Richard Tafoya
Sep 19th, 2006, 06:45 PM
TPM:
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001560.php
A White House "compromise" on detainee treatment was rejected (http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/19/congress.tribunals/index.html) by a trio of senior lawmakers today, as Republicans continue to fight among themselves over an issue that was meant to boost their sagging poll numbers in an election year.
The White House continues to push for a new law to allow painful and humiliating treatment of terror detainees, as well as new powers to prosecute them outside of established judicial processes.
Sens. John Warner (R-VA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and John McCain (R-AZ) back a bill that sets stricter limits on detainee treatment and prosecution.
After the three men turned down the White House's compromise bill, an unnamed Senate aide calclulated the odds of both sides reaching a compromise at "50-50," CNN reported.
The group is expected to send a counter-proposal to the White House soon. Of course, they have something the White House doesn't: time. None of the three lawmakers face re-election battles, and control of the Senate is unlikely to be swayed by the outcome of this particular fight, so they could take their time in negotiating with the White House during these last two weeks of the session.
The administration, on the other hand, is eager to use detainee treatment as a wedge issue for the midterm House elections, which could determine not only control of the House but also the political future of the administration.
McCain Plan Gains Support in House
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2006/09/19/mccain-plan-gains-support-in-house/
Sen. John McCain’s plan for prosecuting suspected terrorists gained support from some moderate Republicans in the House. Reps. Chris Shays of Connecticut, Mike Castle of Delaware, Jim Leach of Iowa and Jim Walsh of New York wrote to House Republican leaders in support of McCain’s bill, which is at odds with a White House plan for creating military courts to try enemy combatants.
“It is vital we not equivocate or waiver on our commitment to treating those in U.S. custody in the same manner we would expect our own citizens be treated,” said the letter, which came as McCain and Sens. John Warner (R., Va.) and Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) continued talks with the White House over the legislation. House consideration of the legislation will slip to next week, after Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R., Wis.) said he wanted to bring it through his committee.
House Majority Leader John Boehner (R., Ohio) played down the divisions among House Republicans on the issue. “I don’t see the kind of divisions over here that we have seen in the other body,” he said. –Sarah Lueck
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001560.php
A White House "compromise" on detainee treatment was rejected (http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/09/19/congress.tribunals/index.html) by a trio of senior lawmakers today, as Republicans continue to fight among themselves over an issue that was meant to boost their sagging poll numbers in an election year.
The White House continues to push for a new law to allow painful and humiliating treatment of terror detainees, as well as new powers to prosecute them outside of established judicial processes.
Sens. John Warner (R-VA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and John McCain (R-AZ) back a bill that sets stricter limits on detainee treatment and prosecution.
After the three men turned down the White House's compromise bill, an unnamed Senate aide calclulated the odds of both sides reaching a compromise at "50-50," CNN reported.
The group is expected to send a counter-proposal to the White House soon. Of course, they have something the White House doesn't: time. None of the three lawmakers face re-election battles, and control of the Senate is unlikely to be swayed by the outcome of this particular fight, so they could take their time in negotiating with the White House during these last two weeks of the session.
The administration, on the other hand, is eager to use detainee treatment as a wedge issue for the midterm House elections, which could determine not only control of the House but also the political future of the administration.
McCain Plan Gains Support in House
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2006/09/19/mccain-plan-gains-support-in-house/
Sen. John McCain’s plan for prosecuting suspected terrorists gained support from some moderate Republicans in the House. Reps. Chris Shays of Connecticut, Mike Castle of Delaware, Jim Leach of Iowa and Jim Walsh of New York wrote to House Republican leaders in support of McCain’s bill, which is at odds with a White House plan for creating military courts to try enemy combatants.
“It is vital we not equivocate or waiver on our commitment to treating those in U.S. custody in the same manner we would expect our own citizens be treated,” said the letter, which came as McCain and Sens. John Warner (R., Va.) and Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) continued talks with the White House over the legislation. House consideration of the legislation will slip to next week, after Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R., Wis.) said he wanted to bring it through his committee.
House Majority Leader John Boehner (R., Ohio) played down the divisions among House Republicans on the issue. “I don’t see the kind of divisions over here that we have seen in the other body,” he said. –Sarah Lueck