It's Torture

No ifs ands or buts:

The Democratic-led House of Representatives voted on Thursday to outlaw harsh interrogation methods, such as simulated drowning, that the CIA has used against suspected terrorists.

On a 222-199 vote, the House approved a measure to require intelligence agents to comply with the Army Field Manual, which meets the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of war prisoners and prohibits torture.

That looks pretty party-line to me.

Republicans heart torture!

It saddens me that this even needs to be passed.

A Little Less Conversation

A little more action:

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted on Thursday to hold two top aides to President George W. Bush in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate in its probe of fired federal prosecutors.

On a largely party-line vote of 11-7, the Democratic-led panel sent contempt citations against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove to the full Senate for consideration.

All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me. Reuters notes that Republicans can use procedural hurdles, but they can't stop the Capitol police from hauling in Rove and Bolten's asses if they don't respond to subpoenas, which they haven't.

Gore Speaks Truth

I can't wait for the right-wing to start whining like the childish asshats they are for this:

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore drew cheers at 190-nation talks by saying the United States was the main block to launching negotiations in Bali on a new global climate treaty.

Efforts to start two-year negotiations on a pact to succeed the Kyoto Protocol flagged on Thursday, the penultimate day of the December 3-14 talks, after the European Union accused the United States of lacking ambition.

"I am going to speak an inconvenient truth," Gore told an audience of several hundred, playing on the name of his Oscar-winning documentary.

And in low tones he added: "My own country the United States is principally responsible for obstructing progress in Bali," spurring rapturous applause and cheers.

Of course, none of the criticism will be substantive, but rather it will consist of attacks on Gore.

That didn't take long.

Worst President Ever

Guess who?

U.S. President George W. Bush on Wednesday vetoed a bill expanding a popular children's health-care program for a second time, angering Democrats who are locked in a fight with the administration over the budget and spending.

Pushed by the Democratic-led Congress but also supported by many Republicans, the bill was aimed at providing health insurance to about 10 million children in low- and moderate-income families. Taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products would have been increased to pay for the aid.

Bush vetoed an earlier version of the bill in October but Congress quickly passed another one that included some changes but not enough to satisfy the White House concerns.

Can you believe it? Of course you can. Why doesn't our media get it? Bush doesn't give a shit about compromise, he only cares about being the only deciderer in power, and all he's interested in is getting exactly what he wants, with no deviations from his plan. He is a whiny, spoiled brat who hates everyone who disagrees with him, and as a result, a horrible human being.

Get That Spine!

Thank you, Senators:

Senate Democrats are calling the White House's bluff on a threatened veto of an energy bill by refusing to take out language that would remove tax breaks for big oil and gas companies.

The Senate's version of the bill, which modifies energy legislation passed last week by the U.S. House of Representatives, is scheduled to be voted on Thursday. It would repeal about $13 billion in tax breaks for mostly big oil companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp.

The White House has said the bill unfairly targets the oil industry and that President George W. Bush would veto the legislation in its current form.

Bush isn't bluffing - he will veto the bill because it's not exactly what he wants. But it's better for Congress to put a bill in front of him that is supported by a majority of not only Congresscritters but also Americans. Even if the result is the same as it would be if Congress just gave up and didn't put a bill in front of him that he wouldn't sign, now when he vetoes it, the blame will rest squarely on Bush's shoulders and nobody else's. We like it when our leaders have spines and go down fighting, not when they roll over and play dead.

Kudos to Senator Reid on this one.

Bush Administration Interfered with Climate Change Science

My favorite Congressperson publishes a report.

The New iRaq

Or, I could have titled this post, "If Conservatives Got Their Pony."

Get Out the Smelling Salts

One of the Village's finest has been wronged:

Former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, dropped his appeal in a perjury case that fueled debate over the Iraq war, his attorney said on Monday.

Libby was found guilty in March of lying and obstructing an investigation into who blew the cover of a CIA officer, Valerie Plame, whose husband had criticized the Iraq war.

President George W. Bush commuted his 2 1/2-year prison sentence in July, but the former chief of staff to Cheney still had to pay a $250,000 fine.

"We remain firmly convinced of Mr. Libby's innocence," attorney Ted Wells said in a statement. "However, the realities were, that after five years of government service by Mr. Libby and several years of defending against this case, the burden on Mr. Libby and his young family of continuing to pursue his complete vindication are too great to ask them to bear."

Bush has not ruled out a full pardon for Libby.

Oh, my poor Scooter!!! Oh the agony!!!! Never mind that he's fund raising to pay that fine.

Like that last line? Bush totally will, that arrogant fuck.

Pardon Me

The Huckstir:

As governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee had a hand in twice as many pardons and commutations as his three predecessors combined.

The case he's asked about most concerns the parole of a castrated rapist who later killed a woman.

Although the Republican presidential contender and Southern Baptist preacher plays down any personal involvement in that release, Huckabee granted 1,033 pardons and commutations in his 10 1/2 years as governor of Arkansas. The acts of clemency benefited the stepson of a staff member, murderers who worked at the governor's mansion, a rock star and inmates who received good words from their pastors.

"It seems to be true at least anecdotally that if a minister is involved, (Huckabee) seems likely to grant clemency," prosecutor Robert Herzfeld said in 2004 after successfully battling the then-governor over the release of a killer.

Huckabee's actions are too creepy and well-documented for most people to ignore. So creepy.

Leading the Pack

There's you in "U.S.," but there is "us:"

Washington rejected stiff 2020 targets for greenhouse gas cuts by rich nations at U.N. talks in Bali on Monday as part of a "roadmap" to work out a new global pact to fight climate change by 2009.

"It's prejudging what the outcome should be," chief negotiator Harlan Watson said of a draft suggesting that rich nations should aim to axe emissions of heat-trapping gases by between 25 and 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.

Prejudging... heh. This is really the fault of all those scientists who have prejudged the future.

Can somebody remind me when we became the most backward industrialized nation in the world?