'Even Adolf Eichmann got a trial'
By Steve Benen Wednesday Jun 25, 2008 1:40pmThe Supreme Court’s recent ruling on habeas corpus and suspected terrorist detainees has faded a bit on the political world’s radar, but the McCain campaign continues to believe the issue will benefit their candidate. Indeed, just this afternoon, McCain’s in-house blogger blasted Barack Obama’s campaign for “conflicting answers” on whether Osama bin Laden would be entitled to habeas. The blogger admonished Obama for trying to “have it both ways on this issue.”
That’s an interesting choice of criticisms.
John McCain initially responded to the Supreme Court ruling with mild disappointment. “[I]t is a decision that the Supreme Court has made,” McCain said. “Now we need to move forward.” A day later, McCain said the high court’s ruling was “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.” It was quite a rapid reversal.
McCain spent the ensuing days bragging about his support for indefinite detention, which is odd, considering that McCain adopted Barack Obama’s position on the issue as recently as three years ago. Here’s what he told Tim Russert June 19, 2005, which as you’ll notice, is the exact opposite of his position now:
“Now, I know that some of these guys [at Guantanamo] are terrible, terrible killers and the worst kind of scum of humanity. But, one, they deserve to have some adjudication of their cases. And there’s a fear that if you release them that they’ll go back and fight again against us. And that may have already happened. But balance that against what it’s doing to our reputation throughout the world and whether it’s enhancing recruiting for people to join al-Qaeda and other organizations and want to do bad things to the United States of America. I think, on balance, the argument has got to be — the weight of evidence has got to be that we’ve got to adjudicate these people’s cases, and that means that if it means releasing some of them, you’ll have to release them.
“Look, even Adolf Eichmann got a trial.”
Imagine, just for a moment, what the right would do if Obama said, for the sake of our national reputation, that we might have release terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay. Indeed, if we took McCain’s quote, attributed it to Obama, and sent it to Fox News and the Wall Street Journal editorial page, they’d talk about little else for the rest of the year.
Perhaps Michael Goldfarb, McCain’s in-house blogger, can remind us again of which candidate is offering “conflicting answers” and trying to “have it both ways on this issue.”
At this point, I’m confused.
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I wouldn't say McCain reversed his position. His initial feeling was mild dissapointment. The next day he amplified his feelings. Reversal would imply that he no longer feels dissapointment.
Does McCain think he should have been kept at the Hanoi Hilton forever? What exactly is the difference? Of course, once he got out, he did everything in his power to stop looking for others that were there.
I wonder if someone planted that line and attributed it to Obama and sent it to Faux, how long it would take them to air it.
John McCain likes indefinite imprisonment with no access to law proceedings so much he did it personally for 5 years!
And just listen to the glowing fondness with which he speaks of his experience.
dan hussein @ 1:
Just what we'd expect from Dan "Barack" Hussein. ;-)
lyleleander @ 4:
To quote Jon Stewart: "Oh, snap. You did not just go there."
It sounds like the Republican hero is afraid of his shadow. The only way to become a POW is to surrender, hero's die fighting
Why not do exactly that? Limbaugh too. I'm sure some of those dorks would run with it. Hannity probably - he's one of the dumbest.
Hitler would have been tried. Then hung.
Sick of the MSM catering to the dumbfucks in this country, rather than reminding them that our country still has certain legal guidelines, even though they're disappearing rapidly. As is our nation as we've known it.
Greg Theilmann @ 2:
he became full throated after being briefed to make it somewhat political as usual
Whats the rip here? Give OBL a habeas review..what do you think his chances are of ANY COURT IN THE WORLD granting him release? Does anybody think that an incarcerated OBL..in the USA would direct his attorney to piss off the entire judiciary with a habeas request?
keep on rockin in the free world.
Not only Adolf Eichmann got a trial, the four terrorist in the WTC bombing in 1993 got a trial.
WTC 1993 bombing:
4 terrorist caught
4 terrorist tried
4 terrorist guilty
These terrorist had habeas corpus in their trial.
WTC 2001
100's terrorist caught
0 terrorist tried
0 terrorist guilty
WHO'S REALLY FIGHTING THE WAR ON TERRORISM. SO WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL ABOUT GIVING THESE TERRORIST A FAIR TRIAL.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/16/AR200806...
a short opinion regarding habeas corpus ruling
John McCain has reversed himself on his own lessons as a POW, something he valued until he got a glimpse of a possibility to be president. Now he's lost any claim he ever had to stature.
this habeas corpus ruling only gives the prisoners the right to request a hearing......this administraton wants to judge their own judgements.......as many of us have seen they have put a spin on this to.....my undestanding is that some afghan. tribe members would hand over someone to u.s. forces for a cash reward.....sometimes i wonder if they use this to keep the arabs stirred up....perpetual war strategy....or to prove to israel they will what they think is necessary
" Even Adolf Eichmann got a trial"
9-11 changed everything.
