Padilla

I was getting ready to write a rant on the Padilla case, when I hit Cenk Uygur's piece at HuffPo. Cenk rants better than I do (he rants better than most, for that matter.) Read this piece then send a check to the ACLU.

But this isn't about whether we like Jose Padilla or not. I don't know a thing about Padilla (mostly because the government has never even tried to prove anything about Padilla). We're supposed to figure out if we should condemn him through an open and public trial. That's what the court system is for. If we abandon that idea now and castigate people based on rumors and innuendo, then we have lost the country.

Don't you get it? If they can take away Padilla's rights, they can take away our rights. Jose Padilla is a United States citizen. That used to mean something.

This administration has contempt for our constitution and the American justice system. We used to say our justice system was the best in the world. This government thinks it is inefficient and ineffective. Constitutional rights -- what a hassle!

The fact that the government can hold a US CITIZEN FOR THREE YEARS, INCOMMUNICADO, AND WITHOUT CHARGES should have everyone of us (left, right, center, liberal, conservative or wingnut) screaming for the heads of everyone in the Bush Admin. Hopefully, this case will continue on to the Supreme Court (there is a small possibility apparently.) This is not something that can be let slide just because they finally got around to charging him.