RSN: Charles Pierce | Democrats Join In to Make Torture a Bipartisan Affair





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18 May 18
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FOCUS: Charles Pierce | Democrats Join In to Make Torture a Bipartisan Affair 
Gina Haspel is sworn in to testify at her confirmation hearing before the Senate intelligence committee. (photo: Alex Branson/AP)
Charles Pierce, Esquire
Pierce writes: "Sometimes, you just want to give up. Or at least, shake the country by its exceptionalism and tell it to look in a mirror."
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EXCERPTS: 
Three Republicans opposed Haspel's nomination: Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Jeff Flake of Arizona and John McCain of Arizona, although McCain did not vote because he's battling brain cancer at home

 Most of the Democratic votes in favor of Haspel came from senators who are up for re-election in November in states that Trump won in 2016, including Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Bill Nelson of Florida. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire also voted in favor of Haspel's confirmation.
"What I can say is her classified comments about her background have been as troubling as her public testimony," Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on the Senate floor Thursday.

 Torture is now forgivable. Torture is now a career move. Torture is now a weapon in abeyance. Torture is now bipartisan, and everybody’s happy to put it behind us. Until the next time.


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