In a 222-199 vote, the House passed a bill which would prohibit the CIA from using interrogation techniques not sanctioned in the Army Field Manual, such as waterboarding. Good news.
There were five Republicans amongst the ayes. They were Representatives Roscoe Bartlett (MD), Wayne Gilchrest (MD), Tim Johnson (IL), Walter Jones (NC), and Chris Smith (NJ). Special credit to Bartlett and Gilchrest, whose ballots meant that the entire Maryland Congressional delegation voted unanimously against sanctioning torture.
There were also ten Democrats who voted nay. They were Representatives Danny Davis (IL), Dennis Kucinich (OH), Barbara Lee (CA), John Lewis (GA), Jim Marshall (GA), David Scott (GA), Jose Serrano (NY), Pete Stark (CA), Maxine Waters (CA), and Lynn Woolsey (CA). With the exception of Marshall and possibly Scott, I'm guessing that these folks were objecting from the left, not casting ballots in favor of torture.
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3 comments:
What's the objection from the left?
No clue. But the list of Democratic nays is a who's-who of House progressives, so I'm guessing they haven't converted to the Kit Bond "waterboarding is like swimming" school of thought.
I assume it is a "we shouldn't have to pass a bill to ban torture, we already signed the geneva convention" type of thing, as voting to ban certain torture techniques implicitly means you are condoning those not banned
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