McCain on Torture
Posted by Michael Cohen
Well it seems that the Straight Talk Express has blown a tire and careened straight into a ditch.
You may remember that not so long ago John McCain was one of the few passionate voices in the Republican Party to speak out against torture. Indeed in 2006 he supported the Detainee Treatment Act, which "barred cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment of any detainee." Apparently, that was then . . . and now he's running for President.
Senator McCain now feels that the CIA shouldn't be faced with such picayune restrictions on how they treat prisoners. Yesterday in a vote banning the use of waterboarding and other harsh interrogation techniques, Senator McCain voted against the measure. (BTW, all DA readers can feel free to bang their against a wall over the fact that in the year 2008, 44 United States Senators joined with McCain in voting in support of the use of torture by the United States government. That would include the 2004 Democratic nominee for Vice President - JOEMENTUM!).
Kevin Drum here speculates that McCain's flip-flop is a result of the fact that torture is HUGE among conservative Republicans. In an homage to the SAT; apparently redistributive economic policies is to liberals as waterboarding is to conservatives! Who knew?
Now here's my question for DA readers. What's worse, the fact that John McCain has flip flopped on torture or the fact that he and his advisers appear to believe that supporting waterboarding and other aggressive interrogation techniques will be a political boon for him among conservative Republicans? Discuss
Either way, I need a shower.
Wan't McCains flip on torture a Valentines kissy for HW Bush's backing?
Posted by: GEuphrates | February 23, 2008 at 10:54 PM