There will be three hours of debate. One hour will involve an amendment to the bill by Carl Levin. He is discussing it now. There will be an hour on an amendment on habeas corpus sponsored by Specter-Leahy-Dodd. And an hour to debate three other amendments: one by Kennedy, one by Rockefeller, and one by Byrd. Byrd’s is on a sunset provision. If we can’t stop this bill, we really need to pass the sunset bill, so we don’t need a supermajority to overturn this law. I think there will be an hour and a half of general debate after the amendments are dealt with.
Discuss the debate and add anything you can find about the amendments below.
Carl Levin is objecting to language in the bill that differentiates between torture done before the Detainee Act of 2005 was enacted in Dec. 2005 and torture done after.
His amendment would strike that distinction and ban evidence obtained by torture no matter when it was obtained.
Levin isn’t using the word ‘torture’ though.
what is he using? alternative interrogation methods?
cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment.
Boo,
Sorry for Hijacking this thread . I am crying, shaking and have gotten sick to my stomach twice and will probably do so again. I Have some information I would like to stay up top here. Please forgive me if I am not totally rational!
First, as some of you may have noticed the 800#’s we were using for the Capitol Switchboard are no longer available. That is because Lobby firms pay for the numbers, and they either pull them when they notice overuse, or they expire after a certain amount of time. Sooo there’s a brand new toll free number for the Capitol in the subject.
I contacted my Congressman’s office and they were most helpful. The vote in the house was 222 for TORTURE and 194 against. 4 Repugs joined the Democrats.
However, 2 Democrats actually voted for TORTURE!. They are:
Charlie Melancon – CD LA 3 – No Challenger in this years election. Here is this creeps committee assignments
John Barrow – CD GA 12 – No challenger in this years election. Here is this creeps committee assignments
I for one do not want ANY association with monsters who vote for torture – PERIOD! Carnacki at the Orange Place speaks for me today since I am unable to do so for myself. Hopefully many of you will feel the same way. Since there is no possibility of voting them out I suggest we PUSH them out.
Please use this thread to let other BT’s know if you agree with this idea. If YES, then contact Pelosi’s office and insist these two aliens be removed from ALL committee assignments, and that we want them out of the party – PERIOD. DEMOCRATS DO NOT CONDONE TORTURE
And if you are particularly angry – you can also call Warner and McCains office and ask directly what Rove has on them that could possibly be worth more than their hard won respectability, and tell them you are sorry they chose to end otherwise stellar careers with the unforgivable stain of torture and loss of their souls!
Thats all I can say now.
Charlie Melanchon does have a challenger.
Do you have a link for the vote count?
here
Blech.
my congressman didn’t vote. Nice.
Neither did crazy Curt Weldon.
Manny,
GREAT CATCH!
I googled “Military Commission Act of 2006 H.R.6166” and came up with NADA.
Satanic Justice??? Three 6’s in Bill #!
actually worse than we thought. Here is the link to the final vote on the bill.
34 Democrats voted Aye
Hey Boo,
No don’t see recorded vote count from the house on google yet. I called my Rep. Barney Frank’s office. The staff member gave me the count and he even spelled Melancon and Barrow’s names for me and told me what states they were from. Barney runs a tight ship and it’s all staff on board until he leaves. So if the house is meeting, his office will still be open. Sorry, I did not get the name of the staff member, I was crying too hard.
Good catch on the challenger. I had gotten my information on Charlie Melancon from the DSCC 2006 election page. Guess someone had better tell them to update their info.
Levin also objects to language that allows heresay evidence, because it is inherently unreliable and denies the accused the right to confront his accusers.
He also objects to the dropping of a distinction of evidence obtained without a warrant overseas and the same at home.
Committee Bill (Warner’s bill) starts with a courts martial outline. But then it allows the Sec. of Defense to make exceptions to the rules and procedures of courts martial if he sees it as necessary due to the unique difficulties of prosecuting people.
I got that wrong. The Committe Bill is Warner’s bill, but not the bill Warner is currently offering.
Oh GREAT!!! Some upstanding person like Rumsfeld.
My God why don’t they give Kim Jong IL authority over our NUCLEAR ARMS, and we can give Mugabe authority over our Public Lands, or give that Pedophile who recently left Dept of Homeland Security authority over child pornography on the internet. Same sick criminal psychopathic logic would apply!
MY GOD, SOMEONE PLEASE WAKE ME UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE.
This makes me want to throw up.
I feel the same way booman, i am watching the senate and listening to Levin, I think it’s sick what the ‘compromise’ bill contains, what exactly did McCain, Graham and Warner actually stand up for with the admin….looks to me like they caved on everything.
I don’t think I will be able to stand watching when the Reps. get up to talk.
I would love to blog this but I am much too upset over this whole thing.
What kind of majority is required on this bill, btw. Does it have to be 60 or simple majority.
I can’t even bear to watch it today.
they need 60 to end debate.
they need 50 to pass it.
Should we all just march down there with guns or leave the country NOW??
I am having trouble listening to this – the tears will not stop.
That’s how I felt when I read Chris’s post. That it’s come to this is hard to swallow, even if some did see it coming. Being aware, even prepared, doesn’t make it easier when your faith in your country is being regularly and relentlessly shaken.
Carl Levin is wrapping up. He has condemned the bill in the strongest terms. There is no way he is going to vote for it.
although my concern is the Gang of 14. And actually, that’s 13, because McCain has already capitulated.
Not to be contrary Manny,
but McCain didn’t capitulate. He’s an accomplice. I think the whole charade with Graham, McCain and Warner, was designed to give cover to Bush and the republicans trying to get reelected.
Yep. “I was against torture before I voted for it.”
sometimes my pretty little head has a hard time being convinced that someone who was tortured would actually support what’s happening. I should know better. With that, I’m going to go eat my lunch and try not to yack it back up. Paz hermano.
the fact this is even being debated is fucking disgusting.
America is dead.
I am home for lunch and I am so sickened by this. To imagine this day in American history that they are debating torture is beyond what this country stands for. Here comes Leahy. Sure hope he does some fist pounding.
this is gonna get good now!
Leahy is PISSED OFF.
over 500 people detained and only 10 charged because Bush and Cheney do not believe they have to charge them with anything. Five years they sit doing nothing. Now just before the election they want to pass something quick so it looks like we are doing something. This is UnAmerican. We did it before we did it with the Japanese determent camps. We cannot do this. It is UnAmerican that any person cannot contest his imprisinment.
Go Senator Leahy!! I love it when he gets pissed.
Talking about the Canadian Anar being shipped off to torture prisons by the Bush Cheney administration. He’s on fire now.
Have to go back to work. Keep me posted? Go Leahy.
This is exhausting me, but I can’t tear myself away….Over on the house side they are debating this also, or at least their own bills, or whatever as I am totally ‘up to here’ on this whole issue.
Leahy was good but his voice is so hard to listen to…now Jack Reed is up,