Kerry on Amendment to Require Reports on Clandestine Detention Facilities

[kerrygoddess]

Senator John Kerry just offered an amendment on the Senate floor demanding reports to Congress on the CIA’s now-public secret prisons in Eastern Europe. Here’s a breakdown of the amendment:

Purpose: To require reports on clandestine facilities for the detention of individuals captured in the global war on terrorism. The amendment does not shut them down (if they exist), rather it demands oversight.

Report of the Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense will deliver to the Armed Services Committees of the House and Senate a classified a detailed report on his knowledge, or the knowledge of personnel of the Department of Defense, of clandestine detention facilities for individuals captured in the War on Terrorism.

Report of the Director of National Intelligence
The Director of National Intelligence will deliver a classified report to the House and Senate intelligence committees providing a full accounting on any clandestine prison or detention facility operated by the United States Government, regardless of its location, where detainees in the Global War on Terrorism are held.

Kerry Statement on Amendment to Require Reports on Clandestine Detention Facilities (As Prepared):

Mr. President, in recent weeks we have heard allegations about the existence of secret prison facilities operated by the United States government in various countries around the world. I know that many of my colleagues take this matter very seriously. The Central Intelligence Agency has reportedly requested a Justice Department investigation of how classified intelligence information made its way into print. Clearly, the revelation of these programs is a serious national security matter that we can all agree on, no matter where we sit.

MORE - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=1114

[jillan]

1. You will start a flame war on this, won't you?

:evilgrin: :evilgrin:

[kerrygoddess]

2. Considering there will be more from him later today ...

LOL - and this is the second "K-news" post in GD no doubt we'll be hopping today!

[karynnj]

3. How many posts in will it be before someone misconstrues this

as condoning the facilities? Before the Senators even know what they do and what they are.

[jillan]

5. No - they can't misconstrue this. Kerry wants this out in the open

so we can see what is going on. He has the perfect approach. He is not causing them to be on the defense. He is saying why it's important for the senate to help oversee this. If he was more forceful, all he would have done was piss them off. My hat is off to Kerry for the way he is doing this.

[karynnj]

6. I totally agree it can't be misconstrued in reality

I was just meaning in DU - where anything can. By the way, your avatar is perfect for this discussion and the Iraq one. Though really sad, the thoughtfulness in his face there is overwhelming.

I agree he crafted this beautifully. (The Republicans either end up disgracing themselves by abandoning their responsiblities or insuring that we act honorably. I assume that a Senator who knowingly signs off on torture facilities will be vulnerable to both negative publicity and maybe even the possibility of war crimes accusations (though they've accused Kissinger years ago.)

[TayTay]

4. The Rethugs got word of this earlier, right

Cheney, the Dick of Death, went into the Rethug luncheon on Tuesday last and told them about this, didn't he. So one of their people is a tattler.

Then Fristy and someone else went all ballistic and asked for a report on who the leaker was and wanted an investigation. Trent Lott, chuckling to himself under his breath about what a moran Fristy is, then made the common sense observation that someone in the meeting with the Dick of Death dropped a dime on the clandestine prisons thing. (Oh, Rethugs now have to investigate Rethugs. Fristy's head probably exploded.)

Bravo Sen. Kerry. This is a good first step. The Rethugs will shoot it down, as they hate accountability, but this is a great first step. And the Dick of Death will hate you forever. (As if doesn't already.) Watch out for imperial storm troopers off the floor, that's his style.

Does anyone else hear that music, the Imperial March, from Star Wars whenever the Dick of Death appears? I do. Dun, dun, dun, da-da dun.

[frogmarch]

7. Maybe I'm out of the loop

but it seems to me that finding out who leaked the info isn't any more important than finding out why Kerry and others had not been informed of the prisons, and whether the prisoners are being tortured.

While I support an investigation into the leak, I think all the ruckus over who leaked the information about the existence of the prisons is a smokescreen to obscure equally important questions pertaining to the secret workings of Big Dick's underground government.

I think Senator Kerry knows this and is playing his cards very carefully.

[TayTay]

8. Definitely.

He is building a case, one layer at a time, each layer tightly constructed and solid.

