Senator Reid's statement on the bill

....
The Framers of our Constitution understood the need for checks and balances, but this bill discards them.

Many of the worst provisions were not in the Committee-reported bill, and were not in the compromise announced last Friday. They were added over the weekend after backroom meetings with White House lawyers.

We have tried to improve this legislation. Senator Levin proposed to substitute the bipartisan bill that was reported by the Armed Services Committee. That amendment was rejected.

Senators Specter and Leahy offered an amendment to restore the right to judicial review - that amendment was rejected.

Senator Rockefeller offered an amendment to improve congressional oversight of CIA programs - that amendment was rejected.

Senator Kennedy offered an amendment to clarify that inhumane interrogation tactics prohibited by the Army Field manual could not be used on Americans or on others - that amendment was rejected.

And Senator Byrd offered an amendment to sunset military commissions so that Congress would simply be required to reconsider this far-reaching authority after five years of experience. Even that amendment was rejected.

......... (rest of statement not quoted)
kant | 09.28.06 - 6:58 pm | #

I agree with Senator Kennedy.

I feel dirty.
Joe | 09.28.06 - 7:38 pm | #

I applaud Andrew Sullivan for being big enough to admit that Benedict might actually know what he is talking about on issues of interreligious dialogue, world peace etc. Intellectual honesty is a beautiful thing.

Now, will it eventually occur to Sullivan that the same extraorinary intellect, reason and general holiness that motivates the Pope's statements and opinions on radical Islam might, just might, also inform his statements on homosexual behavior and lifestyle issues?

I know it's a tall order, but one can hope...
CV | 09.29.06 - 9:39 am | #