Demagogue

Hats off to Sen. John McCain for pushing through the Republican-controlled Senate an amendment that imposes restrictions on the treatment of terrorism suspects. Reports the AP:

Defying the White House, senators voted 90-9 to approve an amendment that would prohibit the use of “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” against anyone in U.S. government custody, regardless of where they are held.

The proposal, sponsored by Sen. John McCain, also requires all service members to follow procedures in the Army Field Manual when they detain and interrogate terrorism suspects.

Bush administration officials say the legislation would limit the president’s authority and flexibility in war.

Yes, it certainly would -- and for good reason.

“We demanded intelligence without ever clearly telling our troops what was permitted and what was forbidden. And when things went wrong, we blamed them and we punished them,” said McCain .... “Our troops are not served by ambiguity. They are crying out for clarity, and Congress cannot shrink from this duty,” said McCain ...

The Senate was expected to vote on the overall spending bill by weeks’ end. The House-approved version of it does not include the detainee provisions. It is unclear how much support the measure has in the GOP-run House.

Stay tuned. The House GOP leaders (Hastert, DeLay et al) have never let a silly detail like human rights or America's image in the world influence their actions.