John McCain Sells His Soul (Again)

This will be a campaign issue that will hurt him with the Independents, who are part of the 58% of Americans who think water boarding should be banned.

So now Mr. USS Forestfire can't say he was tortured, can he?

As is the case many times, there is more to it than just seeing a vote as "support" of something:

McCain led earlier efforts in the Senate to ban cruel treatment of prisoners, and has denounced waterboarding in presidential debates. But preserving the CIA's ability to employ so-called enhanced interrogation methods has broad support in the party's conservative base.

In a statement, McCain explained his vote against the measure by saying he considers waterboarding illegal under existing U.S. law but he does not want to bind U.S. intelligence officers with restrictions designed for the military.

"I believe that our energies are better directed at ensuring that all techniques, whether used by the military or the CIA, are in full compliance with our international obligations and in accordance with our deepest values," McCain said.

You see? McCain believes waterboarding is already illegal under existing laws but he also believes that the CIA should not be bound by military rules (this bill would require the CIA to be bound by the guidelines found under the United States Army Field Manual which makes NO SENSE). So in short, it's dishonest to say that McCain voted "in favor of" torture. Contrary to the way the story Oliver links to presents it, the vote was not solely over interrogation techniques, but was a broad bill that sets spending priorities for the intelligence community. This language was inserted at the last moment by Dianne Feinstein.

All it takes is the slightest bit of effort to look into something a little more closely.

Nah, I think back a few years and have no sympathy for McCain. After all, on matters like this the right wing Republican base has a history of not looking more closely at the whys of a vote on purpose, and deliberately painting the candidate as inconsistent despite the changes that occur to various bills. As the man trying to win their vote, their standards should apply, therefore, McCain is just a flip flopper.

McCain believes waterboarding is already illegal under existing laws but he also believes that the CIA should not be bound by military rules

Dicey. McCain believes that certain actions are illegal and deplorable, but let's make sure we have somebody who can do them if we really think it's necessary. That's hardly a denunciation of the practice, it's only a clarification of who can do it.

By the by, how can he complain about Obama's "platitudes" while spouting generic and nebulous rhetoric like "our international obligations and in accordance with our deepest values"? As defined by whom?

Ummm, McCain voted for the MCA. Remember that? Remember McCain, Warner and Graham making noises about torture about a year ago? You do know that the MCA legalizes torture right? And that in the end, McCain voted for it.