How do you live with this? You war-hawks, you keyboard commandos, you rightwing talkshow hosts, you wretched frightened little men with your senate amendments facilitating torture?

How do you live with this?

Because I haven't reveled in it, as you have; I haven't excused it, as you have; I haven't pretended it isn't happening or it isn't my fault, like you have; I've done my feeble best to stop it; -- and I don't know how much longer I can live with it.

Christ ha' mercy on us all. That's the first thing that came into my mind when I saw that photo, even though I don't believe.

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Photograph of Manadel al-Jamadi's wife and son holding a picture of US Specialist Sabrina Harman bending over his body, smiling and giving the thumbs-up, from here, via Julia. Al-Jamadi was tortured to death by US forces in Abu Ghraib (I noted the depraved treatment afforded his body here).

Now comes Senator Lindsey Graham (R-Antenora) with an amendment to the 2006 National Defense Authorization Act designed to strip rights afforded by habeas corpus from detainees of the Secretary of Defense (military detainees, a term whose compass Bushco seeks to broaden to "anyone the President pleases to imprison"). And the Senate passed it, 49-42/9.

Obsidian Wings has an ongoing series of posts covering this; I linked the ninth, scroll to read the others.

Then please call or write or visit your senators; ask them to vote for the Bingaman Amendment, S. AMDT 2517 to bill S. 1042. Bingaman's amendment would delete the jurisdiction-stripping provision of Graham's amendment.

If I have to explain to you why Graham's amendment is vile or Bingaman's is vital to the character, security and moral standing of the US, you're probably a lost cause. If Bingaman's amendment fails, the whole damn country may be a lost cause.

Update: Ron Wyden's voicemail is full, but I'll keep calling tomorrow -- and you should, too.

Update update: I got through to a staffer who knew exactly what I wanted as soon as he heard "Bingaman". I should've asked how many calls they've had, but I didn't want to waste the guy's time.

Also, you can read the Graham amendment here; I'll add the Bingaman text when I find an online copy.

One more update: Lindsay has a roundup of informative links on the Graham and Bingaman amendments here.

Did you call? The vote's today Tuesday morning.