Glenn Greenwald: U.S. Treatment Of Bradley Manning Akin To Torture

Glenn Greenwald at Salon says Bradley Manning, the private accused of stealing information and giving it to WikiLeaks, is being held in inhumane conditions and experiencing what has been defined as torture.

…he has been detained at the U.S. Marine brig in Quantico, Virginia for five months — and for two months before that in a military jail in Kuwait — under conditions that constitute cruel and inhumane treatment and, by the standards of many nations, even torture. Interviews with several people directly familiar with the conditions of Manning’s detention, ultimately including a Quantico brig official (Lt. Brian Villiard) who …

Republican Callers to C-SPAN Don’t Support Steele As RNC Chair Because He’s Black

C-SPAN host Greta Brawner, going to the C-SPAN Republican phone bank, heard callers rail against blacks in general and Michael Steele in particular.  “Diversity is terrible for any country. It’s terrible for any country and will destroy this country.”  (via Crooks and Liars)

MARYLAND CALLER: You’re not going to like what I have to say so you can put your finger on the dump button… I don’t want Steele to be chairman of the Republican National Committee because he’s black. I think we have bent over backwards to accommodate blacks in this country with the affirmative action stuff …

Americans Trust Obama More Than Congressional Republicans Says New Poll

An ABC/Washington Post poll reveals Americans believe the president is better able to deal with our problems than is Congress.

Fifty-three percent of those surveyed said they trusted Obama more than Republicans to steer the country, versus 48% who said they trusted Republicans more.

Part of the reason voters may have more faith in Obama than in Republicans is that the current Congress is incredibly unpopular. Only 13% of respondents to a Gallup poll released this morning said they approved of the job Congress is doing, the lowest Congressional approval rating Gallup has ever recorded since they began polling the …

Wolves Guarding The (Hen) House

by Stuart Shapiro

It’s often said that politicians just want to do what lobbyists or special interests tell them to do.  Rarely, however, do politicians admit it.   Let me introduce Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL), your new Chair of the House Financial Services Committee.

Bachus, in an interview Wednesday night, said he brings a “main street” perspective to the committee, as opposed to Wall Street.

“In Washington, the view is that the banks are to be regulated, and my view is that Washington and the regulators are there to serve the banks,” he said.

He later clarified his comment to say …

On Wednesday’s Radio Show…

• A military officer who calls himself “JD Smith,” who co-founded the first-ever organization of actively serving gay troops, shares his reaction to today’s vote to overturn Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

• Now that Obama’s tax-cut compromise has passed the Senate, should hesitant House Democrats follow suit? Alan weighs in.

• Do all dogs really go to Heaven? Alan speaks with Ptolemy Tompkins, author of The Divine Life of Animals: One Man’s Quest to Discover Whether the Souls of Animals Live On.…

House Votes To Overturn “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

The House of Representatives voted 250-175 to end the ban on gays serving openly in the military.

The issue now heads to the Senate, where senators could soon vote on an identical bill.

The sponsors of the legislation, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., insist that they have the 60 votes necessary to overcome a procedural challenge and pass the bill.…

Republicans Bristle At Working During The Holidays

by Stuart Shapiro

Harry Reid announced today that he may call the Senate back into session after Christmas to vote on outstanding issues such as “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” repeal, the START treaty, and the DREAM Act.  Jon Kyl (pictured) is not happy.

“It is impossible to do all of the things that the majority leader laid out without doing — frankly, without disrespecting the institution and without disrespecting one of the two holiest of holidays for Christians and the families of all of the Senate, not just the senators themselves but all of the staff,” Kyl told reporters …

Jim DeMint’s Shameful Stunt

South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint was insisting that the full texts of the START treaty and the omnibus bill be read on the floor, an effort to run out the clock and prevent a vote.

“This is a new low in putting political stunts ahead of our national security, and it is exactly the kind of Washington game-playing that the American people are sick of,” White House press secretary Robert Gibbs shot back in a strongly-worded statement. “While some express concern that the Senate doesn’t have time to debate the Treaty, Senator DeMint wants to waste 12 hours to read …

Jimmy Carter Says America Is Ready For A Gay President

Former President Jimmy Carter spoke with Big Think and compared the current push for gay rights to the civil rights movement (h/t Mediatie).

Step-by-step, we have realized that this issue of homosexuality has the same adverse and progressive elements as when we dealt with the race issue 50 years ago, or 40 years ago. So I would say that the country is getting acclimated to a president who might be female, who might, obviously, now, be Black, and who might be as well a gay person.

…

Senate Overwhelmingly Passes Tax Bill

The Senate passed President Obama’s tax package 81-19, with 13 Democrats, 5 Republicans and independent Bernie Sanders voting no.

Three Democrats – Tom Harkin of Iowa, Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and Tom Udall of New Mexico – switched their “yes” votes Monday to “no” votes. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) also flipped his vote, from no to yes, saying he changed his mind after talking with his minister and reading letters from constituents struggling in the economic downturn.

Two senators who were not present for the Monday vote – Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Ron Wyden of Oregon – opposed …

Rep-Elect Allen West Denies Saying What He Said

Florida Congressman-elect Allen West told an Internet radio show, “We should be censoring the American news agencies which enabled [Julian Assange of WikiLeaks in] aiding and abetting a serious crime.”  But West claims on his Facebook page he said “censure,” not “censor.” (h/t Think Progress)

Listen and decide for yourself:

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