US is FUBAR
The Senate is well on its way towards ratifying HR 6166, with all the nasty parts I mentioned before. The only options left appear to be a filibuster (unlikely), or that the law gets knocked down as unconstitutional by the SCOTUS.
We must start treating our moral authority as a precious national asset that does not limit our power but magnifies our influence. That seems obvious, but this Administration still doesn’t get it. Right now – today — they are trying to rush a bill through Congress that will fundamentally undermine our moral authority, put our troops at greater risk, and make our country less safe.
Let me be clear about something—something that it seems few people are willing to say. This bill permits torture. It gives the President the discretion to interpret the meaning and application of the Geneva Conventions. No matter how much well-intended United States Senators would like to believe otherwise, it gives an Administration that lobbied for torture just what it wanted.
The only guarantee we have that these provisions really will prohibit torture is the word of the President. But we have seen in Iraq the consequences of simply accepting the word of this Administration. No, we cannot just accept the word of this Administration that they will not engage in torture given that everything they’ve already done and said on this most basic question has already put our troops at greater risk and undermined the very moral authority needed to win the war on terror.
Senator John Kerry
Update: Here’s a good summary of the problems surrounding the bill. At this point (1905 UTC+1), it looks like filibuster is not an option, and the bill is almost certain to pass. It’s a dark dark day for the US.