WaPo on Abuse

The Washington Post has a great op-ed about the Bush Administration's apparent approval of the abuse of detainees. Please read it, but I want to focus on the last paragraph. The editorial talks about the work of people like Senator John McCain and some in the military who are trying to restore the Geneva convention guidelines. However, one group is missing:

There is no more important issue before the country or Congress. Yet the advocates of decency and common sense seem to have meager support from the Democratic Party. Senate Democrats staged a legislative stunt on Tuesday intended to reopen -- once again -- the debate on prewar intelligence about Iraq. They have taken no such dramatic stand against the CIA's abuses of foreign prisoners; on a conference committee considering Mr. McCain's amendment, Democratic support has been faltering. While Democrats grandstand about a war debate that took place three years ago, the Bush administration's champions of torture are quietly working to preserve policies whose reversal ought to be an urgent priority.

I have to agree. I fear that the Dems taking the wrong track. There are many on the left that are fixated with some idea that the Bushies lied about getting us into the Iraq (remember all the hub-bub about the Downing Street memo). It seems to me that this horse has already left the barn, but there are those that think there is some sort of dark conspiracy to get us into war. We have examples of this Adminstration allowing abuse of detainees and yet the Democrats seem uninterested. I think part of this is the whole "Bush hatred" of some on the left who are trying to play "Gotcha" with the Republicans and the Bush Administration. But I think what is more important is the issue of torture and abuse. This travesty has far reaching implications that could affect us all. The Dems and many on the left say they believe in human rights, something I believe in as well. It should be a no-brainer that there should be some kind of grand coalition to force the administration to change its ways.

Again, it seems as if the Democrats are losing a rare opportunity.