!!!

Just when I think this sick fuck can't sink to a lower depth....

[Erika]

6. But he'll tell the GOP sheeple it's better that the enemies be tortured

so they can't torture us. With idiots, it works.

[Erika]

5. Bush wants us to be able to torture? How sick

Today marks one less day this idiot will be in office.

[Renew Deal]

7. Can the Senate overide him?

66 votes right?

[Spider Jerusalem]

8. Requires a two-thirds majority in both houses to override a veto.

So 66 votes in the Senate, and 290 in the House. Probably not going to happen.

[Renew Deal]

9. Has this even passed the House yet?

[firefox]

10. But we are a country of laws

And we have the Torture Act and the treaties we ratified regarding torture are now are laws. But some sorry brat that went through life partying and failing and illegally put into office twice is supposed to be above all laws and anyone he says is his agent can torture with impunity and anyone he declares an unlawful combatant can get his eyeballs plucked out and sold for transplant without a trial.

You gotta think somebody really wants to shoot this bastard. I guess that is why a small army travels with him. WarCriminal is always talking about protecting us, but who is protecting us from WarCriminal and his conspirators?

[AllyCat]

11. Who were the 10 who voted against this?

It is hard to believe the Senate came to this conclusion, and even harder to believe the House would not see the writing on the wall and follow suit.

Is this going to a vote soon in the House?

[madrchsod]

12. bush has to veto the whole bill

will he decide not to give the military the money it needs because 90 senators and one hell of alot of generals want the commander-in-chief to uphold the uniform military and geneva convetions on the treatment of others we decide to go to war with? with out this any country may decide to torture our troops and we have no moral and legal ground to charge that country with torture because we do the same

[longship]

13. The fool!

This is political dynamite. Can you imagine what great love Democrats with spine would treat this. I only hope we can find a few of them.

[opihimoimoi]

14. Bush thinks is a SHOWDOWN at the OK Corral...thinking he gonna win...

in the House....not giving in and supporting the Veto.

[bowens43]

15. His first veto will be used to stop the prevention of torture?

I hope he vetoes this and then the senate overrides the veto. That would be great.

[fasttense]

16. Well finally the Congress acting like a congress. We'll see if the House

will act like one.

[Autumn Colors]

17. Doesn't matter

They have more than enough votes to over-ride the veto. Let him veto it ... it'll only make him look worse.

[cassiepriam]

18. We are like Hitler's Germany..... the smell of bodies being incinerated...

please someone wake me up from this nightmare...

[no_hypocrisy]

19. Just another * pissing contest for *.

He can't stand to have anyone or any entity have the last word and one-up him. Anything that threatens his imperial presidency will be dealt with.

[unhappycamper]

20. norml:

Please be aware that DU copyright rules require that excerpts of copyrighted material be limited to four paragraphs and must include a link to the original source.

Thanks.

[rodeodance]

21. nominated ---spread this far and wide.