SENATE PASSES HELMS AMENDMENT ON WORLD COURT

Newsday ^ | 12/6/01

[11th Earl of Mar]

WASHINGTON (AP) The Senate voted overwhelmingly Friday to block U.S. participation in a new international criminal court that opponents fear could stage politically motivated trials of American troops and government officials.

The 78-21 vote added the language, introduced by Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., to this year's defense spending bill.

The Helms provision's ultimate fate is unclear. The House version of the defense spending bill contains no such provision, but in May, the House voted 282-137 to include similar language in a separate bill authorizing State Department programs.

[VA Advogado]

Within the framework of the W.T.O. the U.S. has already lost cases against other nations. It's the same within NAFTA.

When will you become concerned about national sovereignty?

Listen, those WTO and NAFTA decisions are GOOD for the purchasers in this country. We, as consumers do much better letting these pro-consumer decisions be made by the WTO than by the AFL-CIO or some pro-textile industry Senator from North Carolina.

[Temple Owl]

Specter is the worst of the lot. He is an embarrassment to Pennsylvania. I'll bet he voted for the raise.

We have a guy named Wally Nunn who is just finishing his term as head of the county commissioners in Delaware County.

He says he is getting out of politics, but I wish he would stay and run against Wishy-Washy Specter, Nunn would really be an asset in Washington. He tells it like it is.

[ServesURight]

Are you serious? Did Helms actually do this?

Yes, he did. It was just two of them in the Hart building elevator and he started whistling loud and clear.

You know what else he did? He basically gave the U.N. the middle finger when he gave a speech saying that Americans will never surrender to a global government.

[Sal]

I assume this means we're also going to insist that the Kangaroo apparatus in the Hague free Slobodan Milosevic (who'se basically on trial for the war crime of trying to defend his nation from narco-terrorists and international gangsters). I mean, nobody admires hypocrisy.

I agree on this one. It looks like we're slowly turning against those narco-terrorists and international gangsters--in the KLA at least--but so far nobody seems to have figured out that these criminals were the ones causing the trouble in former Yugoslavia. Or at least nobody's admitting it yet, though we seem to be acknowledging their role against Macedonia.

Back when X42 was pushing this scummy little court and when his little puppet Carla Del Ponte was ignoring the war crimes evidence against her masters to focus only on Serbs, I wondered if X42 might eventually be sacrificed by HIS puppeteers in order to establish this court for once and all. Much as I wanted to see him in jail forever, I feared this court more. Judging from the list of voters, it looks like the People Who Matter have decided not to go that route anyway.

[suijuris]

"Voinovich, Ohio."

Voinovich; the best politician money can buy.

sui

[Wphile]

Yeah, I know she is but I think she was just re-elected in 2000. I could be wrong but I think that's the case. I grew up in the Bay Area while DiFi was mayor of San Fran. I know what a nutcase she is. I do think though that DiFi does have a bit of a brain. Murray and Cantwell can't claim to have that.

[DoughtyOne]

If what you are trying to say is that these four women are each vying for the bottom of the barrel status and Feinstein hasn't quite destinguished herself by taking that position hands down, I can buy into it. Just remember that she's in the running. Grin...

[dubyajames]

Voinovich is a moderate Republican, if an unconventional one. A tax-hiker and major squish on economic issues, he does stand out on moral issues, remaining pro-life and voting to convict Bill Clinton in 1999.

[11th Earl of Mar]

these four women are each vying for the bottom of the barrel

In Michigan we call that 'the cream of the crap.'

[Recovering_Democrat]

Thanks. :) I didn't know much 'bout him. Strange to find a fiscal liberal but social conservative.

[DMZDave]

Here's an interesting observation. The same folks who are worried about foreign terrorists being tried by an American tribunal are in favor of American soldiers being tried by a foreign tribunal. Go figure.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Good observation. Makes no sense.