Left&Left @ 17:
that's it........then the NEOCON propaganda that followed
Should Osama Bin Laden get habeus corpus?
YES
It only seems like a good idea when it happens to "someone else". By the time it happens to you, it's too late to stop it.
See, that was Maverick John McCain talking. Now he's Down the Line Republican John McCain.
Thanks to Our Media Stars, he gets to be both! Or either! Whichever you'll vote for!
I am appalled that there is even a debate as to whether OBL would be 'granted' habeus.
For nearly 1000 years, it has been a basic human right and the bedrock of civilization. The only people who would deny that are tyrants, criminals ans terrorists. Which one are you, McCain?
Bananaphone @ 19:
my guess is ......he'll never get to talk.......kind of like saddam
If that was the main criteria for who should be held, there would be a Presidential and Vice-Presidential cell waiting for the basterds who are responsible for HUNDREDS of thousands of deaths. Usama Bin Bush and Zawahiri Cheney...
The Republicans are a bunch of pee in their pants fraidy-cats.
I am not afraid of those terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists,
terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists,
terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists,
terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists.
Our own government though is terrorizing the constitution.
Do these politicians not see how they are a very real terror threat to our democracy.
Do they not see that they are spitting in the face if life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?
The fear mongering has reached the point that it's become BOORISH.
We've got much larger issues looming at home other than terror.
If Joe public is afraid of terror as much as the pols are then we live in a nation of worried pussies
that truly deserve neither liberty nor freedom.
Heart Attacks, cancer, household accidents, automobile accidents, diabetes,
hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, and a plethora of other "things"
kill more people than do terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists,
terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists,
terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists,
terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists, terrorists.
They seem to imply that if the feds caught bin Laden, they wouldn't be able to come up with enough evidence to hold him for trial.
Um... I guess that means nobody saved those tapes where he took credit for 9/11, then. Not that I should be surprised at this point, but... wow.
karl @ 22:
Saddam sang like a canary. Using a psychological interrogation, within a few weeks he answered his good friends every question.
(hussien)moondancer @ 26:
And 85% of it was probably lies to get the 'psychological interrogation' to stop. Go torture 'Curveball' for a while. See how far that gets ya.
Given Obama's anti-Constitutional stance on FISA, I pretty much have to agree with that right wing blogger. (I'm stiffling the gag reflex). Obama is trying to fence sit his way through this issue. It's every bit as disgusting as HRC's penchant for pathological triangulation.
McCain gets to 'have it both ways' because of a constantly fawning and very sycophantic press. always there to apologize for him and relieve him from the burdens of his many egregious flip-flops. and, of course, not report on them as they should. folks like Richard Cohen and David Broder, who literarily fellate McCain with their consummate and unhinged praise. good lord, there is nothing wrong that McCain could do, or has done, that would change their minds. Huffington is right: the Swift Boat Media.
Open the doors and let them swim home. If they don't make it, it's their own fault. We can wash our little hands and call ourselves heroes.
well, I think this as a great idea. Somebody try to figure out a way for Faux News to think this is a quote from Obama and see what they do with it. Is it possible? How would you go about it? somehow we got to get these word out of Obama's mouth. Exactly how McGranpa said them. It would be soooo cool.
Some right wing blogger correctly points out that Obama has failed to clearly stand up for Habeus.
C & L responds with "McCain is a dottering old fool"
Now looking forward to power, Democrats have joined Republicans in the belief that principles are just weapons to be selectively chosen in a partisan battle. I guess we should go back and remove all those IOKIYAR comments before someone points out the hypocrisy. Oh, yeah, never mind. I forgot; we don't have to. That is the beauty of hypocrisy.
[Deleted. Off topic. Site Monitor]
Captain Obama’s Bitter Half Husein Kangaroo @ 31:
we should start email accounts with names like patriotvoter or if you're a (liberal) veteran , GOPvet and post comments on WingNut blogs . just cut & paste McCrazy's Flip-Flop words in Obama's name with the obligatory liberal hatred in your comment . Faux Noose will eventually pick it up and the hilarity will ensue ...
I realize that "official" bloggers can't do this but we in the rabble can , and I will !
to not do so ; in the face of the e-smears going out from RePIGlican liars about Obama , , , is unilateral political disarmament .
I know a some Adoplf Eichmann's who should be put on trial:
Bush
Cheney
Rice
Gonzales
Addington
Kristol
Pearle
Rumsfeld
Wolfowitz
And about a hundred other fascist-traitor friends of theirs.
(hussien)moondancer @ 26:
i saw the 60 minutes......i don't buy it he was drugged said little
Sagra @ 25:
The CIA taped a college football game over them.
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