As many have noted in posts here he is no moderate as his voting record is very much in the mainstream of conservative Repubs something the press rarely points out.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10485561/site/newsweek/

So I assume that means both present and future "detainees".  If we don't torture and according to Rice we don't give detainees to other nations to torture, then what is the purpose of this new bill?  What are all the flights about and why were detainees moved from the European prisons to Africa as the news broke about the secret prisons?  If we aren't doing it to facilitate torture then why the secrecy.  I believe McCain doesn't want torture to be our practice. I know he understands what it will mean to our prisoners of war in the future.  We have one now, or at least could, no news as to his final status of alive or dead to my knowledge.  He is naive at best to not address this issue of clearly defining torture.
He does need to recognize the idea of catch and hold with no hope of release is itself torture to the minds of those that have lost their freedom with no real hope of fighting it in a court of law, seeing the light of day, or communicating with the outside world...and who are in fact innocent of the supposed crimes they are accused )or not accused as the case may be)

Regardless, this anti-torture bill will do nothing so long as they refuse to define what is torture.  Water boarding is torture for instance (not to them).  I don't care if the guy comes out of it without a scratch.  He shouldn't have to endure it.  Imagine the minds of those that give out such treatment, how they must exist in our world when they are done.  It will not reveal meaningful information anymore than torture that might involve loss of life or limb.  We should ask ourselves if we want our soldiers to endure such treatment day in and day out in future conflicts.  Their bodies may come back whole but their minds are just as important.  I would say allow torture in the case of a ticking time bomb scenario.  The only problem is this administration will assume all cases involve a ticking time bomb.  They have no conscience.

And we certainly need a law that says we are to be allowed to sleep under blue blankets.

Etc.

(I have always told people that the so-called "social contract" is merely an illusion promoted by slick lawyers. But did they listen?)

There is no justice -- just us.

As I said then:

It's not an original or novel idea, but it is not widespread enough and the DLC Dems refuse to play by the right wing dominated M$M rules. The longer you play nice with a bully, the longer he's going to keep picking on you.

That applies to DLC Dems as well as GOPERS. Progressives are equally attacked and demonized by both of them. The DLC and Al From are following Marshall Whitman's lead and attacking the base of the Democratic Party.

No more Mister Niceguy.

And boy is he running away from his party.  Every day there is some quote from Tommie in the Washington Post criticizing his party.  Plus townhall meetings, letters to constituents.

He either feels the heat or is trying to raise his profile for an '08 run.