Via Daou Report … No Habeas for Them, No Habeas for Us, from TalkLeft:

Tinkering with habeas corpus is a dangerous thing. Today, Sen. Lindsay Graham and his fellow Senators told you they are only restricting habeas rights of enemy combatants, i.e., foreigners. But on November 16, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a second hearing on S. 1088 (pdf), a bill that would gut habeas corpus rights for Americans..


This is what we were urging people to call their senators about yesterday. There were five Democrats who voted YES on Lindsey Graham’s bill. Among them, Sen. Joe Lieberman and (what?) Sen. Ron Wyden:

Conrad (D Nd) (202) 224-2043

Landrieu (D LA) (202) 224-5824

Lieberman (D CT) (202) 224-4041

Ben Nelson (D NE) (202) 224-6551

Wyden (D OR) (202) 224-5244


The “moderate” Republicans who voted yes?

Collins (ME) (202) 224-2523

Dewine (OH) (202) 224-2315

Mccain (AZ) (202) 224-2235

Snowe (ME) (202) 224-5344

Warner (VA) (202) 224-2023

Hagel (NE) (202) 224-4224


Notice how McCain does an end-run around his much-touted anti-torture bill. If detainees are “rights free” (such a term), they’re beyond the safeguards of legal remedies and protections. Some people suspect that this is the deal that McCain made with his devils — he’d get his anti-torture legislation but Lindsey Graham would get a stealth correction with the amendment yesterday.


Below — the amendment will nullify legal challenges of 200 detainees:
From today’s Democracy Now! headlines:

Senate Votes To Remove Prisoners’ Right to Challenge Detentions


On Capital Hill Thursday, the Senate voted to take away Guantanamo Bay prisoners’ right to challenge their detentions in United States courts. The measure, put forward by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, would override a Supreme Court decision last year

The New York Times reports the amendment would nullify legal challenges currently filed by nearly 200 of the 500 detainees currently held at Guantanamo. Five Democrats joined 44 Republicans to pass the measure by a vote of 49 to 42.

However the New York Times reports the victory may be short-lived as nine senators were absent, and are pushing for a second vote as early as Monday.

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