The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Marketplace
    • Autos
    • Jobs
    • Real Estate
    • Classifieds
    • Shopping
    • Dining Out
    • Education
    • TWT Store
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • Business

    Obama calls for jobs forum in December

  • National

    HOLMES: Miscalculating engagement

  • National

    NORRIS: The Senate and the START treaty

  • National

    Obama: U.S. 'forever grateful' to veterans

  • Business

    Employers offer pet health care as perk

  • World

    Jordanian sees Jerusalem as a powder keg

  • World

    Report finds dirty money, water in China

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Frist tells Durbin to apologize on Senate floor

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos

More Stories

  • Lawyer: Balloon boy parents to plead guilty
  • Rain wreaks havoc in Virginia
  • Swift wins entertainer of year award
  • TWT reporter recounts sniper's last moments

By

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist yesterday demanded that Sen. Richard J. Durbin make a "formal apology" on the floor of the Senate for comparing U.S. interrogators at Guantanamo Bay to Nazi and Soviet regimes and that he strike his remarks from the Congressional Record.

In a letter to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Mr. Frist, Tennessee Republican, said previous bids by the Senate's No. 2 Democrat to clarify his remarks didn't go far enough.

"Subsequent statements by Senator Durbin indicate only that he was regretful if people misunderstood his remarks," Mr. Frist said. "We do not believe his remarks were misunderstood."

The letter is the latest in a wave of criticism against the Illinois Democrat, which yesterday was joined by the Anti-Defamation League and a White House spokesman and, over the weekend, by Sen. John McCain, Arizona Republican and a prisoner of war in Vietnam who was tortured in captivity.

Reid spokesman Jim Manley called the Frist letter "pathetic."

"Republicans don't have an agenda, so they are trying however they can to pull attention away from the real problems facing the country," Mr. Manley said. "It is interesting to note that reporters got the letter before we did, as far as I can tell."

Last week, Mr. Durbin read a portion of an FBI memo that described a prisoner being held at the naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who was chained to the floor and subjected to loud rap music. The air conditioner was alternately turned very high so that the terror suspect was "shaking with cold" or turned off so the temperature in his cell was "well over 100 degrees."

"If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime -- Pol Pot or others -- that had no concern for human beings," Mr. Durbin said.

After the furor began last week, Mr. Durbin said Friday that he had since "learned from my statement that historical parallels can be misused and misunderstood" and that he "sincerely regrets if what I said caused anyone to misunderstand my true feelings."

Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), said Mr. Durbin's apology "was not sufficient" and contrasted the Democrat's reaction to that of Sen. Rick Santorum, Pennsylvania Republican, who was criticized by the ADL for likening the use of the filibuster on judges to Nazi tactics.

12Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Commenting is disabled for this entry.
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. KELLNER: New Apple mouse really is 'Magic'
  2. EXCLUSIVE: Warner: Obama misplayed health care debate
  3. D.C. sniper executed in Virginia
  4. Airport rules changed after Ron Paul aide detained
  5. PRUDEN: Fatal reluctance to see evil
More Top Stories »
  1. Families meet as sniper's execution nears
  2. Michigan farm expert opens Marijuana U.
  3. DeMint tries to ban 'permanent politicians'
  4. Kennedy's disability plan could snag health bill
  5. High court refuses to halt sniper execution

Most Shared

  1. KELLNER: New Apple mouse really is 'Magic'
  2. EDITORIAL: End Clinton-era military base gun ban
  3. Michigan farm expert opens Marijuana U.
  4. Airport rules changed after Ron Paul aide detained
  5. PRUDEN: Fatal reluctance to see evil
More Top Stories »
  1. DeMint tries to ban 'permanent politicians'
  2. Houston sheriffs round up thousands of illegals
  3. EDITORIAL: When the shooter becomes the victim
  4. EXCLUSIVE: Fort Hood suspect contacted Muslim extremists
  5. Obama's union drive stumbles in N.H.

Most Commented

  1. DeMint tries to ban 'permanent politicians'
  2. Obama: 'No faith justifies' Fort Hood attack
  3. Kennedy's disability plan could snag health bill
  4. PRUDEN: Fatal reluctance to see evil
  5. Houston sheriffs round up thousands of illegals
More Top Stories »
  1. D.C. sniper executed in Virginia
  2. Airport rules changed after Ron Paul aide detained
  3. EXCLUSIVE: GOPer Cao: Health vote may end career
  4. EXCLUSIVE: Fort Hood suspect contacted Muslim extremists
  5. Michigan farm expert opens Marijuana U.

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Blogs & Columns

  • POTUS Notes

    New Dem talking point on Obama approval doesn't wash

  • The Back Story

    12 arrested at Pelosi's office

  • Belief Blog

    New Vatican constitution released

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Redskins 360

    Veterans visit Redskins

  • Tara's Two Cents

    On their way to summer vacation..

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.