[conservatism_IS_compassion]

There's really only one constitutional issue: do we insist that the traditional meanings of words (and language is all tradition) be maintained intact? If not, we have not a "living Constitution" but living rulers--and no constitution at all.

[KC_for_Freedom]

As I recall, the constitution has ways of maintaining itself. These so called "losses of rights" which amount to a few really bad people getting their a** thrown in jail will get worked out. If you believe so strongly that they are the harbringers of all of our future, then get into the ACLU and start your lawsuits. The supreme court can decide that the executive branch is out of order and they can do what ever you would like with the likes of Padilla.

Me, I guess I am a Bush-bot. I would like to give him some slack and not worry that the sky (I mean the constitution) is falling. My guess, the constitution will survive Bush better than it would have survived Clinton or Gore. And these characters who represent us all and are locked up are not being held secretly. We can and will deal with them and their crimes, now what about the arguement that they are soldiers in a battle without uniforms and that their crimes don't fall under the justice system but are more appropriate to a field of battle? Have you ever seen spys caught on the battlefield being turned over to the lawyers? Does a fighter on the battlefield always have to have a judge's opinion before he can return fire?