Posted on 02/26/2010 11:04:54 AM PST by jazusamo
The House Democratic leadership stopped a vote Thursday night on the $50 billion classified intelligence budget after Republicans mounted a campaign against one of its provisions to ban degrading treatment of detainees and some moderate Democrats indicated they would not vote for the bill.
The Republican lawmakers, led by Rep. Pete Hoekstra, Michigan Republican, opposed what they saw as backdoor legislation that would impose fines and prison terms on intelligence officers who abuse captured terrorism suspects.
A Democratic House aide told The Washington Times that the leadership supported the amendment and urged the House Rules Committee to place it in a slate of provisions to the bill known as a managers amendment.
Courtney Littig, a spokeswoman for the House intelligence committee said, "To my knowledge the first time we learned of the McDermott amendment was when we received copies of the amendments from the Rules Committee [Wednesday] afternoon." Rep. Jim McDermott, Washington Democrat, was the original author of the provision, known as the Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Interrogation Prohibition Act of 2010.
The amendment would authorize federal sentences of up to life in prison for cruel interrogation if it led to a detainee's death or other penalties for lesser offenses
The provision is very vague. Who can define "degrading"? The term is subjective and thus open to being used for political ends.
Congressman Hoekstra (R-Michigan), ranking Republican on the House intelligence Committee, led efforts to stop this provision from going forward.
The legislation was inserted into the larger bill without even being considered by his committee. Where is that hope and change? Where is that bipartisanship? We should know better by now-given the disgraceful way Democrats tried to force through Obamacare.
"This was done without committee review and without any feedback or input from the CIA," says the House source. "It just showed up in the middle of the night. It specifically targets those who are keeping us safe. It doesn't respond to what happened at Ft. Hood or Detroit. Instead, it targets the CIA for new criminal punishments."
McDermott has compiled quite a record-for the bad guys.
The amendment's sponsor, Rep. Jim McDermott, made a protest visit to Iraq in 2002 prior to the U.S. invasion. In 2008, a federal indictment against Muthanna Al-Hanooti, the man who arranged Mr. McDermott's trip, said then-Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's Iraqi intelligence service paid for the trip.
He also has recently signed a letter with 53 other Democratic Congressmen (one has since pulled her signature) decrying Israel's so-called blockade on Gaza (Gaza is getting plenty of supplies in through Israeli checkpoints and there was no mention of Egypt's "blockade)-guess he wants to help Hamas; he is a regular blogger at Huffington Post where he criticizes Israel.
He uses his seat to protect our adversaries, help terror groups, and punish our allies.
Now he is also using it to harm our CIA agents and place handcuffs on them when it comes to interrogating terror suspects.
And he does so through a very slippery maneuver that belies any sort of Democratic claim to be operating in an aboveboard, open and honest manner..
A thread by ETL shows McDermott's connections to other anti-Americans through the Revolutionary Communist Party.
Investigating the Bush-Cheney "torture" investigators (ties to Revolutionary Communist Party fronts)
“The provision is very vague. Who can define “degrading”?”
Well...you can get a good working definition by asking what is the effect on a free Republic to have an elected official in America like this rat bstrd from WA?
Ping!
Thanks for your thread.
McDermott long ago proved himself to be a traitor.
These people disgust me. They have infiltrated our ranks...pure treason if you ask me.
The POS is evil to the core, and un-American as well.
Just ask any FReeper from Washington state and they’ll tell you about the chilling effect of a rat bass turd like McDimwit.
They’ll also tell you that he has a job for life because he is situated such that he enjoys 70%+ election rates. Personally I’m hoping for divine intervention in the form of a speeding bus..
Sad thing is McDermott is one of the untouchables. His Seattle district is so far left that he will always pull 70% or more of the vote.
sniker sniker. looks liek we were typing the same thing at the same time. We know Baghdad Jim well.
Sadly, you’re both 100% right. The turkey has a lock on that district as long as he wants it or until he goes to federal prison which is where he belongs.
“Theyll also tell you that he has a job for life because he is situated such that he enjoys 70%+ election rates. Personally Im hoping for divine intervention in the form of a speeding bus..”
Ded Kennedy (D-HELL) had the same job security...and so his successor was guaranteed, too...Godspeed, WA...
By their proposed legislation and amendments you can tell who the true traitors are in the democrap party and by inference those who vote them in.
You’re welcome. It was your posts from yesterday that inspired it.
This traitor needs to be dealt with very harshly, 70% support or not.
I’m counting on his arrogance and overconfidence to be his undoing (someday)...
These ‘’secret agents’’ and ‘’intellene officers’’ are our soldiers too. Please note that it is RATS that are always trying to betray/screw them.
Amen!
These articles have stressed CIA personnel but this new law would have covered any and all intel personnel whether civilian or military.
... which would give many a potential military/intel man pause about serving. Maybe that's the idea.
Say WA? Evergreen State ping
Quick link: WA State Board
FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this ping list.
Ping sionnsar if you see a Washington state related thread.
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