JOHN McCAIN - "WE'VE GOT TO STOP THE TORTURE."

Those of you who visit this site regularly know how I stand politically. For those of you who are new, I am a Reagan conservative and have been a member of the RNC since I attained voting age in 1974. I choose to be a conservative and a Republican because I believe that this party more closely agrees with my values and political philosophy and I also believe that most Democrats and especially the far left do not have a clue as to what it means to be free and to live in the most powerful country that has ever existed. The goals of the left, in my opinion, do nothing but weaken this nation and will, if allowed to be achieved, isolate us and socialize this country into one that will line up behind European socialism and make us bow to the United Nations. Their domestic ideas will tax us until every citizen is controlled and dependent upon the government while they in their elitist wisdom decide how much we make and how we should live in their socialistic scheme. Having said all of that, I am now going to criticize a member of my own party though I do not believe that he is a conservative. John McCain the, "moderate, " Senator from Arizona has once again played to his fan base in the leftist media by claiming that US soldiers are still torturing detainees and that, "we have prisons, apparently, set up in different places in the world where we're keeping people for years." The emphasis on, "apparently," is something that I added, since McCain claims to have actual knowledge of this so called torture and these supposed prisons, then why use the word , "apparently ?" Now back to his accusation. I realize that McCain is a Vietnam war hero and that he was a POW who suffered terrible torture,( for which I salute his sacrifice and service), and as such has first hand experience on the subject. My objection to his continual harping about our military supposedly torturing detainees is that even in light of the Abu Ghraib case, ( which was settled in a military court for the violations of military conduct that occurred), there has been NO proof that torture has ever taken place. The Abu Ghraib situation was more humiliation than torture and Gitmo was investigated and proven to have been handled in a correct and proper way for interrogation. Why does the Senator object so to using harsh means to interrogate prisoners to gather information to save American lives ? Secretary of State Condeleeza Rice has stated, "It is against U.S. law to be involved in torture or conspiracy to commit torture. And it is also against U.S. international obligations and the President has made it very clear that U.S. personnel will operate within U.S. law and within our international obligations." She then went on to say, "The intelligence we gathered has helped to stop terrorist attacks and saved innocent lives in Europe - as well as in the United States and other countries. " Since we have gathered information that has been valuable and it has been proven that torture was not used what is the problem with using sleep deprivation or standing in one position for hours or other types of intelligence gathering when these terrorists are interested in nothing more that killing Americans ? Any means necessary to save American lives should be on the board within legal limits to acquire the needed intelligence. We will never know the attacks that have been thwarted or the lives that have been saved from this intelligence yet McCain objects to its gathering ! If he wants to run for President, (which is obvious), then stepping on the backs of the military by making claims of torture is NOT the way to gain votes or the confidence of the American people. This is among MANY reason why he will not get the nomination for the Republican Party which is a relief for me because his politics are to left for my taste and I have not missed a vote since I was eligible to vote, but the Senator from Arizona will never get my support!

Ken Taylor