Grrr

[kmusser]

I haven't posted anything about politics in awhile, but I want to call attention to the current travesty making it's way through Congress called the If We Detain You You Have No Rights Whatsover But We Promise Not To Torture You, Honest Military Commissions Act of 2006. Supported by John McCain and John Warner, both of who should know better. Among other things it does away with the writ of habeas corpus - this is a Bad Thing (tm). Please write your congress people and urge them to vote against any version of this bill that does not preserve habeas corpus for prisoners. Apparently Arlen Specter is working on modifying the bill to that effect, so hopefully that effort will succeed if the bill can't be defeated outright.

Salon.
CNN.
Center for Constitutional Rights.

Comments

[citabria]

I'm still slightly dumbfounded when I read that Arlen Specter is doing such things. I remember when he was as much of a right-wing, go with the party line Republican as anyone could be. I keep wondering whether this just happens to be an issue he'd always have been big on (but never came up before), or whether he's mellowed with age.

Of course, if I were interested enough I could do research into recent years' votes, but I'm not quite *that* intrigued.

[selki.livejournal.com]

He's backed down on several of the objections-to-bills he's made in the past, which makes me suspicious that it's just media manipulation, to help us think everything's under control, that nothing bad will really get through legislation.

[winterbadger]

I am so upset with McCain; I think he has sold his last fig-leaf of decency and dignity in order to get the 2008 nomination. Who does he think he's kidding? The far-right are not going to let him get the nomination anyway; nothing he ever does can be extreme enough for them. But still he's prepared to let the president detemine what is and isn't allowable treatment for detainees.