Madness: Threatening Lieberman-Kyl Amendment on Iran Passes

The U.S. Senate just passed the dangerous Lieberman-Kyl Amendment to the Defense Authorization Act by a margin of 76-22 with 2 not voting (McCain and Obama). Lieberman-Kyle expresses the "sense of the Senate" about Iran. Some changes to the original amendment were made today to tone down some of the language but it's still a threatening, warmongering measure. Especially disturbing is the language placing the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on the list of "Specially Designated Global Terrorists," which officially makes them targets in the war on terror and may be used to justify U.S. military attacks on them within Iran. Here's the marked up version that passed.

All those voting against the measure were Democrats except for Sen. Lugar of Indiana, Sen. Hagel of Nebraska and Independent Sen. Sanders of Vermont. The nay voters included our own Sen. Jeff Bingaman. Hurrah for Sen. Bingaman for voting against the madness instead of joining the herd that's apparently running scared from potential Repub smears. As might be expected, Sen. Pete Domenici voted for it. Shamefully, 30 Dems, including "Independent" Joe Lieberman, voted for the amendment (see list below).

Yesterday, Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) called the amendment "Dick Cheney’s fondest pipe dream" and said that it could be interpreted to declare war on Iran. He added: "Those who regret their vote five years ago to authorize military action in Iraq should think hard before supporting this approach. Because, in my view, it has the same potential to do harm where many are seeking to do good. At best, it’s a deliberate attempt to divert attention from a failed diplomatic policy. At worst, it could be read as a backdoor method of gaining Congressional validation for military action, without one hearing and without serious debate.”

Cowardly Dems Voting for Lieberman-Kyl
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Whitehouse (D-RI)

Brave Nay Votes Against Lieberman-Kyl
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Dodd (D-CT)
Feingold (D-WI)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Leahy (D-VT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Sanders (I-VT)
Tester (D-MT)
Webb (D-VA)
Wyden (D-OR