Ask not for whom the torturer comes
What Jim Henley said, about Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's sophistry about torture not being prohibited under the Eighth Amendment because it isn't "punishment" but interrogation:

...one of my biggest arguments was that the corruption of war and torture would seep back across the border and contaminate republican institutions and principles here at home. Scalia makes clear that that is actually the idea. Conservatism is just the interest of the stronger.

Note also thoreau's point in comments that Scalia's answer completely ignores the Fifth Amendment's prohibition against torture, which is of course the working definition of self-incrimination and attempts to bring that about. As thoreau shows in an earlier post, that prohibition was one of the intended effects of the Fifth Amendment.


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UPDATE, 5/2: embedded 60 Minutes clip added. posted by Thomas Nephew at 9:30:00 AM -- |  

 
Mission accomplished! -- "Responsible Plan" dropped off at Van Hollen's office
As advertised, I joined my friends Michelle Bailey, Hank Prensky, and Joy Austin-Lane in a short visit to Congressman Chris Van Hollen's (D-MD-8) local Hyattsville office (just outside Takoma Park), to bring the Congressman a copy of "A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq."

Michelle is a fellow impeachment activist -- or I should say I am, she and Lisa Moscatiello were the ones who started Takoma Park impeachment activism, I joined in late. I was also very gratified that former Takoma Park City Council members Hank Prensky and Joy Austin-Lane joined us.

We met at a local cafe first and went over what we were going to say. I had brought along talking points supplied by TrueMajority.org which helped us gather our own thoughts.

I introduced the plan as a comprehensive legislative agenda calling for a complete exit from Iraq, with no permanent bases, that I hoped Rep. Van Hollen would be able to support. I noted that Rep. Van Hollen is indeed a co-sponsor of many of the legislative initiatives the plan highlights -- for instance, a key bill calling for a diplomatic offensive with Iraq's neighbors -- which we thanked him for.

I also noted that the plan calls for an end to off-budget appropriations for the Iraq war; Mr. Prensky added that he hoped Van Hollen would vote against the looming Iraq supplemental appropriations bill. Ms. Austin-Lane recalled the opposition to the Iraq war in Takoma Park, and the City Council resolution she and Mr. Prensky voted for opposing it.

As an impeachment activist, Michelle added that she hoped Van Hollen would reconsider his opposition to impeachment; I joined her in that, but emphasized that wasn't a feature of the plan we'd come to discuss.

I added that I hoped Van Hollen would consider making the "Responsible Plan" part of the DCCC's 2008 agenda, and that I thought he should make sure to support the candidates who've endorsed it.

It was a pleasure meeting Mr. West, who staffs Chris Van Hollen's Hyattsville office. He listened carefully, took notes, and told us he'd have the copy of the "Responsible Plan" in Rep. Van Hollen's hands this afternoon. posted by Thomas Nephew at 12:30:00 PM -- |  

 
I have a responsible plan to end the war in Iraq

Thursday, May 1 is the fifth anniversary of "Mission Accomplished" - the day George Bush stood on an aircraft carrier declaring major combat operations over in Iraq.

Five years later, the costs of war keep mounting and there's still no end in sight. In 1994, the Republicans came up with a Contract with America that they worked to implement as soon as they were sworn in. This time around, it will be up to us to make sure that whoever is elected to Congress move briskly to enact the Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq and bring our troops home.

-- True Majority e-mailing.

On Thursday, I'll be joining hundreds of others around the country who will be delivering a copy of the plan to their Congressional representatives (details below). We'll be putting Washington on notice -- once again --that there is strong support for getting out of Iraq and preventing future Iraqs.

As befits candidates for civilian, legislative office, the plan is a statement of purpose, campaign platform, and legislative agenda rolled into one rather than a detailed "brigade X leaves city Y at time Z" military plan. Its principles are...

• Ending U.S. military action in Iraq
• Using U.S. diplomatic power
• Addressing humanitarian concerns
• Restoring our Constitution
• Restoring our military
• Restoring independence to the media
• Creating a new, U.S.-centered energy policy

The authors point to recommendations made by the Iraq Study Group in late 2006 to flesh out the fuller implications -- e.g., renouncing permanent bases and ramping up a "diplomatic offensive" in the region. There are already legislative proposals to accomplish some of these goals: as Ilan Goldenberg writes in The New Republic, H.R.3797 (for a "New Diplomatic Offensive for Iraq") would direct the president to appoint a high-ranking Special Envoy responsible for dealing with Iraq's neighbors.

As is clear from the bullet list above, the plan is not just about how to get out of Iraq, but also about how to prevent future abuses of power from happening; thus, the plan also highlights legislation like S. 139, the Foreign Surveillance Expedited Review Act, which makes it easier to challenge FISA abuses in court, or H.R. 3045, the Presidential Signing Statements Act of 2007, which "[p]rohibits any state or federal court from relying on or deferring to a presidential signing statement as a source of authority when determining the meaning of any Act of Congress." The "Responsible Plan" document also mentions legislation against "outsourcing" torture, and legislation requiring that the U.S. end its use of military contractors -- i.e., mercenaries -- in Iraq.

For more on the "Responsible Plan" -- which was developed not by some think tank, but by Darcy Burner, Donna Edwards, and other progressive congressional candidates -- visit the web site at http://www.responsibleplan.com, and download the document.*

To join my delegation to Congressman Van Hollen's Hyattsville office, please RSVP at this "TrueMajority" link. We'll gather as a group at Savory Cafe (7071 Carroll Ave., Takoma Park) around 8:30am on Thursday morning, go over the talking points, take a photo and then deliver the plan to the Congressional office at 9:00am. The address is

6475 New Hampshire Avenue
Suite C-201
Hyattsville, MD 20783 (map)
(301) 891-6982

I've called ahead to notify the staffer there of the meeting, which ought to be polite, of course -- for one thing, Rep. Van Hollen is a co-sponsor of many of the bills highlighted in the "Responsible Plan" document.** It also will need to be brief -- the staffer is due elsewhere by 9:30. If you prefer to meet us at the New Hampshire Avenue office at 9am, that's OK, too, of course, but it may be nice to get a cup of coffee with us and get acquainted first.


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* I've written about the plan here and here as well.
** This footnote will be replaced with (1) a list of "Responsible Plan"-endorsed legislation co-sponsored by Van Hollen, and (2) one list of such legislation not yet co-sponsored by him.

UPDATE, 4/30: TrueMajority.org is providing additional resources (signs, talking points) for the Responsible Plan Delivery here. They will also host a conference call tonight at 9PM EST with Alan Charney, the Program Director of USAction, and leaders behind the Responsible Plan including Congressional Candidates Darcy Burner and Eric Massa, as well as analysts from the National Security Network.

Responsible Plan Briefing Conference Call
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008, 9 PM Eastern
800-761-6708; entry code: 586945#

posted by Thomas Nephew at 12:35:00 AM -- |