Commentary
There's no bottom to the GOP's degeneracy
By Bev Conover
Online Journal Editor & Publisher


Oct 18, 2006, 01:03

When it comes to all things vile, the Republican Party leaders are in a class of their own. They make the Democrats look like neophytes.

Yesterday, no sooner had their psychopathic torturer in chief, George W. Bush, signed the dastardly Military Commissions Act of 2005, which circumvents the US Constitution and all Americans claim to cherish, the Republican National Committee issued the following press release:

Vast Majority Voted Against Program That Stops Attacks, Saves Lives, And Interrogates Dangerous Terrorist Leaders

Today, The President Signed The GOP-Backed Military Commissions Act:

"President Bush Is Signing A Law That Sets Tough Standards For Interrogation And Prosecution Of Terror Suspects . . . The Legislation, Which Sets The Rules For Court Proceedings, Applies To Those Selected By The Military For Prosecution And Leaves Mostly Unaffected The Majority Of The 14,000 Prisoners In U.S. Custody . . ." (Nedra Pickler, "Bush Signing Terror Bill In Major Victory For White House," The Associated Press, 10/17/06)

• "Many Democrats Opposed The Legislation Because They Said It Eliminated Rights Of Defendants . . ." (Nedra Pickler, "Bush Signing Terror Bill In Major Victory For White House," The Associated Press, 10/17/06)

Military Commissions Act Will Stop Attacks, Save Lives, And Allow Interrogation Of Dangerous Terrorists:

"The Pentagon Had Previously Selected 10 Prisoners At Guantanamo Bay Prison To Be Tried. Bush Is Expected Also To Try Some Or All Of The 14 Suspects Held By The CIA In Secret Prisons And Recently Transferred To Military Custody At Guantanamo Including The Mastermind Of The Sept. 11 Attacks And Architects Of The 2000 Bombing Of The USS Cole And The U.S. Embassy Bombings In Kenya And Tanzania." (Nedra Pickler, "Bush Signing Terror Bill In Major Victory For White House," The Associated Press, 10/17/06)

• Dana Perino, White House Spokeswoman: "President Bush is going to mark this bill signing as a historic moment because it is a law that he knows will be effective in preventing terrorist attacks and keeping Americans safe." (Nedra Pickler, "Bush Signing Terror Bill In Major Victory For White House," The Associated Press, 10/17/06)

"The Bill Would Protect Detainees From Blatant Abuses During Questioning Such As Rape, Torture And 'Cruel And Inhuman' Treatment But Does Not Require That Each Of Them Be Granted Legal Counsel And Specifically Bars Detainees From Protesting Their Detentions In Federal Courts." (Nedra Pickler, "Bush Signing Terror Bill In Major Victory For White House," The Associated Press, 10/17/06)

Vast Majority Of House Democrats Voted Against Military Tribunals For Dangerous Terrorists:

162 House Democrats Voted Against Authorizing Military Tribunals For Dangerous Terrorist Suspects, Including Alleged 9/11 Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad. (S. 3930, CQ Vote #508: Adopted 250-170: R 218-7; D 32-162; I 0-1, 9/29/06)

House Democrats Who Voted Against Military Commissions Act Included:

Rep. Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Rep. Jim Davis (D-FL)
Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-OR)
Rep. Charlie Melancon (D-LA)
Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV)
Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC)
Rep. John Conyers (D-MI)
Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL)
Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL)
Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
Rep. John Murtha (D-PA)
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY)
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA)

House Democrats Said They Did Not Believe In Interrogating Terrorists:

Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-TX): "Why are we rushing into this? . . . we should not be in a hurry." (Rep. Solomon Ortiz, Congressional Record, 9/27/06, p. H7536)

• Click Here To Watch The Video Of Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-TX) Delaying Interrogating Dangerous Terrorists.

Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY): "[T]hroughout the course of our history the most respected and revered Americans have consistently warned us that the greatest threat facing or country was not external but internal. We could not be conquered from abroad, but we do have the capacity to erode what constitutes this country from within. . . . and that's what we see happening here today. We see the erosion of the basic principles of this country." (Rep. Maurice Hinchey, Congressional Record, 9/28/06, p. H7864)

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY): "This bill makes the President a dictator." (Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Congressional Record, 9/28/06, p. H7550)

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH): "This bill is everything we don't believe in." (Anne Plummer Flaherty, "House Approves Bill On Terror Detainees," The Associated Press, 9/27/06)

Vast Majority Of Senate Democrats Voted Against Military Tribunals For Dangerous Terrorists:

32 Senate Democrats Voted Against Authorizing Military Tribunals For Dangerous Terrorist Suspects, Including Alleged 9/11 Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad. (S. 3930, CQ Vote #259: Passed 65-34: R 53-1; D 12-32; I 0-1, 9/28/06)   

Senate Democrats Who Voted Against Military Commissions Act Included:

Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE)
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV)
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Sen. Mark Dayton (D-MN)
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)
Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)
Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI)
Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL)
Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)
Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV)
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Senate Democrats Said They Did Not Believe In Interrogating Terrorists:

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT): "Now that may sound like an experience from some oppressive and authoritarian regime, something that may have happened under the Taliban, something that Saddam Hussein might have ordered or in the fiction of Kafka." (Sen. Patrick Leahy, Congressional Record, 9/28/06, p. S10356)

• Click Here To Watch The Video Of Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Comparing U.S. Military Interrogating Terrorists To Taliban And Saddam Hussein.

Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA): "The bill that has reached the floor would diminish the security and safety of Americans everywhere." ("Bush Pushes For Senate's OK On Detainee Bill," The Associated Press, 9/28/06)

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL): "If I . . . didn't tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners [at Guantanamo] in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime, Pol Pot, or others that had no concern for human beings. Sadly, that is not the case. This was the action of Americans in the treatment of their prisoners." (PBS' "The Newshour," 6/17/05)

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT): "We have been known as the nation of Nuremberg. My fear is now we will be known as the nation of Guantanamo . . ." (Sen. Chris Dodd, Congressional Record, 9/28/06, p. S10354)

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA): "I do not believe that the bill before us is constitutional." (Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Congressional Rerord, 9/28/06, p. S10363)

Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI): "[This bill will be] used by our terrorist enemies as evidence of U.S. hypocrisy when it comes to proclamations of human rights." (Richard Simon and Julian E. Barnes, "Detainee Bill Now Goes To Senate," Los Angeles Times, 9/28/06)

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA): "This bill permits torture." (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 9/28/06, p. S10371)

• Sen. Kerry Said The Bush Administration "Lobbied For Torture." (Sen. John Kerry, Congressional Record, 9/28/06, p. S10371)

A Product Of The RNC Research Department