Safire: Seizing Dictatorial Power

The New York Times ^ | 11/15/2001 | WILLIAM SAFIRE

[jwalsh07]

Another useful idiot.

[anniegetyourgun]

AGYG <----shaking head....doesn't know where to begin with ol' Safire....there's just too much here....

[aristeides]

Why isn't the FDR precedent apt? Just how is there a material difference between the German saboteurs landed in this country that FDR had tried by military tribunal, and the noncitizens suspected of terrorism today?

[Ironword]

Safire neglects to mention that Lincoln's temporary suspension of the writ of habeus corpus was a constitutional act, and that the military trial of the German spies was according to the directive of FDR.

Bush has not suspended the writ of habeus corpus; rather, similar to FDR's move, he has taken in hand to treat potential attackers as the trained soldiers / mercenaries that they are, rather than the garden variety of civil criminal.

[RJayneJ]

Quote of the Day by Faraday

[SmartBlonde]

This is too silly for words. The people will be with Bush on this one. The 'disloyal opposition' is simply mad that THEY didn't think of this. Pretty smart research on the part of some Bush or Ashcroft staffer.

[TheDon]

Pathetic...

[Clinton's a rapist]

Just how is there a material difference between the German saboteurs landed in this country that FDR had tried by military tribunal, and the noncitizens suspected of terrorism today?

Well, the new infiltrators claim to have weapons of mass destruction, while the Germans only had high explosive. So that's one difference.

[Diddle E. Squat]

I think Safire has some valid points. Should they rule the day? Not so sure.

[Fiddlstix]

Bump
To read later

[Texasforever]

If even Safire is this outspoken against Bush's abuse of our legal system, the President better begin backtracking before he has a civil war on his hands

Wow, do you think so? Gosh let me know the regiment you are building so I can join. I have to see the uniforms first though.

[meridia]

Mr. Safire: You are obviously exhibiting the illogic and irrationality of a person in stress. I advise you take a vacation, a long vacation.

The paramilitary cult of filthy THUGS who murdered thousands of Americans does NOT deserve ANY of our constitutional rights. These miserable terrorists are WAR CRIMINALS who viciously murdered innocent civilians from over 60 different countries.

YOU, Mr. Safire, are obvious out to lunch; now, go on an extended vacation, and take some books along about CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY BY WAR CRIMINALS.

[Theresa]

"This is too silly for words. The people will be with Bush on this one. "

Right. The people will love it. Dictatorial power? Please!

[KC_Conspirator]

Totally pathetic. Execute civilians? That is totally laughable.

[A.J.Armitage]

Was that a self-description?

[RWG]

a president of the United States has just assumed what amounts to dictatorial power to jail or execute aliens...ok by me, and no I don't care about they came for the scum but I looked away and then they came for me crap.

[Havisham]

Nonsense. Acts of war or conspiracies to commit acts of war are a different class of crime and require military tribunals and their necessarily swift trials and penalties to effectively safeguard national security and innocent life. Knowing they will face swift justice will cause most would-be terrorists to find another hobby or another state target. I am sure the Founders would have come to the same conclusion. Good call, Mr. President.

[kristinn]

I spoke with a conservative national editor tonight about how the War on Terrorism abroad has become the War on the Constitution at home. He gave me the standard response these days about extreme times calling for extreme measures--it was almost word for word what I heard liberal Roger Cossack of CNN saying on a radio interview earlier.

I stated that it will be interesting to see how much of the Patriot Act will survive review by the Supreme Court. He thought about it, and then said alot of it will be thrown out by the the Court.

It's incredible, as an American, to watch as so many of my fellow citizens openly talk of torture and truth serums, sneak and peek, secret trials with secret evidence and other Soviet atrocities as being necessary for the survival of our freedom.

It reminds me of that saying from a few wars ago,"We had to burn the Constitution in order to save it."