McCain: Bybee Violated The Law, But It Was Just ‘Very Bad Advice’

[ProSense]

McCain: Bybee Violated The Law, But It Was Just ‘Very Bad Advice’

Last week, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) repeated his view that the United States had conducted torture by authorizing waterboarding. Saying the waterboarding of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed 183 times was "unacceptable," McCain declared, "One is too much. Waterboarding is torture, period."

However, discussing torture on CBS's Face the Nation today, McCain insisted, "We've got to move on" and ignore the Bush administration's torture program. Indeed, McCain refused to support the impeachment of Judge Jay Bybee -- even as he acknowledged that Bybee had broken both U.S. and international law in authorizing torture:

MCCAIN: He falls into the same category as everybody else as far as giving very bad advice and misinterpreting, fundamentally, what the United States is all about, much less things like the Geneva Conventions. Look, under President Reagan we signed an agreement against torture. We were in violation of that.

McCain claimed that "no one has alleged, quote, wrongdoing" on the part of Bush administration lawyers, only that they had given "bad advice." And yet minutes later McCain himself acknowledged that Bybee's advice led the U.S. to be "in violation" of both U.S. and international law. Watch it:

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Later on Face the Nation, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), who supports holding broad investigations about torture, pointed out that McCain supports a commission to investigate the causes of the financial crisis. "But just as important as losing our money, what happens when we lose our national honor? That's what we should look at," Leahy said.

Yesterday, the blogger dday asked Sen Barbara Boxer (D-CA) whether she would support a Congressional inquiry into Bybee, including the possibility of impeachment. "I'm very open to that," Boxer said. "There is an ongoing investigation at the Justice Department into his work, and we'll see how that goes. But I'm very open to that. And I'll remind everyone that I didn't vote for him when his nomination came up. I was one of 19 to do so."

Please join our campaign calling on Congress to begin impeachment hearings against Jay Bybee.

[tularetom]

1. bullshit. He didn't just give "bad advice". He violated the standards of his profession

by telling his bosses what they wanted to hear even if he knew what he was telling them was illegal. Bybee is lower than whale shit and McCain as someone who was tortured ought to be ashamed of himself for these remarks.

[FarLeftRage]

2. Fucking repuKKKes are all alike...

sticking up for each other, regardless of how bad or illegal the circumstances are... :mad:

[atreides1]

3. Yeah he gave bad advice, alright!

Just like Eichmann did, and look at what happened to him.

[HughMoran]

4. McCain is a joke like all the rest of the Republican fools

Why are they defending the indefensible? Can they ever do what is morally right?

[rustydog]

5. So the man who rapes a 14 year old may not be guilty

Ifhe THOUGHT she was 18?

[Mz Pip]

7. He wanted sex

Rape worked. So using the Repugs rationale, it should not be a problem.

[Colobo]

6. Sad. He wants us to ignore wrongdoing... but we won't.

[Thrill]

8. Republicans have no morals.

[Supersedeas]

12. when pushed Republicans acquiesce to 'relativism' when political expedient.

[Egnever]

9. I wish we could make Barbra Boxer Senate majority leader.

We would really see some house cleaning if we could.

[olegramps]

10. Just be thankful that McCain wasn't elected president.

He has demostrated by his life that he is an immoral bastard.

[spanone]

11. i doubt ol johnny boy would be calling it 'bad advice' were the perpetrators democrats

[shagsak]

13. Of all repuke scum

I would have assumed gramps would have been anti-torture. Who agrees with me, raise your hand....

[LynnTheDem]

14. Do ALL Americans get to use that excuse at least once??? Yes, robbing that bank was illegal,

but Joe-Bob just gave me bad advice."


In other words, McCane; Some people ARE above the LAW.

Just say it flat-out, you MFing mealy-mouthed hypocrite.

[Supersedeas]

15. Fraud: Bybee knew that the Torturers wanted the advice, needed the advice and would RELY upon the

advice.