Fear Not Wingnuts
The latest crazy Republican talking point floating around concerns the decision of the Justice Department to try some high profile terrorism suspects in the federal courts in New York. Their concern is that the suspects could be acquitted (and there wouldn’t be any danger in that would there wingnuts if Bush/Cheney didn’t have so much tainted evidence from toture, would there?). I think it’s a good decision because it helps show the world that we have confidence in our own justice system – a system that has tried terrorists before without incident. The Republicans have chosen a really odd talking point IMO, that our justice system is incompetent and that we can’t successfully incarcerate dangerous people. If there’s one thing the U.S. is good at, it’s putting people in prison.
Rest your fears, wingnuts. Most of us (the reality-based community) know that the Justice Department wouldn’t dare try terrorism suspects in federal courts unless they felt confident they had enough evidence to convict them (despite Bush/Cheney’s tainted evidence). However, if common sense isn’t enough to reassure you, the Washington Post has looked at the myths and debunked them.
— One: Mohammed’s lawyers are going to rely on the fact that he was waterboarded to get his case dismissed. Fact: Ain’t gonna happen. Depending on who is running the show (Mohammed wanted to represent himself at his military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay), it’s likely that the government’s post-capture treatment of Mohammed will be a factor in the trial. But it won’t determine the outcome, especially if the government does not seek to introduce any of Mohammed’s post-torture statements to jurors. The fact that the feds are bringing him to New York to stand trial indicates that they have plenty of other evidence that they can use to get their conviction.
[…]
— Four: The transfer of Mohammed to a federal civilian court is a concession of defeat by the government and a soft-on-terror approach to suspects. Fact: The Bush administration tried to prosecute these people in military tribunals but wasn’t able to come up with a set of rules that were deemed constitutional. As a result, six years after Mohammed was apprehended, he still hasn’t been convicted. A civilian trial is the best chance of ensuring conviction and sentencing. I don’t consider that a defeat. I consider it progress. We are one step closer to the end of this guy’s story. Remember, too, that the Republican senators who are crying loudest now about this civilian trial were the ones who precluded the use of military tribunals by insisting that they be constitutionally unfair to defendants.
— Five: Mohammed will be acquitted on some technicality endorsed by a federal judge. Fact: After eight years of reporting on terrorism law, I am not aware of any judge, anywhere, who is eager to pervert the law to give Mohammed a break. The idea that the federal courts are soft on terrorism is unfair to the hundreds of jurists who have repeatedly endorsed government policy on terrorism, both before and after the 2001 attacks. Capital murder suspects get off on “technicalities” (read: constitutional rights) far less often than you see in prime time. And even if Mohammed is somehow acquitted, which isn’t going to happen, the feds will then immediately pick him up and put him back in the military brig.
Do you feel better now wingnuts or is your criticism really just to score political points?
Oh, I get it now. One op-ed by one Obama-fellating television reporter in one Obama-fellating newspaper is supposed to show us the error of our ways and expose us as politically-motivated America-haters. I call BULLSHIT!
And I still look at this case and expect it to be thrown out on the basis of a violation to the right to a speedy trial. And when that happens, does Obama meekly release terrorists to engage in acts of war against the US again, or does he defy the judicial branch and continue to hold them (in the process doing what you liberals could only falsely accuse GWB of doing during his presidency, namely shredding the Constitution)?
So when you’re wrong are going to come back and admit it? Obama knows what he is doing. No way these guys will get off. I know why Republicans are worried though – they’re worried that their wrongdoing will be revealed.
Interesting that these wingnuts trust the justice system enough to let innocent people be executed (and let their Governors cover up the impropriety) but do not trust the system enough to let the people of New York City give a known terrorist a fair trial.
Obama knows what he is doing.
Then this would be the first time.
Somewhere in Kenya a village is missing its idiot.
They obviously sent all the idiots to Texas.
No, i think the idiot is currently in China, having first disgraced himself (and the nation) in Japan.
It isn’t as though you’d know what disgrace is, otherwise you wouldn’t still be working at it over here.
