Molly Ivins: Why the Torture Bill Matters

By Molly Ivins, AlterNet. Posted September 28, 2006.

The detainee bill now in the Senate throws out legal and moral restraints as the president deems necessary; basic principles of decency and law.

Oh dear. I'm sure he didn't mean it. In Illinois' 6th Congressional District, long represented by Henry Hyde, Republican candidate Peter Roskam accused his Democratic opponent Tammy Duckworth of planning to "cut and run" on Iraq.

Duckworth is a former Army major and chopper pilot, who lost both legs in Iraq after her helicopter got hit by an RPG. "I just could not believe he would say that to me," said Duckworth, who walks on artificial legs and uses a cane. Every election cycle produces some wincers, but how do you apologize for that one?