Letters to the Editor
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read that backwards...
looks like you read down the columns instead of rows - republican vote was 216-7 in favor, democratic vote 160-34 against.
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It's official
The Republican Party has officially gone on record as being in favor of torture and indefinite incarceration of individuals without due process of law. Thank you, GOP, for telling us exactly what values you stand for.
America, is this the party we want representing us?????
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Congressional cowardice at its finest
Here are the salient excerpts of what just passed in the House, 253-168:
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H.R.6166 Military Commissions Act of 2006 (Introduced in House)
SEC. 5. TREATY OBLIGATIONS NOT ESTABLISHING GROUNDS FOR CERTAIN CLAIMS.
(a) In General- No person may invoke the Geneva Conventions or any protocols thereto in any habeas corpus or other civil action or proceeding to which the United States, or a current or former officer, employee, member of the Armed Forces, or other agent of the United States is a party as a source of rights in any court of the United States or its States or territories.
SEC. 6. IMPLEMENTATION OF TREATY OBLIGATIONS.
(a) Implementation of Treaty Obligations-
(3) INTERPRETATION BY THE PRESIDENT-
(A) As provided by the Constitution and by this section, the President has the authority for the United States to interpret the meaning and application of the Geneva Conventions and to promulgate higher standards and administrative regulations for violations of treaty obligations which are not grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions.
SEC. 7. HABEAS CORPUS MATTERS.
(a) In General- Section 2241 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by striking both the subsection (e) added by section 1005(e)(1) of Public Law 109-148 (119 Stat. 2742) and the subsection (e) added by added by section 1405(e)(1) of Public Law 109-163 (119 Stat. 3477) and inserting the following new subsection (e):
`(e)(1) No court, justice, or judge shall have jurisdiction to hear or consider an application for a writ of habeas corpus filed by or on behalf of an alien detained by the United States who has been determined by the United States to have been properly detained as an enemy combatant or is awaiting such determination.
`(2) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 1005(e) of the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 (10 U.S.C. 801 note), no court, justice, or judge shall have jurisdiction to hear or consider any other action against the United States or its agents relating to any aspect of the detention, transfer, treatment, trial, or conditions of confinement of an alien who is or was detained by the United States and has been determined by the United States to have been properly detained as an enemy combatant or is awaiting such determination.'.
(b) Effective Date- The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, and shall apply to all cases, without exception, pending on or after the date of the enactment of this Act which relate to any aspect of the detention, transfer, treatment, trial, or conditions of detention of an alien detained by the United States since September 11, 2001.
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Despicable. Bush got everything he wanted; [1] the power to interprete Geneva, [2] no habeas corpus or petitioning against detention via Geneva, and [3] retroactive CYA indemnity. The Senate is expected to pass similar language tomorrow.
Article III, Section 2 of our Constitution gives the Supreme Court the final say in interpreting the extent of binding provisions of ALL treaties. Consequently, this bill is patently unconstitutional on that count alone. They can pass whatever they want. Doesn't make it Constitutional. But, Bush is now one Supreme Court vote shy of truly becoming King George.
A sad day for our nation.
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"Sherwood" Brown?
Could you mean Sherrod Brown? The same Sherrod Brown who is running for the Senate in Ohio? (I don't know of a representative Sherwood Brown, from Ohio) The same Sherrod Brown who was featured recently in The Nation ( What can Sherrod Brown do for the Democrats?, Oct. 2 2006 issue)? Say it ain't so! Why in the world would this man vote for a bill that tramples our most cherished values, just because he's in a close race? Does he not feel capable of communicating to his potential constituents why a bill granting the president of the US the rights of a despot is incompatible with our most basic values? Unbelievable.
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Target Senators in 8 States to Save Habeas
I work at the Center for Constitutional Rights, and we've been in the thick of fighting this legislation. It's bleak. There is so much wrong with this bill, from regressively redefining rape and sexual abuse, to sneaking in a new definition of enemy combatant so broad it could include an anti-war protester at a rally in Washington, D.C., to ending sixty years of protection under the Geneva Conventions. We have urged Congress to reject the bill in its entirety, but there is one amendment under consideration that would address one terrible aspect of the legislation:
Senator Specter has introduced a bipartisan amendment to remove the habeas-stripping provision that denies non-citizens access to courts if they are designated “unlawful enemy combatants." The amendment will be voted on tomorrow morning. If one of the following is your Senator, please urge them to vote for the Specter Amendment to remove the court-stripping provision from the military commissions bill: Hagel (R-NE), Lugar (R-IN), Sununu (R-NH), Chafee (R-RI), Lieberman (D-CT), DeWine (R-OH), Collins (R-ME), Snowe (R-ME), and Menendez (D-NJ).
Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) – 202 224 2921, Fax: (202) 228-2853
Susan Collins (R-ME) – 202 224 2523, Fax: (202) 224-2523
Mike DeWine (R-OH) – 202 224 2315, Fax: (202) 224-6519
Chuck Hagel (R-NE) – 202 224 4224, Fax: (202) 224-5213
Joseph Lieberman (D-CT)- 202 224 4041, Fax: 202-224-9750
Richard Lugar (R-IN) – 202 224 4814, Fax: (202) 228-0360
Robert Menendez (D-NJ) – 202 224 4744, Fax: (202) 228-2197
Olympia Snowe (R-ME) – 202 224 5344, Fax: (202) 224-1946
John Sununu (R-NH) – 202 228 4131, Fax: (202) 228-4131
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Right on Pacificwhim!
If people can't understand that, they are probably beyond repair.
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Deer in the mailbox?
This is a horrendous result, but I couldn't agree with Glenn more. As a group the House Democrats stuck together and stood up for what's right here. Nancy P's speech -- on Crooks & Liars for the curious -- signaled the difference between the two parties and gave voters good reason to put Democrats in charge of the House. She helped her party along with the Constitution.
Would that the Senate could see the alignment and nationalize the detainee treatment issue. I can't fathom Harry Reid's strategy on any level. The proverbial deer in the headlights is too kind an image for him. He suggests one of George Allen's mailbox stuffers.
I don't know if he has a trick up his sleeve but can't count on him to douse the Senate lights again. (They seem to dim on their own these days.) I count on a brave few in the "greatest deliberative body" show more body than deliberativeness on this Constitution-wrecker of a bill.