Craig Crawford: Defying Bush Helps GOP Midterm Hopes (Craig's wish)

Craig Crawford: Defying Bush Helps GOP Midterm Hopes

Craig Crawford Fri Sep 15, 2:42 PM ET

George W. Bush is taking plenty of lumps these days, even from his own party, but Democrats need not cheer. The latest rift - between the president and Capitol Hill Republicans on how to treat terrorist detainees - could actually help the GOP keep control of Congress, persuading moderate voters that the party can be trusted even if Bush cannot be trusted.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20060915/cm_huffpost/029504

Democrats Hold Solid Lead; Strong Anti-Incumbent, Anti-Bush Mood

Terrorism Focus Increases, But No GOP Boost

Released: September 14, 2006

Q: Did the U.S. treatment of captive al-Qaida members and other terrorism suspects violate Article III?

A: That remains to be seen. Bush insists that the United States "does not torture" but says CIA interrogators used aggressive, specially approved tactics to coerce suspected senior al Qaida operatives held at secret overseas prisons to cooperate. Published reports have said that some captives were put through simulated drownings, denied pain medication, deprived of sleep for days or forced to sleep naked on cold cement floors. A senior administration official, who briefed reporters under the condition of anonymity, said Friday, however, that the language in Article III is undefined and "hopelessly vague in certain respects."

The administration wants legislation to further clarify what Geneva Conventions violations are war crimes and what acts "in the gray area on the margins" would be prohibited.

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The aim here was to unite Republicans behind a bill and then force Democrats either to vote for or against -- demoralize the supporters of those who vote for and crush with 30 second ads those who vote against.

But if the White House actually gets tripped up in a fight with members of his own party over what kind of torture we should use, and that's the last legislative story out of Washington going into the election, that really seems like it would be a big disaster for the White House.

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