Last night, the US Senate joined the House of Representatives in voting for a bill which would restrict the CIA to interrogation methods listed in the Army Field Manual - effectively barring waterboarding. This is good news, and represents a return to decency on the part of the US legislature, despite the fact that Bush is going to veto the bill. But the interesting story here is about Republican Presidential candidate John McCain. In the past, he's presented himself as a principled opponent of torture. But that apparently all goes out the window now that he's running for President:
Senate Democrats, sensing an opportunity to highlight a policy dispute between the White House and Senator John McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee, had been hoping that Republicans would make a procedural challenge to the provision on interrogation methods.So much for McCain's "principles". When push comes to shove, he'll vote for torture, just like the rest of them.Mr. McCain, a former prisoner of war, has consistently voiced opposition to waterboarding and other methods that critics say is a form torture. But the Republicans, confident of a White House veto, did not mount the challenge. Mr. McCain voted “no” on Wednesday afternoon.
(Hat tip: Think Progress).
