The Senate couldn't get together enough votes to keep the rule of law. Another day, another chunk out of the Constitution. Habeas corpus took a dive.
The Senate narrowly rejected legislation on Wednesday that would have given military detainees the right to protest their detention in federal court.
The 56-43 vote fell four shy of the 60 votes needed to cut off debate on the bill, co-sponsored by Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa. It was a blow for human rights groups that say a current ban on habeas corpus petitions could lead to the indefinite detention of individuals wrongfully suspected of terrorism.
President Bush and conservative Republicans counter that the ban, enacted last year, was necessary to stem the tide of legal protests flooding civilian courts.
Your citizenship just got a lot cheaper. Suspicion cannot be the basis for legal action without proof.
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Ruth, It Was Republicans, Not Democrats Who Decided This
When you say something like "the Senate" decided, it suggests that a Democratic-led Senate did that. No, it was the minority party, which is filibustering everything in sight that made sure habeas would stay a dead duck. The Democratic Senate passed the amendment by a margin of 13 votes; 13, count'em.
What they fell 4 short of was ending the filibuster. To overcome the inevitable presidential veto, they would need 7 more than those 4 votes.
What is important here is that the Dems forced this vote, even though there was no way they could have overcome a presidential veto. What Susan Collins did was make sure the president was spared the embarrassment of vetoing a bill that funds the war, so committed is he to destroying habeas corpus.
Equal blame does not apply here.
Sometimes process matters.
The Dems should attach an amendment restoring habeas
to any and every piece of legislation passing through Congress.
They ARE the fucking majority.
They MAKE the fucking rules.
Chuy! What is so fucking hard???
A Quick Study, But A Slow Learner
Me? A Quick Study, But A Slow Learner
Leah, I agree,
It is the GoPervs that did this, but in order to keep them from continuing to destroy the constitution, we need the Senate in Democratic hands. I make this point all the time, we have got to get the country, the rule of law, the ethical conduct of all government affairs, in hand, and it will take Democrats in power, preferably in all three branches. We can see what happens when they're not able to control what happens to the public interest.
And Woody's suggestion is nice, but of course, they don't make the rules - especially in the Senate. That's why the GoPervs can demand a 60 vote majority to do anything at all. Ruth
Ruth
GoPervs
Actualy, Ruth, I've add GOP to the Lexicon of Liberal
Invective. I hope this meets with your approval...
We. Are. Going. To. Die. We must restore hope in the world. We must bring forth a new way of living that can sustain the world. Or else it is not just us who will die but everyone. What have we got to lose? Go forth and Fight!—Xan
First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win. -- Mahatma Gandhi
You all say that, but it
You all say that, but it seems like the Democrats only try to do something like this when failure is a foregone conclusion. They never do anything to stop these things in the first place, and they deserve a lot of blame for that. That doesn't go away just because they pretend to try and repeal it later.