Thank God for the reasoned (and lone Republican) voice of John McCain on the wrongness of torture ... ever!!

Is John McCain's voice to ring hollow and alone among Republicans on this issue?

When will our Republican Presidential candidates begin to speak out forthright and clear on this ugly little "secret" (as if it really were secret?) in the same strong manner as John McCain has from the outset? It's not just Blackwater, Inc.; it's the whole Iraq war machine ... from top to bottom and inside and out. And in that regard, even Senator McCain's support of the continuing occupation rings sour to this old curmudgeon.

Sorry about the picture; my brother Richard in Connecticut chides me for my bad taste, but sometimes, it's necessary to get the point across. As one after another of those persons accused of war crimes are cleared, I'm reminded of the whole Abu-Ghraib affair and its ultimate whitewash.

Of course, the torture issue is front and center again with the confirmation process underway for Michael Mukasey as Attorney General.

Hillary said it reasonably clearly, I thought, when she put out a statement earlier this evening. It read, "I am deeply troubled by Judge Mukasey's continued unwillingness to clearly state his views on torture and unchecked Executive power." It was the AG nominee's unwillingness to even indicate whether he thought water-boarding was "cruel and unusual" punishment that caused Senator Clinton, Senator Barack Obama, John Edwards, and Joseph Biden to oppose Mukasey's nomination only hours before this evening's presidential debate.

Hey Congress ... let's hear it from all of you! This torture thing isn't simply a Party issue or a campaign talking point. It's the very character of our nation at stake!