posted November 07, 2005 11:44 AM            

Bush would not confirm the existence of CIA secret prisons that The Washington Post disclosed last week and would not address demands by the International Committee of the Red Cross to have access to the suspects reportedly held at them.

"We are finding terrorists and bringing them to justice," Bush said at a joint news conference with Panamanian President Martin Torrijos. "We are gathering information about where the terrorists might be hiding. We are trying to disrupt their plots and plans. Anything we do ... to that end in this effort, any activity we conduct, is within the law."

Vice President Dick Cheney has been spearheading an effort on Capitol Hill to have the CIA exempt from an amendment by Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain that would ban torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners.

The exemption would cover the secret prisons that The Post said were located in several Eastern European democracies and other countries where key al Qaeda captives are being kept.

"We do not torture and therefore we're working with Congress to make sure that as we go forward, we make it more possible to do our job," Bush said.

He said he was confident that when "people see the facts, that they'll recognize that we've got more work to do and that we've got to protect ourselves in a way that is lawful."

from Yahoo News
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posted November 07, 2005 02:15 PM              

Interviewer: And what do you think of the stance taken by some in Washington that intelligence agencies shouldn't be held to your Amendment on torture?

McCain: That's idiotic.
What I mean to say...is that there should be no double standard on this. That's not who we are as Americans.

It stood out to me because of his slip.
I love it when politicians slip ("That's idiotic") and say what they really think rather than jump and dodge so as not to offend...especially when that politician's McCain.

I did a search for the quote itself, but couldn't find it. I guess the following is as close as we'll get to McCain's official stance:

quote:

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McCain, himself a former prisoner of war in Vietnam, said he rejected the administration's alternative language because "that would basically allow the CIA to engage in torture."

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posted November 07, 2005 02:25 PM              

McCain/Powell (or Powell/McCain) 2008!

posted November 07, 2005 03:13 PM            

The first one is a letter signed by American Military leaders that supports, "One standard for interrogating enemy prisoners that is effective, lawful, and humane."

quote:

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The United States should have one standard for interrogating enemy prisoners that is effective, lawful, and humane. Fortunately, America already has the gold standard in the Army Field Manual. Had the Manual been followed across the board, we would have been spared the pain of the prisoner abuse scandal. It should be followed consistently from now on. And when agencies other than DOD detain and interrogate prisoners, there should be no legal loopholes permitting cruel or degrading treatment.

The amendments proposed by Senator McCain would achieve these goals while preserving our nation's ability to fight the war on terror. They reflect the experience and highest traditions of the United States military. We urge the Congress to support this effort.

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The second is a letter from Colin Powell to John McCain:

quote:

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I fully support this amendment. Further, I align myself with the letter written to you by General Shalikashivili and a distinguished group of senior officers in support of the amendment.

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posted November 08, 2005 12:40 AM              

When Chelsea Clinton was born in 1980, her father was Governor of Arkansas, and her very first home was the Governor's Mansion.
When she moved into the White House on January 20, 1993, she became the first child to reside there since Amy Carter.

The right-wing's hatred of her parents immediately transferred to Chelsea. On his television show, Rush Limbaugh announced to his audience that the new White House occupants had a dog. He then held up a picture of Chelsea Clinton.

Senator John McCain, at a Republican Senate fundraiser, said

quote:

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"Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?...... Because her father is Janet Reno."

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HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!

posted November 08, 2005 03:07 AM            

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posted November 08, 2005 12:40 PM            

The original article up top has been added to.

quote:

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'TERRIBLE MISTAKE'

Bush spoke a day after Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel (news, bio, voting record) told ABC's "This Week" that the Bush administration was making a "terrible mistake" in opposing the McCain amendment.

Hagel said that taking that stance also showed the need for Bush to widen his net of advisers as a way to regain his credibility with the American public amid sagging poll numbers over the Iraq war, soaring gasoline prices and other troubles.

The Senate voted 90-9 for the McCain amendment to prohibit the use of torture and abuse of prisoners in U.S. custody, adding it to a $440 billion defense spending bill despite a White House veto threat.

The House of Representatives did not include the detainee rules in its version of the bill, and House and Senate negotiators are working out differences for a final bill.

The White House position is that international treaty obligations already on the books govern the treatment of suspects and that the United States is observing those rules.

"There's an enemy that lurks and plots and plans and wants to hurt America again. And so you bet we'll aggressively pursue them. But we will do so under the law," Bush said.

(Additional reporting by Vicki Allen in Washington)

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