Lindsey Graham takes a stand

It's good to see a South Carolina Senator, Lindsey Graham take a stand for sanity in these insane times. Our President seems to love torture and tough action although it has never been proven effective and may be illegal in a court of law if evidence is based on it. More legal wranglings that this administration is fond of getting into, not liking laws created by wiser men who saw these potential problems. Take for instance the writers and signers of the Constitution!

It's also good to see Colin Powell speak out on this matter. In a letter to John McCain who sponsored a no-torture bill to which Bush had to add one of over 700 sighing statements, he said, "The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism..."

Now that may be a nominee for the understatement of the year but at least he's saying something and my hope is that he will redeem himself after his nightmarish WMD proclamations in deference to White House pressure (?), and become a great leader. I believe he can be.

Mr Bush responded: "It is very important for the American people to understand that in order to protect this country, we must be able to interrogate people who have information about future attacks."

This may be true but he's not saying everything he means, as usual. It would be more important for this country's protection that we be led by competent, restrained, and thoughtful men and women, who are not apt to lead us into unending wars and the deterioration of our Constitution. Also, why does he think that the American people don't understand what needs to be done in order to protect our country? My, we are a patient lot.

Senator Lindsey Graham said, "We are not going to win the war by killing every terrorist with a bomb or bullet," according to Bloomberg News. "You win the war by persuading those people in the Mideast to reject terrorism." Mr. Graham is an authority on military law. He also expressed concerns for our troops if and when captured by enemy forces how they might be treated.

Mr Graham was also the one of the main driving forces in the waste of time and money in the Clinton sex-scandal impeachment process.

I heard this on npr this morning on the route and then saw it here:

Senate Panel Defies Bush on Detainee Bill by David Stout The New York Times

Let's hope people are watching these events and are ready to use their power at the ballet box, and free speech while we have it!


Other news of interest:
Ten Big News Stories You Aren't Hearing

IAEA Protests "Erroneous" US Report on Iran

Are Political Blogs Swinging Elections?

Moazzam Begg: From Pakistan to Guantanamo
Former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg has published a memoir called Enemy Combatant. Begg says he was arrested in Pakistan without ever being charged with a crime, beaten and psychologically tortured at prison camps in Afghanistan and kept in isolation for nearly two years at Guantanamo Bay.



me in the EE