Organizing for America | Wilkenson Francois's Blog

Wilkenson Francois's Blog

McCain: Bush should veto torture bill By LIBBY QUAID, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 26 minutes ago Republican presidential candidate John McCain said President Bush should veto a measure that would bar the CIA from using waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods on terror suspects. McCain voted against the bill, which would restrict the CIA to using only the 19 interrogation techniques listed in the Army field manual. His vote was controversial because the manual prohibits waterboarding — a simulated drowning technique that McCain also opposes — yet McCain doesn't want the CIA bound by the manual and its prohibitions. McCain, who was tortured as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, is well-known for his opposition to waterboarding, which puts him at odds with the Bush administration. "I knew I would be criticized for it," McCain told reporters Wednesday in Ohio. "I think I can show my record is clear. I said there should be additional techniques allowed to other agencies of government as long as they were not" torture. "I was on the record as saying that they could use additional techniques as long as they were not cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment," McCain said. "So the vote was in keeping with my clear record of saying that they could have additional techniques, but those techniques could not violate" international rules against torture. McCain spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker noted that McCain believes that waterboarding is already banned by the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005, which includes an amendment he wrote barring inhumane treatment of prisoners. The act prohibited cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment for all detainees in U.S. custody, including CIA prisoners. CIA Director Michael Hayden has said court decisions and current law, including the Detainee Treatment Act, cast doubt on whether waterboarding would be legal now. Hayden prohibited its use in CIA interrogations in 2006; it has not been used since 2003, he said. Justice Department officials have said they haven't resolved the legality of waterboarding since such legislation was passed. The legislation bars the CIA from using waterboarding, sensory deprivation or other harsh coercive methods to break a prisoner who refuses to answer questions. Those practices were banned by the military in 2006. President Bush has threatened to veto the legislation, which cleared the House in December and won Senate approval last week. One supporter of the bill, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said last week that if Bush vetoes the measure, "he will be voting in favor of waterboarding." If a president disagrees with legislation, he should veto it, McCain said. He said he disapproves that Bush sometimes signs legislation he dislikes, then issues critical "signing statements" outlining his objections. McCain said he would never issue a critical signing statement: "If I disagree with a law that's passed, I'll veto it." "I think if you disagree with a law, you have a constitutional right to veto that, authority to veto that," McCain said. Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Copyright © 2007 Yahoo All rights reserved.Copyright/IP Policy |Terms of Service |Help |Feedback NOTICE: We collect personal information on this site. To learn more about how we use your information, see our» Privacy Policy

Dear Mr. President:

By Wilkenson from Brooklyn, NY - Aug 19th, 2009 at 8:47 pm EDT

Also listed in: 7 groups

Mr. President, I hope you realize that you're the best at excersizing Checks & Balances according to the U.S. Constitution. What I inferred from this debacle you're facing within your own Democratic Party is you have come to understand ...that a public option has little ground to stand on its own but THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX for the Finance Committee to push a bill through the senate is a strategic choice that deserves praise. Justice Souter says it best, Americans need education on the U.S. Constitution and my emphasis is they should also think for themselves and hold their lawmakers within their own states accountable through critical thinking and sound judgment. My question for you is this - Republicans certainly are not on your side and the Democrats seem uncertain about their political future, in my opinion, due to their schizophrenic public option agenda, would you take it to them before it's too late and say that they have to exercise practicality and not ideology in order for them to win some of the deals out of HealthCare Reform? Read More »

Mail to a Friend | Link | Comments (0) | Report Objectionable Content

Posts

Content on blogs in My.BarackObama represents the opinions of community members and in no way should be interpreted as endorsed or approved by the campaign.