Officers and Veterans Defy Bush's Neocons

[steve2470]

http://www.observer.com/politics_joeconason.asp


by Joe Conason


Among the most durable stereotypes of American political culture is that military officers secretly yearn for authoritarian rule and blind brutality, especially if they happen to be from the South, while civilian officials and intellectuals supposedly cherish our constitutional order.

Those old liberal clichés have been proven false in the struggle to curtail the lawless misconduct symbolized by Abu Ghraib. We now know that the most reliable defenders of the Constitution are lifetime military officers—bolstered by a trio of Southern conservative Senators who also happen to be decorated veterans.

They have been pushing back against the neoconservative academics and experts whose advice led to torture scandals and the abrogation of civil and human rights.

In an effort to restore the honor of the armed forces and prevent future abuses, Senators John McCain of Arizona, John Warner of Virginia and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina have proposed amendments to the Defense Authorization Act that would institute standards for the treatment of military detainees. Having loyally muted their criticism during last year’s election season, the three Republican Senators are again voicing demands for candor and reform.

The White House responded with a blatant threat conveyed by Vice President Dick Cheney. Rather than accept sane restraints on future abuse, the President would veto the annual defense bill. With the administration’s credibility badly diminished, the Senate Republican leadership postponed a vote on the defense bill until September.

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[deacon]

1. Bush and Cheney are just pro torture-- and here they shamelessly admit

it.

How can they take a stand like this and claim that what happened was a few 'isolated incidents?' Obvioulsy, this stance shows they knew and approved of what was going on. Why else would they react like this?

Noin-depth discussion needed. They clearly are pro torture.

[annabanana]

2. not only are they pro-torture

They are RABIDLY pro-torture. I think that Warner/Graham & McCain should call their bluff. Would he REALLY veto the defense bill? Would corpomedia ignore THAT?

I call BS

[Boo Boo]

3. Well, I suppose I should be glad that McCain

Warner, and Graham are "pushing back," but it seems to me that if the men who swear to uphold the law don't actually intend to uphold the law, and are allowed to remain in office in spite of that, then it doesn't really make much difference if you pass another law.

We already have the War Crimes Act, yes? Military lawyers voiced their concerns, up front, that the proposals regarding treatment of WOT detainees were crimes under U.S. law. Other Admin lawyers, including Gonazles, noted that members of the Admin could be subject to prosecution under U.S. law at some later date. Yet, did anybody ask Gonzales if he was going to uphold the law and prosecute violations of the War Crimes Act before they MADE THE MOTHERFUCKER ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES!!!

I remember a lot of rending of garments, and self-serving lectures, and expressions of outrage, but the fact is that Gonzales was obviously NOT going to uphold the laws of the United States and the Senate approved him anyway. Do they not understand that they have undermined their own ability to make law? Surely they must.

The Senate is impotent because they've allowed themselves to be undermined by partisan politics. They won't, as a body, take a principled stand on anything; not even torture. U.S. law has been obviously violated on a grand scale, and the response of those "pushing back" is to try to pass more laws. We don't need more laws, we need leaders that uphold the law.

McCain, Graham, and Warner all voted to confirm Gonzales.