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

[DefendOurConstitution]

Today it is terrorist detainees, someday it will any of us can be detained for no reason and not be accused and will not have a right to ask for our day in court.

Just remember what Martin Niemoller, a pastor in Nazi Germany who spent the war in a concentration camp, said:

"In Germany, they first came for the communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Catholic.
Then they came for me -
and by that time there was nobody left to speak up."

[Kansas Evans]

I hear you!

[LIR]

It's already happened...your rights have disappeared...Bush already signed them away...you can be detained at Bush's pleasure.

Nazi Germany is alive an well and living in this country...and as was the case back then, our politicians don't seem to care enough, and many Americans could give a damn, too.

Bush's next move?

Canceling the '08 elections...mark my words...

[Ramirez]

And that definitely proves Godwin's Law.

[Qbear]

Yeah repigs go to the mat denying Habeas Corpus, that's going to win you ZERO votes.

[wordvarc]

w's GOP SAYS:

"WELCOME TO THE DARK AGES!"

Civilization, as we know it, is founded on the Magna Carta right which escorted Europe out of the dark ages.

The GOP, knuckling under again to w, is now our escort back to dungeons, guilt by proximity or association, indefinate detainment without charges, and kanagroo court 'tribunals.'

Iraq belongs to w and the GOP.
.

[Captain EdwardGraham]

Did Senator Craig vote against this bill?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=x0-IOaWGuP8 new Larry Craig song...

tap three times on the tile if you want me, twice on the pipe, tap three times if you want some senate holing,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILDoDPKjs0Q Senator Craig - Tap Three Times with your loafer if you want me, twice on the tank if the answer is no;

[LIR]

An OUTRAGE!

The Repigs evidently feel that habeas corpus, a foundation of jurisprudence, selectively does not apply to people we hate. As is obvious, to prove we are better than the insane members of Al Queda, we can show them how justice works...

BTW--The Blind Sheik was successfully PROSECUTED...NOT given "enemy combatatnt" status...and it worked! Funny how working within the system can have good results. But REPIGS could care less. Continue to make a mockery of the judicial branch...just an ABOMINATION.

America...once land of the free...now a ceritifed police state.

[springsm]

My gosh, what is the matter with these people. They are waiting for their "primaries". I hope we know what to do at the primaries. Target every damn one of these cowardly sons of bitches. This makes me soooo angry. We can start with my rep. the pretty haired g.d. dumb cop.

[joebaggadonuts]

I agree with wordvark above, but I have to point out that the R base feels this is pandering to their fear of terrorists hiding under their beds, so no, Qbear, this will win them some votes. Not the voters we want to vote (until they realize that the only thing to fear is the fear their leadership wants them to fear), but they are voters nonetheless.

[Richardhead]

Does anyone here know that battlefield detainees never had the right to habeus corpus?
The headline is misleading...

[twgbonehead]

And how many of the Gitmo detainees were "detained on the battlefield"? (As opposed to being handed over in exchange for a $50K bounty)?

Oh, and by the way, battlefield detainees DO have the rights accorded to them under the Geneva convention, don't they?

Oh, I forgot. In your world, being accused is the same as being guilty. Being imprisoned immediately means you deserve the death penalty. But you won't say that outright, you just bitch about "misleading headlines".

Could you please translate "Habeus Corpus" into German for me?

[Libsrule]

AND YET,when the Dems were trying to use the filibuster, the Thug party THREATENED to take that away from them and so the Gang of 8 got together and worked out a plan.

The dems would be able to keep the power of the filibuster BUT only if the republicans gave them permission to use it. Ya know what is really funny?

The dems should have let them do it. THEN the Thug party couldn't use it now.

We have the most worthless democrats in the world.

AND on top of that, the cowardly dems gave Tailgunner Joe Lieberman the chairmanship of a committe because they still considered him a democrat but he always votes with the repubicans.

WHAT THE HELL?

Most worthless dems in history.

The Thug party STILL controlls the Senate and the House. What a joke of an election.

Pelosi should resign in disgrace. Reid as well. Put someone in charge who is not terrified of nasty looks from the Thug party.

[gappytoofcondi]

To the GOP. Thank you for making it so simple. Your position is to bring the middle ages back to the good ol' U s of A.

No problem. Just let me know the date of the oven march.