Sen.Graham: “There are three branches of government, not one.”

[deminks]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/17/washington/17detain.html?ex=1316145600&en=d0870c97e6e90c1c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 — Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham cornered their partner, Senator John W. Warner, on the Senate floor late Wednesday afternoon.

Mr. Warner, the courtly Virginian who is chairman of the Armed Services Committee, had been trying for weeks to quietly work out the three Republicans’ differences with the Bush administration’s proposal to bring terrorism suspects to trial. But Senators McCain, of Arizona, and Graham, of South Carolina, who are on the committee with Mr. Warner, convinced him that the time for negotiation was over.

The three senators, all military veterans, marched off to an impromptu news conference to lay out their deep objections to the Bush legislation. Mr. Warner then personally broke the news to Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee, the majority leader, and the next day the Armed Services Committee voted to approve a firm legislative rebuke to the president’s plan to reinterpret the Geneva Conventions.

Mr. Bush seems equally determined to win provisions he says are needed to interrogate and prosecute terrorism suspects. He and his allies are ratcheting up pressure on Senate Republicans who support alternate rules adopted this week by the Armed Services Committee. Mr. Warner, like his two colleagues, has a network of high-ranking current and retired military officers who provide regular guidance and support. While he has been consulting them privately, some are expected to weigh in publicly in the days ahead. One aide said on Saturday that the number of Senate Republicans behind the three senators was widening beyond the 8 or 10 they had anticipated, with lawmakers — heavily influenced by Mr. Powell’s stance — preparing to soon go public with their views.

[Botany]

1. Say what you want Graham

You are still shit in my book. i.e.

The 1998 Clinton Blow Job witch trial (you were front & center)
Getting Allito on SCOTUS (you were front & center)

[smtpgirl]

3. Oh, now well Lindsay Graham is trying to play

GOD NOW, what a surpirse, many will follow, since they have the rubber-stamp behind their respective titles.

Don't feel sorry for him at all.

Too LATE for acknowledging NOW, what a TOOL!!!

[Booster]

2. We can only hope they all vote against the little man and we can

eat popcorn and watch him pitch a hissy fit as only he can. Come on guys, do the right thing for a change.

[kevinbgoode]

4. So it is amazing that a few Republicans suddenly discovered

there are three branches of government instead of the christo-fascist dictatorship they've spent the last five years constructing and supporting. . .

[indepat]

26. And tearing the three separate branches asunder, making a mockery of the

Constitution in the process as the solemn duties and prerogatives of the Congress were being abrogated to one divinely-inspired man.

[stevedeshazer]

5. This is truly a big deal

This is blowing up. A schism within the radical right is good news indeed.

<rubs hands>

EXXXXcellent

[Ravy]

6. Republicans find "religion" as they are about to get their asses

handed to them. There has been ONE branch of government (worth mentioning) during the last 6 years, and you, Senator Graham are one of the reasons). I hope that your "election year conversion" does not fake too many Americans out. To get a Congress that will perform oversite, we need to elect Democrats. As we have seen in the last six years, nothing else will do.

[DURHAM D]

7. Why doesn't anyone ask why Bush is so interested in torture?

I think he is sexually aroused by it.

We know he is a bully.

Torture is the climax of bulliness.

[DBoon]

13. No I think it's worse than that

Torture does a poor job of getting suspects to tell the truth.

What torture is good at doing is breaking people's will and intimidating entire populations. For this reason, dictators and tyrants of every type are very fond of torture.

I think this is one step towards normalizing this use of torture domestically.

[WinkyDink]

21. Which supports Post #7!

With which I totally concur.

Bush is Ted Bundy writ large.

[fooj]

16. It has been said...

[opihimoimoi]

8. Its the Bandwagon Effect...STAMPEDE TIME

BushCo Floundering without lifevests in chilly artic water.....

[saltpoint]

9. It looks at the moment as if Dubya's cooked his own goose on this one.

He's up against the big boys, and he can't rebound against folks that tall.

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. Graham right or wrong argues the merits of an issue as he see it.

Graham is old school. He is frequently full of shit, however he is headed in the right direction on this one.

[texpatriot2004]

11. What took ya so long Graham? Why 6 years? It's basic U.S.

Government.

[aquart]

12. Who's betting that they compromise: grant the retroactive immunity

But shake their fingers and say the Geneva Convention stands.

[flyarm]

15. i just do not think they can without making themselves guilty

of war crimes...this time they can't rubber stamp it and Lindsey knows it!

fly

[fooj]

17. Poetry in motion.

I can hardly wait for the SHIT to FINALLY hit the fan.

[BadGimp]

18. me! I am betting this all a smoke screen - a con job

A full scale disinformaiton smoke screen.

If they do this they feed GWB and Dead Aim Dick Chenney to the legal grinder. No way that happens. That will never happen as long as they hold the power. Imho of course.

[Erika]

14. The GOP rubber stamped W 100% for 6 years

and now when everything is shit, they discover the separation of powers? How convenient.

[Disturbed]

19. It's a sharade.

The Rethugs feel the heat of American anger so they feign a bit of disagreement with the Glorious Leader. It all doesn't matter because Bushlini has that signing statement, nueter power.

[Bluebear]

20. Oh, all of a sudden, asshole?

Now that the GOP is going to have their rear ends handed to them they realize there are "3 branches", not one.

[LostInAnomie]

22. Well, I hope his group wins their fight this time.

As far as I am concerned though Graham is one of the slimiest pieces of shit in the senate. His drooling blow job of Alito during his confirmation and attacks on Democrats when they wanted to actually use the Senate's oversight power has forever earned him my ire.

FUCK YOU, LINDSEY GRAHAM!

[mikelewis]

23. Smoke and mirrors - a grand deception...

Look, Graham and McCain don't wipe their asses without asking for Bush's permission so the thought that they actually give a shit about torturing a few "terrorists" is patently absurd. They don't care at all, it politics. Right now, the Republicans are using this issue to distance themselves from the President before the elections. Bush isn't worried about his program or his ass and knows the Senate will pass any bill he wants once the Pukes create an atmosphere where they can "plausibly" win the election. He'll ask for 100 methods of legalized torture and they'll fight him and give him only 99. This is a shell game, plain and simple. Graham and McCain are too craven to "actually" stand up to Bush so we know this is merely a courtroom drama... a docudrama, if you will. The Puke Strategists are changing the debate and pitting the Congress Pukes against Shrub. All this is merely intended to create a smokescreen by which they can offer an excuse for winning an un-winnable election. This is just the opening salvo in this election campaign... and from the look of things, it appears as though it's going to get a whole lot uglier from here.

[Tellurian]

24. Maybe..But it appears Push has come to Shove..

and it is already uglier than we are aware of.
Theres nothing better than watching the repugs fight..
and start the finger pointing until they draw blood.

[jeffuppy]

25. It could get very interesting

if these three+ Repub Senators form an alliance with some "centrist" Dems and really attempt to wrestle foreign policy away from the Cheney crowd after the election. If anyone is going to bring down Bush Co. it might just be McCain and friends. Not that this would be much better for America and the world - but it could be great fun to watch.