[karynnj]

9. Kerry's amendment asks that the appropriate committees

get the classified documents on the prisons - so they can perform their oversight duty. I assume if this passes, it gives a whole group of Republican (and Democrats - who I hope have no problem) complete information on these facilities. If the facilities are outside the bounds, I assume it make those who see the information complicit of war crimes if they don't say no to them. Some, like McCain and Graham, might say no. Someone gave the Washington Post the information.

[ray of light]

20. I think they're starting to beat the drum loudly and clearly now...

"Oversight is Congresses sacred duty!"

They're doing quite well and Kerry's prosecutor approach is just right.

After all, you're talking about the guy who wouldn't give up on BCCI even though Repubs and the CIA were trying to obstruct him.

[karynnj]

21. Great point

[karynnj]

10. They're voting on the prison amendment

Lots of Republicans are voting yes

[karynnj]

11. McCain voted "no"

What's up with that?

[jillan]

12. payback for Kerry calling his bluff.

[karynnj]

13. Oops! now he changed to "aye"

So can we say he voted against it before he voted for it - or does that oly count once they close the vote. Kerry looks really happy.

[karynnj]

14. Kerry wins!!!! his amendment passes

82 to 9 What a great day; an excellent speech on Iraq, an excellent speech on this, great negociating, and now a win on this, Kerry looks happy - he was amazing.

[Mass]

15. I am curious to know who are the 9 (in fact 17 - 8 were too coward to vote

NO)

[jillan]

17. It's crazy on the senate floor now

any watching?

It's a free for all out there.

Here comes Teddy to add some order.
What a zoo!

[Mass]

18. The Lautenberg amendment has passed

I cant believe it. (Warner did what he could not to have it voted - Thanks to Kennedy to have intervened).

[_dynamicdems]

40. Warner is such a nasty old creature.

Can you imagine him married to Elizabeth Taylor?

[karynnj]

43. You really have to question her judgement

marrying Warner and being close friends with Michael Jackson.

[_dynamicdems]

44. No kidding!

She is known for her kindness and charity.

[jenndar]

19. Can we infer...

that Senator Kennedy just planted a kiss on Senator Lautenberg?

I think we can.

[jillan]

23. and ... can we infer

that Kerry just gave a big "go f* yourself" to Mr Cheney?
:rofl: :rofl: :patriot:

[whometense]

35. I know one of them

was Stevens-the-Kerry-hater. Made me laugh when I heard his (grumpy) vote.

[jillan]

16. wooooooohoooooooooooooooooo!!!

YesYesYes!!!!!!

Now Lautenberg is going to give 'em hell

GO DEMS!

GO KERRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ray of light]

22. Who are the nine "no's"?

[fedupinBushcountry]

24. Here they are

No Votes

Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
DeMint (R-SC)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Martinez (R-FL)
Sessions (R-AL)
Stevens (R-AK)
Vitter (R-LA)

Not Voting - 9

Alexander (R-TN)
Corzine (D-NJ)
Domenici (R-NM)
Enzi (R-WY)
Hagel (R-NE)
Inouye (D-HI)
Lugar (R-IN)
Santorum (R-PA)
Thomas (R-WY)

[jillan]

25. where did you get that?

I tried to search, but couldn't find it.

[Mass]

28. Here

You have all the votes the Senate has made this year. It is typically updated in the hour after the vote.

Click on the number in the column vote and you will get the rollcall.

ttp://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/vote_menu_109_1.htm

[jillan]

32. Thanks - was at the right website, wrong area!

[ray of light]

26. Thank you so much!

Do you have a link you used for that so I can bookmark it in the future?

[Mass]

27. Here

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00318

[ray of light]

30. Thank you, Mass.

[Mass]

29. Thanks - What is there with the not voting

(except Corzine and Alexander who were not there for the other votes.)

[ray of light]

31. Gosh, I sure hope they missed voting

because they had a really extreme flu, were practically on their death bed, with their heads hanging over the toilet because they just saw proof of the Bush administration's explicit torture devices.

If not...then kick the rascals out! This vote was a 'gimme' (in golf terms)an absolute no brainer to me!

Torture is immoral and unacceptable and for those who call themselves "patriots" it's also un-American too!

[karynnj]

36. Corzine is leaving anyway. I'm not sure when he becomes Governor

[jillan]

33. what is with McCain

He voted against it, before he voted for it!

