GOP Filibusters Bill Restoring Habeas Rights To Detainees

AP:

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.

Read the whole story: AP

Comments

[kmccaskill]

that sucks

Hypocrite Hillary(DC Experience Matters?JFK & Bill HAD LIL

This Video Is Showing That Hillary is a hypocrite for saying obama has no experience

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBy3AKn_2Fk

[BrickSykes]

Well, Hummmmmmmmmer,

You've asked an extremely important question: Why DO 2/3rds of us "allow" the 1/3rd of us to make so much Noise? The reason is fairly simple. The Robber Barons of America, try as they will, can't muster any more than about one out of three Americans to "their side" at any one time. This is after all the money they spend. Why do they NEED to spend all that money? Because most of what they stand for is against the basic tenets of Democracy!

I have long maintained that America is made up of at least Two Good Guys for every One Jerk! This is the Main reason that America has been held in high esteem by the rest of the World for so long. Make sense? Of course it does. Only when this natural balance is thrown into disarray do we get the "Ugly American" label. What we are just now beginning to realize is that there has been a Shadow Government at work since right before WWII. They are a Grand Coalition of anti-Democratic fascists who FEAR the Truth! They know that the Truth will put them all in Jail!

Who are they? Nearly all the likes of Nelson Rockefeller's Empire, or, better yet, the Rockefeller Family Trust and all their minions. Read all about that in "Thy Will Be Done" by Gerard Colby and Charlotte Dennett, available at Amazon.com and your local library. (No I don't work for Amazon.com, or the library!)

Brick

[RGKahn]

Habeus Corpus dates from 1215, I beleve,when Charles the First was forced by his Royal followers to sign the Magna Carta. It only applied to the major land lords untill sometime in the 1600s when it was applied to more of the population. So it has been a cornerstone in England for almost 800 years for lords and for everybody else about 400 years. It has been a conerstone in the US, unwritten but understood since the founding of the first colonies on the East Coast of the New World, English speaking colonies only. Our Constitution mentions Habeas Corpus as a right that may not be taken away. Article I, Section 9 "The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it" It is usually restricted to a specific location and for a specific period of time. Congress may, not the President, suspend the Writ of Habeas Corpus.The Supreme court ruled against Pres. Lincoln in 1861 in part because the Congress had not ratified its suspension. It is a cornerstone in English jusrisprudence,

jurisprudence |ˌjoŏrisˈproōdns| noun the theory or philosophy of law. • a legal system : American jurisprudence.

DERIVATIVES jurisprudent adjective & noun jurisprudential |-proōˈden ch əl| adjective

ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from late Latin jurisprudentia, from Latin jus, jur- ‘law’ + prudentia ‘knowledge.’

[kay]

It probably doesn't have anything to do with that.

They're covering their asses, again.

They opened the prison in Cuba, picked up all those people, and now have no idea what to do with them. They admit they plan to "try" only 60 to 80 of the original 700. Virtually everyone sane has said the prison is a disaster for the US, from Colin Powell to Tony Blair.

The rest are getting released. Almost 300 HAVE been released.

[SaskiaStars]

Thanks for the education - really. I don't think that most people understand how vitally important Habeus Corpus is to this, or any, democracy. It is the thing that is supposed to seperate us from dictatorships and monarchy's.

[Paul]

Magna Carta was signed by King John. Charles I came much later (17th century).

Magna Carta established the principle that the will of the English king was ultimately bound by the rule of law. Habeus Corpus was part of that, even back then.

The conquest of England by the Normans in 1066 meant that the kings of England became absolute rulers (unlike the previous Saxon kings) and Magna Carta was the first attempt by the locals to modify this. Most of subsequent English history is the struggle between absolutism and democracy and in the end it was decided in 1681 after the Parliamentary forces won the English civil war.

The US should be the beneficiary of this struggle, and not give away our basic freedoms for the sake of "security".

[Grannysue]

My God, if Clinton would have done this, the Repukins would be all over the networks screaming outrageous, and all their talking heads would be spinning around.
They think if they do it, it's o.k. because after all they are the MORAL MAJORITY.

[Dem02020]

"Detainee Rights"

Six years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, and with a sort of vague and undefined anxiety felt by many (perhaps most) of the American People, that Americans might still be at risk for a bombing or hijacking or who knows what else, here on American soil...

And someone thinks "Detainee Rights" is presently important, and high on the agenda, of performing the functions of Government, and making and enforcing the Law...

...and providing as much Domestic and National Security to the American People as is possible, by the various Departments and Agencies of Law enforcement...

