i suppose that’s why i’m of mixed feelings when it comes to dem talking points. seems like an oxymoron to me, and i don’t like the idea of my party, or any party, speaking in terms of marching orders, and certainly not marching in lockstep.

lockstep is ok when it so clearly expresses the obvious constitutional ramifications, tho.

This is/was an effort by the regime to test the weakness of the Congress and to gin up an issue for their candidates. Since the Dem chairs are not going to fold, they’ve got their issue. And they’re welcome to it; may it be just as effective on the campaign trail as it was in 2006.

Also, let the Battle Royal begin: ThinkProgress.

When Bushco got the ruling late last week that they could proceed with their first gulag trial against Salim Hamdan, they were ecstatic. Smug in the self satisfaction that the first show trial of the many the have been pining for would not be further delayed, Hamdan was rushed to the Guantanamo dock and the trial commenced this morning. So far, so good.

But wait, there’s more; and it’s not good for Bushco’s cherished show trial dreams. Not even one full day into the show, and even the hand selected military judge, Keith Allred, is sending Bushco up the proverbial creek without their torture evidence paddle. From the CBC:

Judge Keith Allred, the navy captain presiding at the trial, decided Monday to bar evidence obtained from Hamdan by interrogators under “highly coercive” conditions in Afghanistan, saying prosecutors cannot use statements he made shortly after his capture at the Bagram air base and Panshir in Afghanistan.

Hamdan has said he endured beatings and solitary confinement at those locations.

The judge left the door open for the prosecution to use other statements Hamdan gave elsewhere in Afghanistan and at Guantanamo.

Michael Berrigan, the deputy chief defence counsel, described the ruling as a major blow to the tribunal system that allows hearsay and evidence obtained through coercion.

“It’s a very significant ruling because these prosecutions are built to make full advantage of statements obtained from detainees,” he said.

Berrigan is exactly right, this is a major blow. And it is a blow with far reaching consequences too, because it sets the tone, in an absolutely blistering manner, for the considerations on the Habeas petitions about to be considered by Royce Lamberth’s designated judge, Tom Hogan. What will the government do now? Ah, well…

Prosecutors are considering whether to appeal the judge’s ruling — a development that could halt the trial of Salim Hamdan that began earlier Monday after years of delays and legal setbacks.

“We need to evaluate … to what extent it has an impact on our ability to fully portray his criminality in this case, but also what it might set out for future cases,” said Army Col. Lawrence Morris, the tribunals’ chief prosecutor.

Irony is a bitch when you are a Bush.

The Congress of the United States is the body that prosecutes “high crimes and misdemeanors” of the office of the President, by independent prosecutors and by impeachment. They have repeatedly failed to do so, and instead have passed the aforementioned acts. We believe that they are in violation of the provisions, Articles 5, 6, and 7, and Articles 12, 13, 14, and 15 of the CATCIDT, and Articles 129, 130, and 131 of the Third Geneva Convention of 1949 and Article 146 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which we believe require our Congress to effect such investigations and prosecutions with due respect for these treaties and with due haste. Therefore, we would ask that you further consider the role of the Congress in your investigation, and determine whether or not it has failed these obligations sufficiently as to indicate that the United States Government does not intend to prosecute war crimes in good faith.

I can picture the indigestion this proposed investigation would cause among the Rethugs who controlled Congress for most of the years this stew was being conjured up and among certain of the Gang of Eight who likely knew explicitly of its content and didn’t think their oath of office was worth honoring.

I don’t negotiate

I’ll argue like a sonofabitch (and I’m really good at it)

but I don’t negotiate

I might knock somebody out, and I’ll certainly make a huge scene, we might even hafta kill somebody, but I’ll get the documents you want

Probably steal a few wallets while I’m at it too, but you gotta overlook little stuff like that …

(wink)

and bmaz at 23:

Eh, I did inhale. Constantly….

dude, you’re still not doing it right

you gotta exhale once in a while

if ya don’t, you’re just a vacuum cleaner

But I’m sure Junya never attended those parties.

if Obama could come up with that, we could cure our congress critters

and on an off topic throwback:

remember those tomatoes that kill people ???

the jalapeños have signed an alliance with the tomatoes

the whole pepper subculture is now suspect

I never thought the veggies would fight back, the cows I could understand,maybe the pigs too, but veggies ???