At first blush, the White House finally appears to be behind the U.S. Senate's attempt to ban the use of torture toward prisoners anywhere.

But it only sounds that way.

Last week, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during a stopover in Kiev, said that the United States was fully behind the United Nations' prohibition on "cruel, inhumane and degrading" treatment of prisoners — not just on U.S. soil, but anywhere in the world.

She was forced to admit that much since media exposes have detailed the U.S. tendency to use torture in secret prisons in Europe.

Among the techniques used by the CIA is "waterboarding," where detainees are made to feel as if they were drowning.

But just when it appeared Rice was coming clean, she backtracked slightly at a news conference: "Will there be abuses of policy? That's entirely possible. Just because you're a democracy, it doesn't mean that you're perfect."

Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a little bit of torture.

If the White House wants to avoid its tendency for tortured arguments and move toward absolute clarity on the subject, it must wholeheartedly support the proposal of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that would make a ban on torture specific U.S. law.

Hawai'i Sen. Daniel K. Inouye was one of 90 senators to approve the passage of the so-called McCain amendment last month, and remains a passionate advocate.

"Something like this has to be considered," Inouye said. "If someone did anything to kill the amendment or suggest we support torture, I would do anything to fight it."

He may have to when the issue comes before Congress again this week.

The biggest opponent to the McCain amendment has always been the Bush administration, which likes to keep its options open when it comes to torture.

Now that Rice says it doesn't matter where torture takes place, it's about time that the U.S. adopt laws that mirror the U.N. anti-torture policy she claims we follow.

The Bush administration should stop playing games and back the McCain amendment without reservation.