Challenging Frist on Torture

Republican Senator John Warner of Virginia, current chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is taking on Majority Leader Frist over the 2006 Pentagon authorization bill. Frist has stalled the bill, refusing to allow it to come to the Senate floor at the request of the White House, which objects to Republican amendments added to the bill that would ban the use of torture by the military.

This issue was born back in July, when Dick Cheney was sent to the Senate to strong arm the Republican caucus into rejecting the amendments. Apparently, his efforts were not enough. But now likely 2008 candidate (and likely inside stock trader) Bill Frist is put in the awkward position of blocking a defense authorization bill -- something that has been passed annually for four decades.

With Bush's approval ratings at record lows, Frist under investigation, and the 78-year-old Warner likely retiring at the end of this term, there's really nothing stopping him from fighting Frist tooth and nail on this. And that's essentially what's he's vowing to do, saying "Sure as I'm standing on this floor right here, we're gonna have that bill up" for debate in the Senate.

If Frist tries to make a run for President in 2008, this is a message no one will forget. Frist is little more than Bush's marginally effective errand boy, unwilling even to stand up for a simple principle like torture is bad if it means rubbing the White House the wrong way.



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Why ? (none / 0)

Why do Bush and friends INSIST on torture?

Why is there no downside, particularly among the religious?

I'm sure that Warner could get 51 votes (including a lot of Dems) if Frist allows a vote.

by David Kowalski on Tue Oct 04, 2005 at 09:19:32 PM EST

Re: Why ? (none / 0)

Exactly. That's why the White House doesn't want it to happen.

The administration claim is that these anti-torture amendments "would restrict the president's authority to protect Americans effectively from terrorist attack and bring terrorists to justice."

by Scott Shields on Tue Oct 04, 2005 at 10:06:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Why ? (none / 0)

The real religious folks have been fighting Bush since day one.  It's the State Religious folks you have to watch out for. And as Zogby points out they are marching to a different order, if one reads between the lines...it is a racist order.

   

DAGGER
by goplies on Wed Oct 05, 2005 at 01:01:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]

The Schiavo Incident is Testimony (none / 0)

The political theatre that Rove undoubtedly set inot motion by way of Frist regarding the tragedy of Terri Schiavo and the invasive and bizarre activism surrounding her death is testimony to the fact that Frist takes his full and complete orders from Rove - of course, by way of his proxy in Florida.

May it be so that the Federal Government never attempts to legislate my death, or life. The cause of liberalism is, perhaps, responsibility and correct action - spending money on levees and  letting the bidding process open on reconstruction. Keeping federal judges from interfering with the honorable death of a woman so horribly brain damaged she could never live. As much as my blood runs cold seeing dead floating next to American citizens alive in New Orleans, I must also point to the perverse videos that were released of schiavo "reacting" to stimuli.

That Frist sees the benefit of Stem Cell Research is a first sign that perhaps the long dark reign of Rove is coming to an end. Let us instead of lambasting him, pray he may find a christian fate.

Conservatism should never apply to humanism. Torture is a path no country has ever been able to walk from, and those closest to the source of such action can do the most to stop it. In the final calculus Frist is a man, and he has free will. A doctor takes an oath to stay away from mischief.

The man who keeps pushing us all into mischief lost his own father to suicide and his grandfather helped build the Third Reich. That man can be stopped. Heres hoping Frist will have another Stem Cell Surprise for the Torture Boys.

If only for my children.

by turnerbroadcasting on Wed Oct 05, 2005 at 12:24:18 AM EST

Challenging Frist on Torture (none / 0)

Where the hell are the Democrats?  I can't imagine a more unequivocal issue on which to take a stand.  Is there some political fallout to being against torture?  How is it possible that we can let those who supported torture facilitator Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General be the anti-torture poster boys?  This is making me crazy!
by rlsumi on Wed Oct 05, 2005 at 11:09:46 AM EST


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