From the Salmon

This evening, the Senate voted on and passed an amendment to the $440 billion defense spending bill. The amendment, written by Sen. McCain (R-AZ), would ban the use of “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” of anyone in the custody of the United States. Furthmore, it would limit Army interrogation techniques to only those approved in the Army field manual.

This is an issue about which I’ve been pretty passionate for some time. Not that you’d know it, since it’s also an issue about which I’ve truly had difficulty writing. Whenever I’ve tried, I’ve ended up really angry, really saddened, and really disorganized. Maybe I should’ve just let fly, but so far, I’ve held back. And in many ways, I regret that.

Anyhow, for now, let me at least say this....

That this amendment is necessary at all is, quite frankly, shameful. And getting to this business in October 2005 is far too late. It doesn’t undo any of the tremendous harm already inflicted on the image and moral authority of the United States.

Still, it’s a step forward. And I applaud the Senate, particularly McCain and the co-sponsors of the amendment: Graham (R-SC), Hagel (R-NE), Smith (R-OR), and Collins (R-ME).

But know this: this is a step forward that the White House has fought for months.

In July, Vice President Cheney met with Sen. McCain, Sen. Graham, and Sen. Warner (R-VA) in an attempt to talk them down from bringing the amendment to a vote. When the Senators indicated that they would move forward and the White House threatened a veto if the bill passed with the amendment, Sen. Frist removed the defense spending bill from the summer calendar.

But the Pentagon needs money, so the bill is back. And now the amendment has passed, 90-9.

This isn’t over. It faces fierce opposition in the House. It could get stripped out in conference committee. And President Bush could still veto.

So let’s be clear. It is simply appalling that President Bush and his administration are fighting this. Appalling. He has yet to veto a single bill in five years, but he opposes this amendment so fiercely that he is threatening to make this his first. Hopefully that 90-9 vote will make him reconsider.

About that last number. Nine Senators deserve some pretty forceful letters: Allard (R-CO), Bond (R-MO), Coburn (R-OK), Cochran (R-MS), Cornyn (R-TX), Inhofe (R-OK), Roberts (R-KS), Sessions (R-AL), and Stevens (R-AK). (Note to Oklahomans, you’ve got the dubious honor of having two letters to write.)

Let’s keep our eyes on this one. As Sen. McCain said back in July, this is about ”who we are.”