...and someone thinks "Detainee Rights" is presently important?


Go figure how reactionary knee-jerk take-the-bait politically self-destructive Congressional Democrats are, to pursue this issue and alienate them from so much of "Red State" America: A large enough segment of the American electorate, that it could deny Democrats from recapturing the Federal Government that was seized from us... a large enough segement of the American electorate, that it could return Congressional Democrats to minority status, in both Chambers and in just one election.

"Detainee Rights"

Go figure.

[kay]

Prisoners should be held indefinitely without charges by the US because Democrats might lose an election?

Well. So much for the American experiment.

Incidentally, "detainee" is a made-up word, intended to obscure.

They're US prisoners.

[Dem02020]

Who are you talking about when you say "prisoners", or "US prisoners"?

I can't imagine you're talking about anybody you know, such as a family member or neighbor or friend or any U.S. Citizen nationwide...

None of those people whom I just described, in addition to yourself, is a "detainee" or "prisoner" (in the sense we're speaking of).

I truly don't understand, why people are arguing for the "rights" of persons who are being detained on suspicion of committing or contributing to bombings or whatever else constitutes "terrorism".

It's a blind argument, where you have no idea about the person charged, or what they might be charged with, or any evidence against them; no idea other that than they're not U.S. Citizens, and that they're nobody you actually know.

I can't figure it.

[kay]

Any time a large group of people have a vague and undefined anxiety, it is politically potent to deny a hearing to prisoners, and we should all strive for this, because they're "detainees" and there aren't that many of them, anyway.

Plus, they don't vote.

[hmmmmmer]

Why is 67% of the country allowing 33% of the country to control the debate. Mostly every poll is beginning to show this divide. Look at Bush's approval rating and it follows pretty much what is going on. Too bad these morons are elected to a 6 year term. It is time America stood up and took back the America we all love and respect. It is sad we have come to this. Someone said it is up to us to show the radicals how justice, democracy and fair play work. When we don't see the need to follow the law, then who will.

[kay]

Because the weenies on the Right filibuster everything. 60 votes is the new 51.

Why do you think they object to a hearing on why someone is detained?

It isn't because of "frivilous detention lawsuits", which is what they claim.

You'd think if they're going to strip the Constitution, they'd at least honestly explain why.

[Woofer58]

It's because our reps stopped representing. Most Repub reps could care less what the average Joe, in their state/district wants. They know they are gone in '08, so they are trying to "kiss-up" to the Macine so they will get lucrative lobbyist jobs when they are voted out.
If ANY of the current issues in Congress were taken to a national vote, the powers that be would cease to exist. And they know it.

[cowboyjerkface]

68% of the country stood behind Clinton during the impeachment and said it was wrong. At some point and time we 68%ers are going to have to do something with the 32%ers.

[RGKahn]

Habeus Corpus dates from 1215, I beleve,when Charles the First was forced by his Royal followers to sign the Magna Carta. It only applied to the major land lords untill sometime in the 1600s when it was applied to more of the population. So it has been a cornerstone in England for almost 800 years for lords and for everybody else about 400 years. It has been a conerstone in the US, unwritten but understood since the founding of the first colonies on the East Coast of the New World, English speaking colonies only. Our Constitution mentions Habeas Corpus as a right that may not be taken away. Article I, Section 9 "The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it" It is usually restricted to a specific location and for a specific period of time. Congress may, not the President, suspend the Writ of Habeas Corpus.The Supreme court ruled against Pres. Lincoln in 1861 in part because the Congress had not ratified its suspension. It is a cornerstone in English jusrisprudence,

jurisprudence |ˌjoŏrisˈproōdns| noun the theory or philosophy of law. • a legal system : American jurisprudence.

DERIVATIVES jurisprudent adjective & noun jurisprudential |-proōˈden ch əl| adjective

ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from late Latin jurisprudentia, from Latin jus, jur- ‘law’ + prudentia ‘knowledge.’

[kay]

"President Bush and conservative Republicans counter that the ban, enacted last year, was necessary to stem the tide of legal protests flooding civilian courts."

About 700 people have been detained by the US in the prison camp in Cuba.

Where's the "flood" of legal protests? The "tide" that needed to be stemmed?

Reading the appeals of 700 (max, more than that have been released) prisoners inside a country of 400 million is just an unimaginable burden?

As usual, conservatives are completely full of shit.

I wonder why they don't want to restore the right to a hearing?

I think it's safe to say it isn't because of a "flood" of legal protests, unless they're lazier than they already appear.

