Do you know what habeas corpus is? You should. Here’s the Wikipedia definition: …a legal instrument or writ by means of which detainees can seek release from unlawful imprisonment. A writ of habeas corpus is a court order … ordering that a detainee be brought to the court so it can be determined whether or not that person is imprisoned lawfully.
The reason you should know this is because President Bush just kinda, uh, eliminated it. At least for "enemy combatants." Funny thing about enemy combatants, though…an enemy combatant is a person the government claims is an enemy combatant. Neat, that, eh? And the method by which such a claim can be disputed: Habeas corpus.
Keith Olbermann on MSNBC (video, pops) has a particularly chilling commentary on this whole deal. It’s worth watching the entire thing.
That guy may be a bit melodramatic, but he’s quickly becoming one of my heroes — one of three people I know of in the media who actually appear to have balls.
The other two are John Stewart and Stephen Colbert.
Comedians.
Jesus.