PEORIA -- A crucial U.S. House vote on Dec. 13 shows the difference between Illinois Democrats and Republicans.
Democrats voted to ban US government-sponsored torture. Republicans, including Cong. Ray LaHood, R-Peoria, refused to vote against torture.
The bill passed the House but Bush also has promised to veto it, another telling statement of difference between the two parties.
A good summary of the measure can be found in the Washington Post.
LaHood's vote and those of other Illinois House members can be found at this site.
Ten members of the Illinois delegation voted to ban the torture including Republican Cong. Tim Johnson of the 15th District which includes Urbana and Bloomington.
Cong. Phil Hare, Democrat from the Quad Cities in the 17th District, which includes Macomb, voted to ban the torture.
As many other people have stated, it's hard to believe torture must be debated in 2007, much less voted on by Congress. It's even harder to believe that LaHood, who can be sensible on some issues (see his attack in the Journal Star today on candidate Aaron Schock for suggesting nuclear proliferation), didn't vote to ban it!
To repeat what has oft been said elsewhere: torture doesn't work and its use exposes our own troops and other US citizens to the same treatment. That's why it's banned by the Geneva Conventions and US law.
I guess LaHood's chief patrons, Caterpillar, Inc., the local hospitals and business community and the Catholic church, don't care about this issue. Would they torture if they could make a few more bucks?
-- Elaine Hopkins
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