Explain to me why this is going to help us win the war on terrorism.

From The Washington Post:

The Bush administration in recent days has been lobbying to block legislation supported by Republican senators that would bar the U.S. military from engaging in “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment” of detainees, from hiding prisoners from the Red Cross, and from using interrogation methods not authorized by a new Army field manual.

Hiding prisoners from the Red Cross? Engaging in cruel and inhumane treatment? And this is how the White House is responding?

The White House, in a further indication of its strong feelings, bluntly warned in a statement sent to Capitol Hill on Thursday that President Bush’s advisers would urge him to veto the $442 billion defense bill “if legislation is presented that would restrict the President’s authority to protect Americans effectively from terrorist attack and bring terrorists to justice.”

More rhetoric about protecting America so they can have a blank check to do anything they want to anybody in the world. Listen, I know a lot of you reading this right now might be thinking, “Well, the enemy isn’t humane to us.” Yes, exactly. If we’re really behind the idea of spreading Democracy, let’s also be behind the ideals that Democracy carries with it, instead of just paying them lip service.

So, who’s behind this very contentious amendment? I’ll give you one guess.

The threat was a veiled reference to legislation drafted by McCain and being circulated among at least 10 Republican senators, Senate aides said. No effort has been made by McCain to cultivate Democratic support, although his aides predict he could get it easily. John Ullyot, a Warner spokesman, said that the senator has been working with McCain and [Lindsey] Graham on detainee legislation and that “the matter continues to be studied.”

A spokeswoman for McCain, Andrea Jones, said yesterday that McCain plans to introduce the legislation next week. McCain, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, has criticized the way detainees have been treated by U.S. forces and is said by aides to want to cut off further abuse by requiring that the military adhere to its own interrogation rules in all cases.

One McCain amendment would set uniform standards for interrogating anyone detained by the Defense Department and would limit interrogation techniques to those listed in the Army field manual on interrogation, now being revised. Any changes to procedures would require the defense secretary to appear before Congress.

McCain “gets it.” He realizes that “cruel, inhuman or degrading” torture begats more “cruel, inhuman or degrading” torture. It’s called escalation, and the Bush administration should be well aware of its causes and effects. And let me say that when you’re fighting an idea like terrorism, you can’t try to beat them at their own game. It just makes the idea grow bigger and bigger.

Lindsey Graham, a co-author of the amendment, also understands why this is important.

Graham, who has been outspoken on the need for Congress to get involved in the issue of detainee treatment, said in an interview that he intends to pursue additional amendments that would define the term “enemy combatant” for purposes of detention and regulate the military trials of detainees held at Guantanamo Bay.

Graham said he believes that his amendment would strengthen the president’s ability to pursue the war on terror because it would give congressional support to the process of prosecuting detainees after they are transferred to Cuba, an issue that has been hotly contested in federal courts. “Every administration is reluctant to not have as much authority as possible,” Graham said, adding that he has gotten mixed signals from the White House. “But we need congressional buy-in to Guantanamo.”

They’re trying to find common ground. The Administration is continuing it’s march further off into the weeds.

I for one hope McCain and Graham’s ideas win.