Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Chutzpah, Part II, or They Were For Civilian Trials Before They Were Against Them

Former DHS Secretary Tom Ridge:

"I take a look at this individual who has been charged criminally, does that mean he gets his Miranda warnings? The only information we get is if he volunteers it?" Ridge said. "He's not a citizen of this country. He's a terrorist, and I don't think he deserves the full range of protections of our criminal justice system embodied in the Constitution of the United States
."

However, as Talking Points Memo points out:

The AbdulMutallab case is virtually identical to the Richard Reid "Shoe Bomber" case from December 2001 -- to an uncanny degree. Same explosive, (PETN), same MO (blowing up an airliner bound for the US), same failed attempt.

It's really about as close to identical cases and you get. And, of course, Reid was tried in civilian courts and is now serving a life sentence. Seemed to work fine in his case. And unless I'm misremembering, I don't remember anybody criticizing this approach at the time.

More chutzpah from the failed Bush Administration.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Napolitano thought the system worked before it didn't work.

Definitely Bush's fault.

David Terrenoire said...

And there's Anonymous, always on topic.

He's as predictable as the sunrise.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
David Terrenoire said...

Stay classy, Anonymous.

Happy New Year.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Celine said...

But, but, but they were, like totally different! Reid was white!

JD Rhoades said...

See, anon, there's one cool thing about owning the blog...if you come in here and try to troll, your little shit-stains get blasted away with the steam hose.

Note that your observation on the topic, though fuckwitted, didn't get deleted, so don't be whining about how your opinions are being repressed. You just don't get to insult my friends in my house. Behave or be the fuck gone.

Anonymous said...

In the past six weeks, you’ve had the Fort Hood attack, the D.C. Five and now the attempted attack on the plane in Detroit. Secretary Napolitano and the rest of the Obama administration view their role as law enforcement, first responders dealing with the aftermath of an attack. Soft talk about engagement, closing Gitmo, these things are not going to appease the terrorists-They’re going to keep coming after us. Our "Community Organizer" President better start learning about our enemy. (and yes Mr. President, they are called radical Islamic TERRORISTS) He got lucky on Christmas Day, we as Americans were lucky, and most importantly the passengers on Flight 253 were lucky... the next time we may not be.

Anonymous Al

JD Rhoades said...

(and yes Mr. President, they are called radical Islamic TERRORISTS)

The President is well aware that they're called terrorists, you fuckwit, which you would know if you'd pull your head out of Sean Hannity's ass and inform yourself about what he's actually saying, including the actual words he uses. Like for instance, this speech:

Yesterday I updated the American people on the immediate steps we took -- the increased screening and security of air travel -- to keep our country safe in the wake of the attempted TERRORIST attack on Christmas Day. And I announced two reviews -- a review of our TERRORIST watch list system and a review of our air travel screening, so we can find out what went wrong, fix it and prevent future attacks.

And:

a full investigation has been launched into this attempted act of TERRORISM and we will not rest until we find all who were involved and hold them accountable.

Or you could wipe the Cheeto crumbs off your fingers and click over to the the White House's website, where the word is used quite frequently. Check it out for yourself, if you dare.

And as for "soft talk about engagement", is that what you call this:

those who would slaughter innocent men, women and children must know that the United States will do more than simply strengthen our defenses -- we will continue to use every element of our national power to disrupt, to dismantle, and defeat the violent extremists who threaten us -- whether they are from Afghanistan or Pakistan, Yemen or Somalia, or anywhere where they are plotting attacks against the U.S. homeland.?

And you can ask the terrorists who've been killed in recent drone attacks about Obama's "softness' on terrorism. Or you could if they weren't, you know, dead. Or ask the 30,000 US troops headed for Afghanistan. But that, of course, would mean going out and getting some actual facts instead of sitting slack-jawed in your easy chair letting Glenn Beck and Steve Doocy fill your head with mush.

Anonymous said...

Nice language. Does your mother know you speak those words?

Anonymous Al

JD Rhoades said...

I am, as the saying goes, aware of all internet traditions. And one of those is: When a troll starts whining about your language, it's usually becuase he's just had his ass handed to him and has no other response.

You lose, anonymouse, but thanks for playing.

And for the record, I'm usually a lot more respectful to people who have the stones to post under their real names. You have the right to be anonymous on the Interwebs, I have the right to treat you like a cowardly, contemptible little bitch for doing it.

David Terrenoire said...

Jesus, Dusty. That was beautiful.

JD Rhoades said...

I didn't realize until this morning that anonymouse really was just parroting right wing talking points:


"“Soft talk about engagement, closing Gitmo, these things are not going to appease the terrorists,” said Jim DeMint, a Republican senator from South Carolina. "They're going to keep coming after us..."

So Anonymous Al's not only a liar, he's not even an original one.

DeMint, you may remember is the one holding up appointment of the head of the TSA becuase of politics.

Anonymous said...

As a fellow Anonymous I ask that we please get back on topic. Remember, I got six pairs of socks for Christmas.