McCain:1 Bush:0 - a military funding veto in the works?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

How ironic it would be if the White House gives us the first veto - on a military spending bill affecting hundreds of Billions of dollars.

Why? Because Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham co-sponsored a provision which outlaws torture and requires all military detainees to be treated in accordance with the Army guidelines.

This provision offends the White House. It managed to find one - ONE senator to speak up against the provision. Senator Ted "My Bridge" Stevens, (R) Alaska.

We really need to contact our own representatives and support this provision. Otherwise, when the joint committee used to patch up differences between the House and the Senate versionis may boot it off.

Pro Torture? Just how insane is such a policy? No good comes from it. None at all. You don't get good intel; you lose all moral authority; you put your own citizens and soldiers at risk.

[Spinzonner]

1. No more hugs for you !

McCain

[ET Awful]

2. They have enough votes to override a veto do they not?

Let him veto it, it will weaken him even further and will completely piss off those who actually do support the military.

Vetoing an entire military spending bill to defend torture isn't the type of political move that most in this country will appreciate and support, be they liberal, conservative or other.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

5. If Rove is still in control and not hiding with his lawyers, you KNOW

that he is doing polling on this.

I have some faith in the American Public. I suspect that 85% of them are against torture and 15% believe that corporal punishment is required by their creationist bible. Can a weakened shrub, with his roots eroding, try to veto an absolutely direly needed spending bill because it forces us to act in accordance with OUR OWN LAWS and in accordance with the Genevas?

I don't see it happening. More likely his legal monkeys will try to erase it from the bill in joint committee - behind the scenes, secretly and under the covers. Of course, our incredibly alert MSM will be concentrating on the latest missing blond bombshell.

[halobeam]

12. But it would solve that problem of 4B in Harkin's amendment

for avian flu, hence more death. The pro-death party. It's just too irresistible for the Bush admin. to veto it, they just can't help it. Up is down, and supporting the troops is in NOT doing so. Makes sense to me../sarcasm

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

13. In the Senate way more than enough to veto it.

Let us hope the joint bill will keep it.

When was the last time we saw a vote like this for something we really agree with?

Excellent, please let it succeed.

Rovie is busy with worry about his own little legal problems.

90 to 9 with 1 not voting or something like that.

[Mass]

3. It will not go to a veto - it will be dropped in conference.

[bowens43]

6. I doubt it very much.

not with 90% of the Senators supporting it.

[Mass]

8. It will be dropped for the good of the country

:sarcasm:

They will say it blocks the passage of the Appropriation Bill as the House is opposed to it and they will drop it. They will promise McCain to bring it in a separate bill (which will never come to the floor).

I could be wrong, but we have seen that again and again, including for provisions that had passed the Senate with 100% vote .

[ChairmanAgnostic]

9. Perhaps not this time. No one trusts the Bushistas, not after Miers

I really hope it forces bush to veto it.

[katinmn]

4. Sessions is out of his mind. Check out this quote:

But Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., called the legislation unnecessary. "We do not have ... systematic abuse of prisoners going on by our United States military," he said.

and it looks like Lindsay Graham is aiming at reserving torture for some cases:

Still pending is an amendment by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., that would distinguish between a "lawful enemy combatant" and an "unlawful enemy combatant," and put into law the procedures for prosecuting them at the Navy's Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5325144,00.html

[niallmac]

7. Odd about the defense budget bill.

I am heartened that the good guys may have enough votes to override a veto and so push thru anti torture rules. On the other hand I cannot get my head around four hundred and how many brazilians of dollars for the war machine?
When do we as a country stop and ask what the hell have we become?
I apologize to all the Europeans I had arguments with about this country's 'war like'
nature when I was a traveling youth in the 70's. Back then I thought V Nam was just an
aberration.

[tritsofme]

10. What makes you think the Conference report will have the anti-torture

provision?

That's the way these people work.

Get something good in the headlines, and then the House will strip it out in Conference, and the Democrats aren't even allowed to participate.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

11. I have this sinking feeling that you and Mass are right on this one.

which will echo across the globe and do us even more harm.

shitheads. (not you two, the Bushistas)