Harry Reid just said that there is a "bipartisan" effort

[beachmom]

for that Military Tribunal bill on the News Hour today, which at this point still includes legalizing torture. I sure hope McCain, et al fix the bill; if they don't, that will be a shame to have Dems voting for such a shameful bill.

The Georgetown professor, Marty Lederman, still says the bill isn't good:

http://balkin.blogspot.com/2006/09/will-congress-authorize-violations-of.html

Suffice it to say that, as a general matter, it is better than the Administration bill in several respects, but that it would still be very, very troubling. With respect to the Administration's detention and interrogation practices, it would largely undermine the salutary effects of the landmark Supreme Court decisions in Rasul and Hamdan, and might well provide effective legal cover for many of the CIA's "alternative" techniques--even though that might not be the intent of at least some of the sponsors of the legislation, and even though many of those techniques almost certainly would violate Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.

snip

I have speculated that the Administration believes it can live with the McCain Amendment because it has construed that statute -- prohibiting cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, primarily defined as conduct that "shocks the conscience" under Due Process doctrine -- not to foreclose many of the CIA's "alternative" techniques.

snip

If this is not what Senator McCain intends -- and it appears from his public statements that it is not -- then he should do one of two things: Either (i) retain Common Article 3's basic ban on all "cruel treatment and torture" as a subset of crimes under the War Crimes Act; or (ii) amend the legislation to specify that the McCain Amendment itself categorically prohibits such "alternative" techniques.



This is troubling indeed.

[Mass]

1. I heard that, and I was also surprised he said some democrats were

supporting Specter's bill when I read that it was voted along partisan lines.

This said, I am not sure what he meant. Was he talking about negotiating something or about agreeing on something. Reid is absolutely lousy when it comes to these types of interviews, and I could not figure out what he meant half of the time, so I guess we will have to see once Durbin or somebody else will say where they stand.

[beachmom]

2. Consensus on DailyKos is that he sucked big time

Incredible that I am in agreement with the Kossaks, but on this one I am:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/9/13/19233/6314#c19

Lehrer asks him about Boehner's statement and his lame response is that Boehner does not deserve a response. Why didn't Reid get all indignant and attack Boehner for calling him a traitor and accusing him of not loving his country or caring about his constituents? Jesus. This is the most ridiculous statement, most libelous statement, most extreme statement made by a Republican all season and he can't exploit this extremism to show just how unworthy Republicans are of respect and votes?!! Boehner's statement should be the subject of TV ads. And Reid does nothing but keep spouting "new direction" every few minutes. Yikes!



Yup -- that about says it all about Harry's performance. Someone send him the memo that it's 2006, we're rip roaring mad, and we're going to WIN this thing by not putting up with this bullshit anymore. Why didn't he say what Kerry said -- ask all his Republican Senate colleagues to condemn those words? Go on the attack!!!!