Bill Delahunt: “If I may offer another theory, another hypothesis. It is about politics. It is about retaining power. What happened in…”

“If I may offer another theory, another hypothesis. It is about politics. It is about retaining power. What happened in the Committee on the Judiciary today was on the issue of the detainees. The President has come out with a proposal and that proposal was summarily rejected by three prominent U.S. Senators, all Republican. One was the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, John Warner; John McCain, who was imprisoned during Vietnam for years, who understood what it means to serve his country in the most dire of circumstances, and exit a hero; and Lindsey Graham, a lawyer who served in the military as a military lawyer; because they understood that if the President's proposal is accepted, it will put at risk American service personnel. And what we did today, in effect, was to turn our back and not listen, not just to them, but more than 40 retired generals, admirals, men and women who have served this country, including the former Chief of Staff of the Joint Chiefs, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who said this is a mistake in a letter endorsing the proposal to John McCain.”