Bowing is sooooo inappropriate:
oo do you have the one of them making out?
Bush REALLY made me proud when he kissed the man who’s country Osama came from.
it is called respect RWR. No one from this country has shown it towards the rest of the world in WAY too long…. clinton included.
do you know WHY people hate america RWR? not the reason you do…. not because we try to heal our sick and feed our hungry…. they hate america because we are the most arrogant ass holes on the planet. we do whatever the fuck we want whenever the fuck we want to.
and no one can stop us.
Now, this would be ok, because we are supposed to be that Shining Beacon, however we have fallen behind in some aspects lately (education, health care, poverty, crime) AND we totally neglect the rest of the world when making foreign policy, and have a culture that MOCKS cultures we think are “funny” It is disgusting behavior that is celebrated in the Conservunist society.
Heads of state deserve respect. (something ELSE you people dont seem to do anymore)
When people come to visit our country, we demand they obey OUR customs, they speak OUR language and the recognize OUR government.
When americans travel abroad, we (conservinistas) talk loudly and demand they speak english, gawk at things we think are weird, and act like barbarians…. dumb americans. Bush was this cartoonish figure to a T. when he wasn’t playing tonsil hockey with the saudi king, he was man handling the german chanselor. He was a damn pig.
Barack Obama knows what respect is. He knows when you are in a foreign country you follow THEIR customs. rather than act like a “super president” coming to check on one of your regional managers Japan is our ally, one of our last close friends with any kind of an economy and you ass holes don’t respect them enough to think we should show humility in front of their leader on their soil.
If they hate us so much, they can quit taking our foreign aid — and being defended by our military. SCREW ‘EM!
And as for the picture above — I don’t know about you, but I’ve got plenty of elderly friends and relatives who are less than steady on their feet (not to mention a wife who falls into that category). I’m not at all ashamed to give them a hand to hold on to in order to make sure that they don’t fall. But then again, I’ve got common decency, something that you don’t.
Oh, and by the way — other heads of state don’t bow to the emperor, or to the Saudi king. And let’s not forget that Obama didn’t bow to the Queen of England, so don’t give me the protocol bullshit — though he did give her an iPod full of his speeches, so i guess that counts for something.
LOL, you’re so clueless RwR.
Remember when Bush gave Angela Merkel the inappropriate shoulder rub? So classy! Or perhaps you think Obama should throw up on the emperor’s lap like Bush, Sr. did.
and the queen asked for an ipod. Go ahead and use the “reason of the week” to irrationally hate the usurper. please just succeed. “The Christian Republic of Texansasa”.
or we can go with the LAST time you maniacs got annoyed with american progress… The Confederated Sates of America
CSA! CSA! CSA! you can chant it at the Super-world-bowl when the Eagles beat the Cowboys. If we lift the embargo and let your team into the country….. human rights violations and all.
I have to say that I love how Obama drives wingnuts out of their gourds.
As the descendant of a wounded Union officer who was also a founder of the GOP (and an associate of Abraham Lincoln) at a time when your state was still proudly owning slaves, I resent that.
If only your imaginary great grand pappy war hero had given his life for this country….(sigh)
the proud and honorable accomplishment of your ancestor and what WAS the progressive party at that time does NOT make up for your support of a current political game run by TODAY’S GOP that openly tries to split the country in 2. Right now it is the Republican party, but throughout history, the movement that has held america back is Conservatism.
but i’ll throw you a wing-nut style one anyway .. sorry IF i offended you.
… pretend ancestor.
what ever. i have no reason to believe he is lying about that….. made up or not, he is calling for an america opposite to what lincoln and the GOP of that era fought for. conservatives hold america back and try to rip america apart. they prove over and over again their policies are based on intolerance and hate and they are willing to use violence as a… maybe 5th or 6th resort. I think their movement is finally collapsing. it is just a matter of how much damage they do on their way out.
He is a scoundrel and a cad. That’s how I know he is lying about his grand pappy.
