WHy is Lindsey graham carrying Dick Cheney’s water?

The only force that wants Gitmo kept open and opposes any use of civilin courts are the Cheneyistas. So, what has Cheny got on Lindsey? I never had the empression that they were close or shared a similar view–why suddenly is Grahman Cheney’s sock puppet?

Further, how fucking stupid is Rahm? I don[t care what Graham tells him, does he not know enough to do some due diligence and confirm whether Graham can deliver what he is promising?

Spencer, Bless you for staying on this

Spencer “Republicans will oppose whatever Democrats do, especially on national security. Such is politics. This is the world we live in.”

The “Keep America Scared” group is taking some heat

Liz Cheney’s ‘Al-Qaeda 7′ Ad Raises Uproar
Even conservatives say attack on Justice Dept. goes too far

http://www.newser.com/story/82553/liz-cheneys-al-qaeda-7-ad-raises-uproar.html

What I don’t understand is how can they succumb to using military tribunals which means they would be designating KSM as an enemy combatants which means KSM falls under the rules of the Geneva convention which means we broke those rules when we started torturing KSM which means Cheney and those who approved of breaking the rules of the convention could then be brought to trial.

Am I really that far off?

I wish President Obama could toss those of us who believe in the rule of a law a bone once in a while.

What world does Rahm Emanuel live in?

The one where he’s a legend in his own mind. Unfortunately, he’s still in too powerful a position that affects all the rest of us with his delusions.

“What world does Rahm Emanuel live in?”

Epic Fail all Over Again?

Maybe Lindsey will finally ask Barack to the prom. He’s been asking the entire Republican Party, but he keeps getting turned down :{ Poor dear. I hope he catches a break.

Should anyone be surprised anymore by Democratic Party leaders negotiating with themselves as they give everything, get nothing, and generally screw over the American people and our best interests?

What world does Rahm Emanuel live in?

Israel.

But…but…Rahm Emanuel uses dirty words! Doesn’t that mean he’s a tough guy?

I think the WH is getting exactly what they want. Just working it in a way to shift the blame.

What form of government do we have?

I think one thing you need to factor in is that if you want to hold commissions, you are much better off holding them in a jurisdiction where the Sup Ct has not already asserted jurisdiction.

Keep in mind the little made point that the commissions are not military trials – they are commissions. The whole premise of commissions is that you can’t hold military or civilian trials because of issues such as battlefield circumstances. Fron Rashul through Boumediene, the Sup Ct HAS asserted jurisdiction. So – you basically need to close GITMO by moving the commissions and detainees somewhere like Bagram (and Obama ahs started doing in other proceedings) to make your best case at escaping court intervention. So Graham is promising to deliver on something that Graham basically needs anyway for his plans on commissions to work.

I’d say given the time and timing, they’ll have Republicans hold out through the 2010 elections, then get enough alignment under a well laid plan of rhetoric that will protect them (or use retiring members) to hand off the closing of GITMO, framing it as a concession to Democrats who love terrorists, because they basically need to get detainees out of there to protect the commissions from the court.

So who cares? They close Gitmo at some point and move them all to the UP, or whereever, with no more rights or anything else than they have now. Where is the victory for any principle at all?

I refuse to get excited about any of this, it is all some sort of really interesting game for people who are easily amused. Three card monte any one?

the oft quoted definition of stupidity, “to keep doing the same thing in hopes of a different outcome,” should be tattooed on the foreheads of president obama’s advisers – that’s you rahm! how many times, time after time, will principle be watered down or reversed, because of some deal to supposedly gain gop votes that then does not materialize?

max baucus and his hand-picked finance committee to delay health care reform so august could happen? no to torture prosecutions so as not to upset the gop? no single payer, no public option, no expanded medicare…

it is also often said, campaigning is quite different from governing; but how is it a candidate who was so brilliant during the campaign become so weak at governing and call it pragmatism?

At this point, I’m fairly convinced that Obama is using “seeking bipartisan solutions” – knowing full well no Republican support will EVER be forthcoming – simply as a useful excuse not to really do anything.

Why would the GOP support the dismantling of their wholly owned policies?

And yeah, this Rule of Law fan would appreciate a bone tossed this way, too.

Jon Walker has a fresh cross-post ready for us: Obama Points to the Lack of Insurance Competition, a Problem His Plan No Longer Solves

bait-and-switch oligarchy.

According to a recent Rolling Stone article by Matt Taibbi, Rahm made a very fast 18 million dollars right before becoming Obama’s COS.

These SOB’s are on a different universe.

Some eleven dimensional chess: If Rhambama’s good friend Lindsey gets forced out of the closet, he may have to switch to the Weak on National Security Party (WeNPs). As a newly openly gay warrior hawk, he will lend support to the Democrats. Incumbent protection trumps many things.

I still don’t understand how the White House gets to have a say in a decision that is under the jurisdiction of the Attorney General. That is is being discussed so openly and unapologetically gives me the creeps.

Never thought I’d praise Republican obstructionism, but hallelujah!! Reminds me of the charge that Clinton was prepared to cut up Social Security and toss the pieces over the side to the sharks of Wall Street, but Newt Gingrich, in an excess of enthusiasm, allowed the Monica Lewinsky mess to proceed and Wall Street’s anticipated feast disappeared.

Carrying Cheney’s water? Amniotic, maybe. He’s giving birth to this:
http://assets.theatlantic.com/static/mt/assets/politics/ARM10090.pdf
It’s a 12 page total repeal of the U.S. Constitution and a total perversion of the Geneva Conventions. It literally allows anyone ANYONE to be picked up, subjected to 48 (or longer if they need to) hours of interrogation by a handpicked group specified by the President, using techniques authorized by the President, and then committed to permanent detention for the ‘duration of conflict’ of ‘hostilities’ that may consist entirely of ‘other matters the President considers appropriate’, but are to be regarded as, apparently, armed conflicts, with a ban on the DoJ or ‘Article III courts’ interfering in any way. A closer replica of the Star Chamber has not surfaced so explicitly in centuries.

Lindsay Graham is four-square in the Cheney-Kristol camp. His job is to parlay his Reserve JAG Officer status into a patina of legitimacy for infinite detention and abuse powers, by misusing and twisting the laws of war and using language that sounds like it was written by the ICRC instead of by people who wanted to put prisoners permanently beyond the law.

Oh, and I forgot to mention. It also re-authorizes the CIA black sites.

And Holder is in print from a puff piece as saying that whatever Obama decides on it, Holder will go along. No Sat Night massacres with the kinds of lawyers Bush and Obama utilize.

Yeah. Agreed.