Politics / John McCain Is He Against Torture? The LA Times accuses Mac of flip-flopping on a key issue By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff Posted Feb 19, 2008 6:45 PM CST Copied Republican presidential hopeful, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speaks at the Outagamie County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner in Appleton, Wis., Monday, Feb. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (Associated Press) The LA Times editorial board today slammed John McCain for a vote the paper feels undermines the senator’s “admirable” opposition to torture in interrogations. McCain, whom the Times endorsed earlier this month, voted against legislation that forbids CIA interrogators from using waterboarding or other methods banned by the Army Field Manual. The law passed the House and the Senate, but now faces the Bush veto—something the Times thinks the GOP frontrunner’s support could’ve mitigated. story continues below10 Reasons These Shoes Are On Every Healthcare Worker's 2025 WishlistComfortWear shoes provide all-day comfort and pain relief with superior arch support, cushioned foam for all-day comfort, at a fraction of the price of custom orthotics and expensive brandsComfort Ortho WearLearn MoreUndoAverage IQ is 100. What's Yours? Answer 20 multiple choice questions to find out.Avg IQ is 100. Find our your score in less than 10 minutes! Taken by over 1M users so far. 76,162 users tested today.Free IQ TestClick HereUndoAverage completion time: 10 minutes. Find out your IQ score! Taken by over 1M users so far.Avg IQ is 100. Find our your score in less than 10 minutes! Taken by over 1M users so far. 76,162 users tested today.Free IQ TestClick HereUndo McCain says his vote doesn’t constitute support for waterboarding because a 2005 law he sponsored explicitly prohibits it, and feels that, waterboarding aside, the CIA should have a freer hand than the army in collecting information. The Times thinks this creates a double standard that the administration can exploit to do what it wants—a steadfast opponent of torture, the paper argues, needs to combat it at every turn. (More John McCain stories.) Report an error