Paterson Calls Obama Wrong on 9/11 Trial
New York Times ^ | November 16, 2009 | Danny Hakim
Gov. David A. Paterson on Monday criticized the Obama administration’s decision to try five men linked to the Sept. 11 attacks in a civilian court in Manhattan. His comments made him one of a few Democrats to take that stand and underscored his schism with the White House. “This is not a decision that I would have made,” the governor said. “New York was very much the epicenter of that attack; over 2,700 lives were lost.” “It’s very painful,” he added. “We’re still having trouble getting over it. We still have been unable to rebuild that site, and having those…
until i see the link, you are a pathetic liar.
And to continue the thread of a picture being worth a thousand words, what about the stupid racist Cambridge police officer helping Professor Gates down the stairs of the White House while Captain Oblivious strides purposefully towards the beer summit?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/nyregion/17paterson.html
And folks, I hold to precisely the values that my family has always held to — freedom and equality for all Americans, opposition to political corruption, and fidelity to the Constitution of the United States (which establishes LIMITED government).
Those out to rip America apart are the Alinskyites who currently hold power.
Silly fear-mongering is bipartisan sometimes. Perhaps silliness like Paterson’s statement is why he’s down 59% to Andrew Cuomo in a primary match-up.
Limited government – yeah, right, except for all the bedroom peeping and telling women what to do with their bodies.
and of course, humping corporate corruption. Why do you people love nameless soulless businesses more than human life….. well i guess it could be explained by the human life often hurt by corporate greed is a different color, or creed than you… so its easy to understand why “patriots” from dixie love the wall marts of the world.
Providing everyone with equal heath care, and education is not ripping america apart. Turning every situation into an “us vs them”, as the Conservative Bowel Movement loves ot do makes “good am-erkins” and those of us who actually want to participate in the world.
Its is staggering how little respect you people have form someone if they aren’t acting like an MC at Nordicfest
“And folks, I hold to precisely the values that my family has always held to — freedom and equality for all Americans, opposition to political corruption, and fidelity to the Constitution of the United States (which establishes LIMITED government).”
wow, RWR, I didn’t know you were pro-choice (limited government and women’s rights as Americans), pro-gay marriage (freedom and equality for ALL Americans), and for public funding of elections (opposition to political corruption). Really, I didn’t know how much of a progressive you are.
I love “MC at Nordicfest”, lol.
And RWR, sorry, nobody from Texas will be taken seriously lecturing folks from Delaware about slavery or corruption. It just ain’t on.
On the protocol issue, I’d have to say that American Presidents are pretty darn cagey building up their public persona. GWB worked that whole “Texas” thing as part of his charm, and the American people were willing to forget he came from a long line of Connecticut blue-bloods. The Obamas are aware that the “fresh young Camelot” thing is part of their appeal, and they go with it.
Bowing is a sign of respect in Japan, and anyone who’d had 6 weeks in B-school preparing to go would know to do it. They didn’t break out Kamakazi flight jackets when he revealed his weakness, so we can just wipe the spittle off our chin and move on.
I’d have to say the only protocol “gaffe” I’ve observed was Mrs. Bush wearing white while meeting with the Pope. While not technically incorrect, these days, it was sufficiently odd and untraditional to look like a big old FU, and I think someone should have tipped her off.
Dont talk to RWR about schools. His state has one of the worst education systems in the country, and they seem to like it that way since they resist at the threat of succession (go CSA) any help to educate their children. All they need is old war propaganda reels with Obama edited in next to Hitler lauding the Nazi Socialist New Deal and Co-presidents Jesus and Ronny “forgets a lot” instead of FDR.
1) pro-choice (limited government and women’s rights as Americans)
Sure I am — you have a choice on whetehr or not to engage in sexual activity that results in pregnancy. And when medical science develops a way of terminating a pregnancy that does not result in the taking of the child’s life, I’ll wholeheartedly support it.
2) pro-gay marriage (freedom and equality for ALL Americans)
Yep — gay people have exactly the same right to marry a person of the opposite sex as every other American.
3) and for public funding of elections (opposition to political corruption)
Public funding of elections is not the solution to political corruption — voting out Democrats is.