The president, today, signed a bill into law giving himself the power to make anyone--including U.S. citizens disappear. With no recourse, no appeal, no habeas corpus, no nothin.
This is the most devastating, drastic, and shameful assault on our system of law in my lifetime.
On Keith Olbermann's show tonight, Prof. Jonathan Turley, said, "What the Congress did and what the President signed today essentially revokes over 200 years of American principles and values. It couldn't be more significant. And the strange thing is we've become sort of constitutional couch potatoes. The Congress just gave the President despotic powers and you could hear the yawn across the country as people turned to, you know, Dancing with the Stars."
The right, of course, has framed this as strength vs. weakness. Hastert's press release headlined, "Democrats Choose to Pamper Terrorists and Defend Their Rights." The right wing blogosphere and talkshows are taking up the cry in unison. And for the most part, the Democrats seem paralyzed by that framing.
I looked for some statement about this moment of national shame at the website of the Democratic National Committee. Nothing. I looked at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Nothing. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Nothing.
A few brave voices:
Sen. Russell Feingold says, "we will look back on this day as a stain in our nation's history.
And from the left blogosphere:
TBogg
digby
I'm off to Drinking Liberally to watch the Cantwell-McGavick debate. No doubt the issue will come up. I'll let you know how it's framed.
Why do you suppose the end of Habeas Corpus is meeting so little resistance?
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