14 June 2008

boumediene v bush: scotus declared section 7 of the military commissions act of 2006 unconstitutional

click here to download the opinion 134 page .pdf

justices in the majority:
  • John Paul Stevens,
  • Anthony M. Kennedy,
  • David Hackett Souter,
  • Ruth Bader Ginsburg,
  • Stephen G. Breyer
dissenting justices, thankfully in the minority:
rethuglicans all
  • Chief Justice John Roberts - george w. bush appointee
  • Antonin Scalia - ronnie raygun appointee
  • Clarence Thomas - george h.w. bush appointee
  • Samuel Alito - george w. bush appointee
  • ====
click here to download the military commissions act 39 page .pdf
section 7 begins at the bottom of page 37
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louisiana senator and bush butt smoocher katrina mary landrieu snellings as well as david vitter voted for the unconstitutional, anti-christ military commissions act S.3930 see senate roll call vote 259

louisiana congressmen voting for the military commissions act:
  • piyush "bobby" jindal - rethug
  • rodney alexander - rethug
  • richard hugh baker - rethug
  • charles boustany - rethug
  • jim mccrery - rethug
voting no were charlie melancon and william jefferson
see house roll call vote 508.

excerpt from salon.com
The Military Commissions Act of 2006 was -- and remains -- one of the great stains on our national political character. It was passed by a substantial majority in the Senate (65-34) with the support of every single Senate Republican (except Chafee) and 12 Senate Democrats. No filibuster was even attempted. It passed by a similar margin in the House, where 34 Democrats joined 219 Republicans to enact it. One of the most extraordinary quotes of the post-9/11 era came from GOP Sen. Arlen Specter, who said at the time that that the Military Commissions Act -- because it explicitly barred federal courts from hearing habeas corpus petitions brought by Guantanamo detainees -- "sets back basic rights by some 900 years" and was "patently unconstitutional on its face" -- and Specter then proceeded to vote for it.

The greatest victim of the 9/11 attack has been our core, defining constitutional liberties. Of all the powers seized by this administration in the name of keeping us Safe, the power to imprison people indefinitely with no charges and no real process is the most pernicious.

Passage of the Military Commissions Act was spearheaded by John McCain, who was anointed by cowardly Senate Democrats to speak for them and negotiate with the White House. Once McCain blessed the Military Commissions Act, its passage was assured. Barack Obama voted against it, and once its passage appeared certain, Obama offered an amendment to limit it to five years. That amendment failed, rendering the MCA the law of the land without any time limits. ~ read more