WP: Court: U.S. Cannot Hold Padilla as a Combatant

[Ford]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11500-2003Dec18.html

This is something I've felt very strongly about for a while .. I've never understood how a US citezin can be denied being presumed innocent until tried before a jury of his peers. It's been amazing to me how much Bush blatantly disregards the fundemental rights of US citezins in many cases .. and no, I don't agree that civil liberties have to be comprimised in times of combat.

[Spence]

I couldn't agree more, Dan. If this Padilla is a dangerous terrorist then he should be officially accused of such, charged as such, and evidence presented against him in a court of law. This business of locking people up indefinitely without charge or trial is blatantly unconstitutional, and I'm glad a judge has finally had the nerve to state the obvious and order the necessary.

A liberal administration would never have done something like this. A conservative administration would never have done something like this. A radical right-wing [or left-wing] administration would and has done this.

[RedskinsDave]

I think we should let him go, give him welfare and food stamps and pay for a college education.

[Spence]

Originally posted by RedskinsDave
I think we should let him go, give him welfare and food stamps and pay for a college education. Why, does he work for Halliburton?

[RedskinsDave]

You really think he'd need any financial assistance if he worked for Haliburton?

[Spence]

Originally posted by RedskinsDave
You really think he'd need any financial assistance if he worked for Haliburton? That's a good point. Just because the company is on welfare does not mean its employees are. [Well, the senior employees are, but probably not the rest of them.] It's just that when someone mentions welfare these days one's thoughts naturally go to companies like Halliburton, who suckle at the taxpayer's teat and then turn around and swindle those same taxpayers.

[Ford]

Originally posted by Spence
That's a good point. Just because the company is on welfare does not mean its employees are.

They might be if the gov't didn't get stuck with the bill when they screw up ..

[Spence]

Originally posted by Ford
They might be if the gov't didn't get stuck with the bill when they screw up .. :D I think we have an early favorite for best line of the day.