Political Quotes

“I thank my friend from South Carolina for his expertise in this area and also his sense of principle. We have colleagues on the floor who want to speak. I want to say a final word. I know the Senator from South Carolina is particularly worried about pending amendments that would alter the way in which the underlying bill now treats enemy combatants who are citizens of the United States. The underlying provision in the bill on detainee treatment fills a gap in our law that has been harmful and difficult for our military to deal with because there is no law about how to treat detainees. Senator Graham worked very closely with Senator Levin and Senator McCain to draft this compromise, and it is a good compromise. As he knows, if I had my preference, there would be no waiver in this because I believe anybody who is an enemy combatant is an enemy combatant and as a matter of principle ought to be held in military custody and tried by a military tribunal according to all the protocols of the Geneva Conventions, according to the Military Code of Justice. Incidentally, if these tribunals are good enough for American men and women in the military who face charges, they ought to be good enough for enemy combatants who face charges. But here is my point: The Levin-McCain-Graham provision in this bill on detainees is a compromise. It is a reasonable, effective, bipartisan compromise.…”