They write letters (emphasis mine).
Dear Mr. Longman:
Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the National Security Council Principals Committee’s discussion on interrogation techniques to be employed on enemy combatants suspected of involvement in terrorist plots. I appreciate hearing from all Pennsylvanians about this important issue.
I am appalled that senior Administration officials have been complicit in undermining American values against torture that are deeply rooted in our society. President Bush admitted that he knew that his top national security advisors, who comprise the Principals Committee, openly discussed and signed off on the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques,” including waterboarding.
I believe a commitment to the rule of law requires a firm statement that waterboarding is torture and thus illegal. The interrogation practices employed by U.S. government agencies and personnel should be consistent with the spirit and letter of international law. Engagement in torture stains our ideals and harms our national security interests, ultimately jeopardizing the safety of American troops deployed abroad.
Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.
If you have access to the Internet, I encourage you to visit my web site, http://casey.senate.gov. I invite you to use this online office as a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.
Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator
Is it just me? Am I just a stickler for the rules? Don’t most people that confess to conspiring to torture other human beings get something a little worse than a firm statement? Maybe I’m old fashioned.