McCain Wades Into GOP Race
One of the most striking developments at Saturday's Republican presidential primary debate was the robust defenses offered by Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain of the use of waterboarding to extract information from suspected terrorists. Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul were the only two candidates who disagreed.
Today, the 2008 Republican nominee, Arizona Sen. John McCain, famously a victim of torture himself in a Vietnam War prison, is weighing in for what may be the first time in the 2012 Republican primary. His Twitter post: "Very disappointed by statements at SC GOP debate supporting waterboarding. Waterboarding is torture."
The issue is just one of several in which the Republican contenders differ with McCain, reflecting the party's rightward march. Remember that at the time he was nominated, McCain had not yet backed away from his legislation to offer illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship. Now, none of the GOP presidential candidates back "amnesty'' for undocumented workers; instead they've been trying to one-up each other with tough pronouncements on border security.
Today, the 2008 Republican nominee, Arizona Sen. John McCain, famously a victim of torture himself in a Vietnam War prison, is weighing in for what may be the first time in the 2012 Republican primary. His Twitter post: "Very disappointed by statements at SC GOP debate supporting waterboarding. Waterboarding is torture."
The issue is just one of several in which the Republican contenders differ with McCain, reflecting the party's rightward march. Remember that at the time he was nominated, McCain had not yet backed away from his legislation to offer illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship. Now, none of the GOP presidential candidates back "amnesty'' for undocumented workers; instead they've been trying to one-up each other with tough pronouncements on border security.
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