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In reply to the discussion: I'm astonished so many DUers are cool with ending Habeas Corpus [View all]JDPriestly
(57,936 posts)Politically, Obama is damned if he signs it, but also damned if he doesn't.
If he signs it, traditional Democrats who support human rights will not trust him again, and Ron Paul will criticize him loudly.
If he doesn't sign it, Karl Rove will say he is weak on terrorism.
Morally, Obama has only one choice.
In a situation in which no matter what you do, you will be wrong in someone's eyes, you must, more than ever, do what is morally and legally right -- and that, in this case, is to refuse to sign the bill and side with traditional Democrats.
I say this because the interests of the nation are what really matters -- and this bill with its vague provisions on habeas corpus is extremely dangerous. It will become the excuse for future presidents to deprive many people of their rights.
The courts will have the power to make the decision as to the legality of the provision in the end -- but even if the courts decide that the Constitution does not permit this, some people could be lost in years of unnecessary incarceration.
The Germans under Hitler got themselves into the position of having so many prisoners that they could not handle them -- and ended up just exterminating millions. This kind of bill is how that kind of brutality becomes reality.