habeas corpus

Check out this headline from the AP:

So what is that? Could it be troop cuts or defunding the war? NO! This article is about the Republicans filibustering Jim Webb's amendment to give the troops as much time home as they are at war. Anti-war? Fuck you AP - this was a pro-troop bill. It was a pro-military bill, by providing our troops with the rest they need to counter any problem that might face our nation.

AND IT'S CALLED A FILIBUSTER!!!!

You pandering pussies that are destroying the fourth estate. When the Democrats talked of blocking John Roberts confirmation to the Supreme Court all we heard from you was "filibuster". The Republicans have been on a roll obstructing Senate, yet you never mention the word filibuster. Don't believe me? Well here is another example just today:

Senate Rejects Expanding Detainee Rights

Makes it sounds like both these measures failed by a straight up/down vote - don't it? I mean saying "senate rejects" implies that a majority of Senators voted against it. Do your fact checking ASSociated Press. Both these measures were blocked with a filibuster. A majority of Senators wanted to vote on the issues, but the Republicans don't think our troops our Habeas Corpus deserve an up/down vote. And apparently neither does the AP.

I haven't posted on the firing of the federal prosecutors lately, but there has been some real interesting developments in the case. Yesterday, we received this news:

The controversy flared up early Wednesday afternoon after David Iglesias, the departing U.S. attorney from New Mexico, told McClatchy Newspapers that he believes he was forced out because he refused to speed up an indictment of local Democrats a month before November's congressional elections.

Iglesias said that two members of Congress called separately in mid-October to inquire about the timing of a federal probe of a kickback scheme. They appeared eager, he said, for an indictment to be issued before the elections in order to benefit the Republicans. He refused to name the members of Congress because, he said, he feared retaliation.

All House members from New Mexico denied this, except two. Heather Wilson and Pete Domenci. Today Josh Marshall is hearing that there are quiet a few reporters staking out the offices of Wilson and Domenci. Very interesting in deed (also very troubling - its ok to flex Congressional muscle when it comes to these little political games, yet when wounded soldiers are being treated like shit, Republicans shut up).

Our nation has now turned back the hands of time to a point in history before we were actually a nation:

The Senate, siding with President Bush shortly after he personally lobbied lawmakers at the Capitol, rejected a move Thursday by a leading Republican to allow terrorism suspects to challenge their imprisonment in court.

The vote paved the way for final passage of Bush's plan to establish "military commissions" to prosecute terrorism suspects in legislation that also spells out violations of the Geneva Conventions, a treaty that sets international standards for the treatment of war prisoners.

Republicans say the bill is necessary to ensure that terrorists can be brought to justice and that CIA personnel will not be charged with war crimes when interrogating these suspects.

Barring any last-minute hiccups, the bill could reach the president's desk as early as Friday.

The Republicans feel that people have no rights and can be detained indefinitely just because the President wants them to. This is an all time low for our nation. Of course the legislation takes a big chance of failing in the judicial system, but that will take time. It will also reset everything that Senate did this week and have to be done all over again. This is the price of a rubber stamp congress. They have destroyed what America stands for.

Just as disturbing is the provision in this bill that gives a carte blanche pardon to Bush and his administration for violating the Geneva Conventions. The pardon is effective from 9/11/2001 on up. By passing this bill, Senate has already convicted the Bush administration of war crimes and instead choose to make it so that breaking the law is legal. Again - they have destroyed what America stands for. Bush, his administration and the Republicans are true enemies to the United States.