JUS IN BELLO: Bad news from Nephew. “‘It’s not that we want to go beat Iraqis, it’s just that you don’t want to pass a law saying beating Iraqis is bad,’ a senior defense official told reporters recently.” Because humans avoid abuse of power in the absence of rules prohibiting same. It’s why we’re so peaceful!

Also:

As a Roman Catholic, I went against Pope John Paul II in arguing for the invasion of Iraq. This was not done in a fit of nationalistic zeal. This was done after careful deliberation, with an eye toward the liberation of the Iraqi people on humanitarian grounds. However, my support of the administration, and of the Republican Party, is tempered by my faith. I cannot, in good conscience, support the use of torture against our adversaries. It is contrary to the teachings of the Church; it is contrary to my sense of what America is and should be; it is contrary to the moral precepts around which I supported the war in the first place. More importantly for you, Senator, I cannot support an American politician that would vote in favor of a policy that includes torture.

Senator Cornyn, I have been a supporter of yours in the past. I will not abandon that support based on one inflammatory article alone. However, I cannot reconcile your vote with the moral needs of our nation. Without a suitable explanation, I am afraid I will have to work against you in the next election, and thereby encourage all Catholics in Texas to do the same.

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