Torture Legalization: A Winning Strategy for YOUR Congressional Campaign!

(8th post in a series on the House GOP's attempt to legalize "Extraordinary Rendition". Links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.)
I noted in my last post that if Congressman Markey's amendment fails, and the language legalizing extraordinary rendition make into the final version of the 9/11 Commission bill, Congressional Democrats will face a similar dilemma to the one they faced over the Homeland Security Department bill in 2002. It occurred to me that this might be a deliberate strategy on DeLay's and Hastert's part.

In this AP story, such raving conspiracy theorists as Joe Lieberman, Dianne Feinstein, and Republicans Susan Collins and Christopher Shays, suggest that's exactly what's happening:

"There is anxiety -- you will not be surprised to hear -- among some of my Democratic colleagues in Congress, based on the 2002 experience with the Department of Homeland Security, that this will happen again," said Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn....

"There is no confusion about the timing of this bill," said House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland. Republican leaders expect "Democrats to either vote for it or to be attacked about being against protecting the American people if they vote against it."

Even some Republicans are worried that some of the political maneuvering could doom bills addressing the Sept. 11 commission's report. "I have concerns that some on my side of the aisle want there to be some poison pills," said Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn.

"If we can't put partisan politics and presidential campaigning aside when we're trying to strengthen our nation's ability to deter and respond to a terrorism attack, we might as well go home," added Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. "This is just too important to allow partisan politics to interfere with the progress of this bill." ....

Democrats say the GOP is hoping the same thing will happen with the Sept. 11 recommendations if they put in provisions that Democrats don't like. "One House member even referred to having Democrats over a barrel in a description of this strategy," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

Tom DeLay innocently bats his eyelashes and said it would never occur to him to do such a thing. Dennis Hastert's spokesman is less cautious:

"The Democrats got spanked hard on homeland security," said John Feehery, spokesman for House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill. "I don't think they want to get spanked again."

I'll leave the commentary to others. I couldn't possibly convey what I think about this.

Comments

[Bill]

I know it's against the rules to generalise, but if you support it, you support it. If your a republican and you vote republican, this is what you vote for. Don't kid yourselves about the shades of morality you would like to draw to imply that you don't.

I am so disgusted by the republican party right now about this and so many other things. Thing is, normally I would be a repulican.

[Ted]

So what happens if the Dems win Nov 2? Say, 60-40? We can stand up and say proudly to the civilized part of the world, "See. Only 40% of Americans voted pro-torture. We really are the Good Guys". It doesn't much matter any more if you're one of the 60% or the 40%, nor what the numbers turn out to be.

[JC]

Just sickening, really. What more can be said?

[cleek]

What more can be said?

nothing.

actually, everything. the media isn't covering this at all.

[Laura]

This horror is just one more swing of the sledgehammer against public accountability and public institutions and one more abdication of public leadership on the part of Congress. But enough of the personal despair--email or call your members of Congress and go on record. I did.

[Neil Mingus]

Seriously, where is the media?

Google News turns up no major organizations covering extraordinary rendition.

Not the NY Times. Not the Washington Post. Not CNN.

This is an absolute outrage.

Is Iraq one of the countries to which we hope to one day outsource our torture duties?

Is this the message we are sending to pro-Western citizens of Egypt. That the US does not torture, we send people to their country to torture.

How will pro-Western politicians respond to the charge that the US has made it legal to send Arabs to Israel to be tortured?

Kerry and the DNC have not made commercials about this. Have the calculated that they would lose votes by standing against sending people to be tortured? What does it say about America if they're right?

[Bernard Yomtov]

It's not clear to me who Collins is criticizing here. Is it the people who inserted the provisions, or those who oppose them? Her comment could be read either way. She is normally sensible, so I would tend to believe she is opposing the extraordianry rendition provisions. Anybody know more?

[Nell Lancaster]

I called this tactic in comments here two days ago, and am depressed to be proved right:

I have a hard time believing that Tom DeLay and Dennis Hastert are sticking all these provisions in against the will of the administration. Their determination to hold fast this coming week speaks volumes about the real intent of the Bush admin here. As with everything else, they want to use the Sept. 11 reforms as a political club: load the bill with garbage and defy Democrats to oppose it.

[dj]

It sickens me to know that republicans are using this loophole and trying to make it legal. If we're not going to torture people here, then why are we giving people to countries to be tortured. We are the biggest hipocrypes(im 13 so im not that good at spelling!) in the world!