[esgabel]

Growing up in the 50's we were taught that what made us different and better than other countries was our system of justice--that in other countries people could be held and never see the light of day--they could be taken away at night and sent to the Gulag, or the deep bowels of a Turkish Prison. We've given Academy Awards to South American movies about the Disappeared. We as a nation know what is right but we are too filled with fear and partisanship to change our course and if we squeeze our eyes just tight enough we can pretend not to see what we are allowing to happen to the law and spirit of United States of America.

[amerdiaspora]

good on you dems for forcing a vote
now do the same for impeachment, war funding etc
AND WILL SOME ONE PLEASE PUBLISH THE NAMES OF THE PIGS THAT THINK OF JUSTICE IN PRE-MAGNA CARTA TERMS!

you know guiliani agrees with setting back the iranis 5-10 years but him and his coronies want to set back the us hundreds of years

[accountability]

YES Amer Di

I want to see how Lieberman voted. I think it might be posted on the US senate website. Or maybe you have to look at the individual senators voting history.

[anotherpatriot]

Lieberman voted "nay." See the list here:

http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/09/19/habeas-restoration-cloture-vote-tally/

[reece5309]

when you and or your loved ones are blown into little pieces on the streets of america then you will realize the threat is real and needs to be dealt with

[oafishcad]

Your implication is that people who disagree with you don't care about security. That's ridiculous. We just think America should remain America or the terrorists have already won. What are you defending if not the Constitution? When you've trashed the Constitution, you've trashed America. You have surrendered out of fear. That's a cowardly act and unworthy of the millions who've died to defend our freedoms. Deal with the threats against us as Americans, not as the USSR or Nazi Germany. You're saying America is not worth defending.

[arabbit]

Yes, you and your ilk are the threat.
Rabbit

[TMAN]

Whats amazing to me is your apparent ignorance of actual situations that America and her citizens lived with prior to this traitorus administration's ill disguised Nazi like power grab.

Remarkable that we survived numerous covert and overt attacks by the Soviets for over 30 odd years on damn near everything we depended on in the military/industrial complex, including the stock market. Soviet spys, sleeper cells, moles you name it we endured it and won, all without HC suspension, special signing orders, data mining, and warrentless wire tapping.

It's flat out merely cover for an attack on the constitution and Bill of rights, by neocons thugs who don't respect anything American that they can't manipulate for their own nefarious purposes. That being the demise of america as a free but messy democratic system of government.

You're what I like to call a "fair weather" American. You'll be hiding somewhere when push comes to shove. And that is coming.

[gopgoingdown]

The Iraq war debate is easy, cut off the money.

If the GOP filibuster it, there is no MONEY.

If Bush veto's it, there is no money.

No money, no war. It's that easy!!!

[lochnessmonster]

This is one of the best programs I have heard on the subject:

http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=331

[oafishcad]

It's a slippery slope. Allow Habeus Corpus and pretty soon the whole Constitution will be reinstated.

[gopgoingdown]

Habeas Corpus has been around before America was founded. 1200 something?

You have to be told what you are charged with, plan, and simple.

As far as "protests flooding civilian courts" that is what the courts are for!!

Didn't Hitler do something like this, put people in contraction camps with no charges???

BUT, Bush great grand dad was a Hitler supporter. He liked that idea, so dose all the Bush families!!!

[LIR]

It is what made western civilization civilized...

When Bush prattles on in his Orwellian doublespeak about "freedom is on the march", what the idiot really means is "fascism is on the march". The man doesn't give a flying fuck about freedom, nor do the Repigs and the complete morons who support them on here.

What better way to show those who don't care about freedom (Bush, the terrorists) than to reinforce the importance of telling someone what they are charged with...? Bush doesn't get it, naturally, the trolls here, too...no excuse for the average American not tainted by Bush propaganda and Faux News.

[accountability]

it was his grandfather Prescott, not his Great grandfather... but who knows... he may have been as well.

[realitytrumpsbull]

I think both BushCo as well as the preceding Congress (and as like as not, this Congress too, at the end of the day) have pretty clearly illustrated that they rate the Constamatushinul somewhere between bird-cage liner and a used paper towel, it's got all that stuff written in it about 'rights' and all that old people stuff, but hey, baby, this here's the 21st
century, digital age, and all, where abilityation equals permissional, and all that, and stuff. Public accountability? Defend the Constamatushinal? Uphold your oath of office? Pshaw! We got the guns, we got the money, we got the oil, you better run! YEEEEEEE-HAW! LOL