[mburbank]

More:

Kahl, that law has no teeth, because A.) There is no oversight. The President does not have to make a case to anyone that a person he picked up is a combatant of a material suporter of terrorsim. Once the delcaration is made, the person in question has no access at all to our legal system or even a way to communicate with te outside world. If that persons interrogation ends up meeting what are still legal deffinitions of torture, the people who tortured him and those who gave the orders are immune from prosicution, unless the detainee is killed, maimed or raped.

For instance: Suppose an american law stated "It is illgal to punch a complete strangers face in for no reason." Very good. BUT if certain people are not in any way compelled to state what reasons they had, it cannot be argued there was no reason. AND if certain persons are immune from prosecution in matters of face punching people they may have had a reason to punch but don't have to explain their reasons for punching, the law doesn't much matter, does it?

It is what is called a 'fig leaf'. It looks nice enough, but really just covers the naughty bits, it doesn't make them go away.

Kevin, I agree, people of better character need to win, and I hope they do. But your choice between some bill and no bill is ludicrous. Suppose the adminstration asked for legal slavery of all non whites. The congress balked, made a huge fuss, and eventually compromised on a bill legalizing slavery for all non whites and all other holding more than a million dollars in property. Is that bill better than no bill? Yes, a hypothetical.

I would argue that these non hypothetcial bills are not better than no bills. Make your case that they are. These are matters of principal and concience on a national scale. At many points in American history, the majority of elected representatives have been corrupt or weak. At many moments in American history the majority of the public has favored things like slavery and genocide. This doesn't make them okay, or no big deal.

And I'm sorry if you think Kiellor is a hack. I think he's a fine writer who's written a very good politcal book, "Home Grown Democrat". I think by dismissing him, you are denying yourself the pleasures of an authentic American voice. That's all subjective, but people who think Keillor is a 'hack' make me sad.