At least one of my senators has 1/2 (or maybe 1/4) of a brain.

Kyl is a lost cause. Kerry come to Az and do your magic.

[globalvillage]

34. Oh, sure. Today is Kerry Day in the Senate.

I will be there next Thursday.
:(


He was great, though.
:)

[TayTay]

37. It was Kerry day in the Senate, wasn't it.

I taped the whole thing and can fast forward to the good parts. This was awesome.

The vote on the CIA prisons is a biggie. I still don't think we have all the details or ramifications of that vote. Those prisons violate the laws of the countries that house them. Torture is also against the UN treaties that these countries are signatories to. This could get real interesting. If the US acknowledges them, aren't we in violation of these laws as well?

This sounds like a real round one situation to me. It seems like there is more to come on this.

Wow! Is everything falling apart for the denizens of REthuglia or what. Sen. Grassley can't get the tax cuts out of FinComm. The House 'Whack the poor' bill is scuttled, including ANWR. Sen. Kerry :loveya: gets this amendment passed overwhelmingly, submits a real live Democratic Plan for Iraq and gets to correct Sen. McCain on the Senate floor. If this is a dream, don't wake me.

I have major Kerry love tonight. :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya:

[globalvillage]

38. It was a very, very Kerry day!!!

I couldn't stop watching.
I actually disconnected a phone call at work.
"Gotta go, call ya back." (Damn, I didn't.)
I got e-mail from co-workers who were watching
"I just LOVE him." I told that one to stand in line.
Yes, damn near a whole day of Kerry. It was wonderful. He was perfect. Not too much that the repubs wouldn't back him (how could they not? and 'the nine' just need to crawl back under their rocks), and enough to get the rest of us psyched. And the McCain slap was lovely. That bastard should be ashamed, BTW.
Teddy was great, too. You people should be so proud of your guys.
I will be in DC NEXT Thu (damn. damn. damn.), and called Specter's office for a gallery pass (fat chance I would call the other one.) The woman I spoke with was very, very nice. Told me she would have an intern escort me. I can hardly wait. Think I should remove the "No Santorum" button from my purse for the day?

The senate should make every Thursday 'Kerry Day'. I can work around that.

[TayTay]

39. I am wicked spoiled now.

I had two speeches I got see last week. This week we got a real live Plan for a sane withdrawal from Iraq and that great amendment on the foreign torture prisons. Wow! (I feel great! Ahm, I also feel humbled. It was very nice to have been able to watch this happen today. I wasn't just proud of Sen. Kerry, I was really proud of my country. I loved watching this, it gave me hope for a better future. That's kind of a big statement to make, but I felt it.)

Yeah, the evil nine are abroad in the land. (Lord of the Rings reference. Well, other people got the Harry Potter references on another thread, I get a gratuitous LOTR reference.) The Evil Rethuglican Ringwraiths who are under the spell of the Dark Lord Bushron. (I can't sustain this image. Jeff Session from Alabama is too friggin dumb to be a proper Ringwraith. Did anyone listen to his floor speech today. Dear Lord, waht a friggin idiot. How can Rethugs toleerat such utter and complete morons? Allen, Santorum, Sessions, the Oklahoma nutjobs? How can people elect Senators like that? No state deservs these horrors. It's just awful.)

Snoppy Dance of Joy all night long. What a day!

[_dynamicdems]

41. Fantastic News - I had to leave to go to work...

before the vote. What a demonstration of JK's political skills in action! We hardly ever get to see the John Kerry that the other senators do behind closed doors. We got a taste of that today. Wouldn't it be nice to have a secret Kerry Cam so we could watch him in action even when he's not speaking on the Senate floor?

With Warner one one side and Biden on the other, Senator Kerry showed both leadership and diplomacy the way he handled the situation. Warner wasn't happy, was he?

[karynnj]

42. Kerry so out-classed the other Senators on that amendment

Between the precisely written amendment, his masterful presentation that made the case for any fair, rational person, and especially the on-camera solution to adding Biden's piece, Kerry was incredible. Roberts looked semi-brain dead when he couldn't understand Kerry's solution.

I can see why he is good as an arbitrator.