In a further attempt to clarify the definition of the word "torture", Congress recently passed a law that requires the CIA to follow only interrogation techniques listed in the Army Field Manual. Senator, "I was tortured by the North Vietnamese", McCain voted against the law and has publicly urged the president to veto it. The story appeared in the Times, a few days before the one that everyone is talking about.

McCain claims he voted against the bill because the army field manual is a public document and our enemies could use it to prep for torture sessions. He assures us that the administration assured him that there would be no more waterboarding.

As if waterboarding were the only problem. Our "extreme interrogation" playbook appears to include sexual humiliation - a favorite of early KGB interrogators - as well as a combination of hypothermia, stress positions and sleep deprivation - these were used by the North Vietnamese on Senator McCain. Plenty of inhumane treatment here folks.

Wonks Anonymous has long wondered why the opponents of torture in the Congress have not attempted to punish, or at least publicly shame, those who authorized and promoted it. The Geneva Convention is, after all, a treaty and therefore part of the law of the United States. He has doubted the efficacy of passing additional laws when the laws that we already have are not enforced and no public investigations of their violation is being conducted. Nevertheless, he thought that the expression of pious sentiment was better than nothing.

In his lust for the votes of the Republican base Senator McCain appears to have decided that it is best to stand by and do nothing.