McCain's Crock of It

Senator John McCain, fake from Arizona, introduced legislation "forbidding torture" which passed 90-9, with Bush threatening to veto. McCain's amendment would prohibit the "cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment of prisoners in the custody of America's defence department." (American inmates are exempt – your cruel and degrading treatment will continue.)

The amendment changes nothing that isn't already on the books, specifically the Army Field manual covers it but McCain is lookin' good while doing nothing other than talk, talk, talk, (politicians are fatted on empty words). McCain says : "The amendment I am offering would establish the Army Field Manual as the standard for interrogation of all detainees held in DOD custody." There the difference is – a prisoner or detainee. I guess it all depends on who the "is" is? There "is" no "torture" of "detainees." The field manual is like everything else the government prints – all you need is a good lawyer to interpret and get around it.

Those at Abu Ghraib and Gitmo were labeled "detainees" to legally sidestep the rules of the Army field manual, Geneva, Hague, etc. McCain's amendment will not change that and McCain knows it; and like 99% of politicians he was in on giving Bush the powers they gave him. Detainees are not subject to rules of war. Congress has not passed a formal declaration of war regarding Iraq. Bush never sought a formal declaration of war from Congress. He requested, and received, the authority to use armed forces "as he determines to be necessary and appropriate" to defend American interests against "the continuing threat posed by Iraq." We don't have "wars" anymore, we have resolutions. Therefore, "interrogation" is more flexible with "detainees" in authorized "resolutions."

McCain is a lackey subtly painting the Boy King uglier than he already is as day by day it seems Junior is the designated crusader fall guy. The bonus for McCain is he looks reasonable yet still supporting the boss Bush. Torture is a hot topic. Like crime, abortion, gays, God, welfare, education, war on drugs - it's the newest knee-jerker fired up when of value to politicians. No one big is going down for torture folks. As with Riggs bank and Pinochet – lawyer up good, pay a few million in restitution to the victims, and/or keep it in court until the litigants are dead or demented. One good sex scandal would knock torture off the radar. (Isn't there one republican faithful willing to be caught in bed with his neighbor's underage twin teen sons and a donkey show?)

While there is no torture going on that the US hasn't always done, and Bush the Fall Guy may take the heat, he's unlikely to eat the nuremberger that goes with it. Afterall, you know the drill : it's a different world and he's a war president. The issue will disappear. It's almost enough to make me feel sorry for Bush; first they sobered him and convinced him he was sent by God and now they may kick him to the curb because he fell for it. Enough to make a man take up the bottle again and become a real liability.

McCain's amendment is tacked on to the $440 billion money bill for Bush's Iraq Resolution but senators were "confident that most of the language would survive." McCain says : "the war on terror is ultimately a battle of ideas, a battle we will win by spreading and standing firmly for the values of decency, democracy, and the rule of law." Ha! I said below our betters like to throw out that "rule of law" phrase. McCain says he stands with Bush in this commitment of spreading American values.

Maybe McCain is eyeballing the WH again, presenting a kinder gentler face to the constituents. Maybe folks are so fat, happy. and well-off that congressional ferrets have few domestic concerns, and too much time for spreading American values, with language I'm confident many folks won't survive.