From the Wisconsin Green candidate for Senate, Rae Vogeler:
President Bush’s attempts to abuse, ignore and abandon the protections of human rights embedded in the Geneva Conventions must not be taken lightly. He has used his authority to have suspects abducted off the street, carted off to secret prisons, held incommunicado and without charges. His administration has used waterboarding, sensory deprivation and other torture techniques to extract information. They've denied prisoners access to our civil courts and then set up 'kangaroo' military courts to try them.
The Bush Administration has done all of this in the name of defending freedom, liberty, democracy and human rights! What must the world think of its sole remaining superpower?
Bush’s actions should not surprise us. The Neocons currently at the helm have displayed utter contempt for international law, treaties, understandings and domestic civil liberties in the name of their never ending “war on terror” and their quest to maintain U.S. global might. No one should be surprised by their actions. They’re doing exactly what they said they would do.
What’s suprising is not Bush & Company’s behavior, but the limited opposition to it, and the fact that it has come primarily from Republicans such as John McCain (already positioning himself for a Presidential run.)
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What is our own Senator Kohl's position? He has been silent. If he and the other Democrats in the Senate are unwilling to defend basic human rights, then they should move aside to make room for those courageous enough to stand in defense of principles.
Where Kohl is on this is a damned good question. As always, Herb's shying away from the spotlight. Any attempt at leadership is, as always, out of the question. Herb will wait until the most popular position becomes clear, then vote that way. Or, barring any clear 'safe vote', he'll quietly cast his with no fanfare.
Tags: news politics torture human rights constitution Herb Kohl Rae Vogeler Wisconsin
