From the NY Times Editors - The Roots of Prisoner Abuse

This week, the White House blocked a Senate vote on a measure sponsored by a half-dozen Republicans, including Senator John McCain, that would prohibit cruel, degrading or inhumane treatment of prisoners. Besides being outrageous on its face, that action served as a reminder of how the Bush administration ducks for cover behind the men and women in uniform when challenged on military policy, but ignores their advice when it seems inconvenient.

I'm always intrigued when the Times claims that the Bush Administration does something so unjust on its face that it would be considered evil if the Times actually believed that the concept of evil existed.

In fact, one of the Republican Senators that the Times finds so morally courageous, Lindsey Graham, said recently “psychological and physical stress are appropriate techniques as long as they stay within the boundaries of international norms and humane treatment."

The problem is that defenders of the Guantanamo prisoners think it's cruel and degrading to have male prisoners interviewed by females, have someone touch the Koran by mistake, etc. They don't think there is such a thing as a stress technique that's appropriate.

In other words, criticize the Administration for not wanting to give additional powers to Congress, but don't claim that they are the only ones that support (you know they want to say it) torturing prisoners.