Posted on 09/28/2006 8:54:10 AM PDT by MNJohnnie
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1709588/posts?page=1
House passes detainee bill
Republicans pushed a bill supported by President George W. Bush to set rules for interrogating and trying terrorism suspects through the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday and Senate Republicans were expected to follow within a day.
The House passed the bill 253-168 largely along party lines, dismissing warnings from Democrats that courts would strike down the plan for failing to meet judicial standards.
Republicans who control both chambers want to send the bill to Bush by the weekend, when lawmakers head out to campaign for November elections that will determine control of Congress.
The bill sets up procedures to try foreign terrorism suspects at the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Supreme Court struck down Bush's original plan, saying it violated U.S. and international standards.
As Senate debate on the bill got under way, Republicans defeated an attempt to pass an alternative that Democrats said would meet Supreme Court standards and help restore America's image, damaged by harsh treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
The Senate was expected to pass the bill on Thursday, after considering several other amendments.
Republicans, seeking to polish their terrorism-fighting credentials in the final days of their campaigns, depicted the new rules as tough but fair.
"By formally establishing terrorist tribunals, the bill provides a critical tool in fighting the war on terror and it provides a measure of justice to the victims of 9/11," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican.
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter, a California Republican, said the bill provides "basic fairness in our prosecutions but we also preserve the ability of our war fighters to operate effectively on the battlefield."
But Human rights groups and many Democrats said the deal gave Bush too much latitude to allow harsh interrogations and to deprive detainees of legal rights.
Rep. Ellen Tauscher, a California Democrat, said agreeing to "such an ambiguous compromise would allow the president to define torture when and how he sees fit."
Rep. Louise Slaughter, a New York Democrat, said the bill sends a signal that "America's leaders are willing to abandon our values ... in favor of thuggish tactics they hope might make them safer for a little while."
Democrats also predicted the courts would find the bill unconstitutional because it deprived detainees held without charges of the right to file legal challenges to their imprisonment.
Under a compromise worked out last week, the CIA will be able to continue aggressive interrogations, but supporters of the bill said agency interrogators would comply with the Geneva Conventions' requirement for humane treatment.
The bill also expands the definition of "enemy combatants," who can be held indefinitely without charges, to include those who knowingly support terrorist groups with arms, money and other activities.
Backers of the bill said that provision would choke off supplies to terrorist groups, but critics said it was too broad and could subject many more people to indefinite detention.
LOL!!!
that must be real bad! LOL!
Ta all. If you save me a seat, I may stop in at the Lounge.
Being a co-host will make it easier. I dare you to take an electric whoopie cushion on air with you.
I wish they would run hard against Burd, I could give a fuzzy rip that he voted for Alito. His vote wasn't needed. Thank him, then run hard against him. That's a stupid political decision and quite annoying. Do you think if re-elected in November, that the DEmocrat taking over when he dies/retires over the next six year could be defeated by a conservative Republican in 2012? Or would the new lib Democrat have their claws dug in deep as an incumbant and never get booted out? I hope when Byrd is gone the Governor picks such a flaming anti-war lib pro gay marriage pro abortion liberal that there's now way he can get re-elected. A Code Pink anti-war lesbian liberal Senator who fights for partial birth abortions up to the due date would be my pick for Burd's replacement if the Democrat Governor picks the replacement. That person would be very hard for the Democrats to re-elect.
How much will EC 24/7 cost?
Priceless.
You don't understand Byrd dose too much for West Virginia
great end to the show..."stick it were the sun don't shine"...
Can we talk about that hot bloodedness for a bit :-)
If you can't find one, just link to this site:
http://www.misternicehands.com/
LOL!
Sorry He dose a Lot for West Virginia
YAY!
That would be great!
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