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September 21, 2006

Kewpie Doll for GOP Rebels

I
nearly died from shock when I saw the AP reporting that the President and the McCain/Graham wing of the GOP Senate have all but reached an accord on military tribunals.

Let's look at this issue dispassionately--like Bush and McCain surely did.

First, the Congress adjourns in a few days and -- even though the detainees have been waiting for up to 4 years to be tried -- it was essential to get things done fast.

Now why would that be? Yes, yes. It's an election year, and the GOP wants to see if they can pass a law that leaves the Geneva Convention intact in name but eliminates it's importance by removing any resort to habeas for people wrongly held or tortued -- like Mahed Arar? Could that be the reason? Or is it that nothing's more American than carrying out justice swiftly. 'Cause then, when the war's over, the innocent terrorists will be released. Right? I mean, it's only the guilty ones who'll have to stay in jail after the war's over.

If it's a political decision, then the GOP will have some a reason to say,

Look at the Democrat Party. They're proterrorist. They believe that people who want to destroy your family should be able to appeal to American Courts -- like regular Americans, you know, your neighors and friends these people want to kill.

The subtext of this sort argument is that the "Democrat Party doesn't believe in the infallibility of our President -- whom God put here on earth to lead us in a religious battle against evildoers and heathens who don't believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior."

If this is not a purely partisan political decision, one would think that McCain -- of "Straight-Talk Express" fame -- would have included at least a token member of the Democrat Party in negotiations with the White House. Not to be. Did he need room to look "independent" to the masses, but not too disloyal to the President's GOTV ground troops? I don't know.

Where will this leave Senator Arlen Spector, who presently objects to eliminating habeas for terrorists (not suspected or alleged terrorists . . . as he's not prepared to doubt publicly the infallibility of the President). Does it really matter? There will 51 votes with or without Spector.

So tell me, if there's no "speedy trial" requirement, exactly why did legislation on these tribunals need to be enacted now?

Posted by shertaugh at September 21, 2006 3:55 PM

Comments

May I remind you that the POTUS defines justice as death by bombing? He has repeatedly defined being brought to justice as being killed by US bombs. This is simply his way of bringing the law into accord with the stated position of the Commander in Chief of all the armies.
I have resisted it for years but this action makes all previous actions clear. He and his henchmen are trying to destroy the United States Government. That is all.

Posted by: thebewilderness at September 21, 2006 5:06 PM