Today, McCain voted with those opposing the Intelligence bill because it uses the Army Field Manual (something he used to support) to effectively outlaw torture (something he used to oppose). In the end, McCain lost and we won. The Senate passed the bill (vote count here) making the Army Field Manual the law of the land for the entire US government. Senator Reid describe the bill:
Washington, DC—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the following statement today after the U.S. Senate passed the Intelligence Authorization conference report, which includes a provision to establish a single, government-wide interrogation standard as outlined in the Army Field Manual:
“The Senate today declared that the Army Field Manual works and torture does not. In sending the President a bill that establishes one interrogation standard for the entire U.S. government, we are taking an important step toward restoring our moral leadership in the world. Military and foreign policy experts agree that torture is counterproductive. It elicits unreliable information, puts U.S. troops at risk and undermines our counterinsurgency efforts.
“It is now up to the President to show his own moral leadership and sign this bill into law. And if he refuses to do so, I hope the Republicans who voted for this bill’s passage will stand up to the President and override his veto.”
