The Senate came to a compromise that, in accordance with Washington rules, every side is claiming victory. I had hoped that the Grownup Republicans would rein in Bush's "I should be able to torture all the people I want" mentality. But they caved:
But the senators who have fought to rein in the administration's excesses -- led by Sens. McCain, Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and John W. Warner (R-Va.) -- failed to break Mr. Bush's commitment to "alternative" methods that virtually every senior officer of the U.S. military regards as unreliable, counterproductive and dangerous for Americans who may be captured by hostile governments.
Mr. Bush wanted Congress to formally approve these practices and to declare them consistent with the Geneva Conventions. It will not. But it will not stop him either, if the legislation is passed in the form agreed on yesterday. Mr. Bush will go down in history for his embrace of torture and bear responsibility for the enormous damage that has caused.
Shorter version from Josh Marshall: "we agreed not to reinterpret the Geneva Conventions, only to continue violating them. " Or, as he noted, like "Pilate washing his hands." (Perhaps a good image for my SBC friend to think about.)
This isn't moral. This isn't just. And it isn't America.
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