We Do Not Torture--Bush's Legacy of Deceit and Criminal Conduct
New York Times March 9, 2008
Veto of Bill on C.I.A. Tactics Affirms Bush’s Legacy
WASHINGTON — President Bush on Saturday further cemented his legacy of fighting for strong executive powers, using his veto to shut down a Congressional effort to limit the Central Intelligence Agency’s latitude to subject terrorism suspects to harsh interrogation techniques.
Mr. Bush vetoed a bill that would have explicitly prohibited the agency from using interrogation methods like waterboarding, a technique in which restrained prisoners are threatened with drowning and that has been the subject of intense criticism at home and abroad. Many such techniques are prohibited by the military and law enforcement agencies.
The veto deepens his battle with increasingly assertive Democrats in Congress over issues at the heart of his legacy. . . . Mr. Bush’s veto — the ninth of his presidency, but the eighth in the past 10 months with Democrats in control of Congress — underscored his determ…