Unamerican

This is America. We have laws here.

But George W. Bush has done everything in his power to operate out of reach of the Constitution, and out of the reach of all laws.

Bush has unilaterally designated some prisoners as "unlawful enemy combatants" - a category that hasn't been used since WWII - entirely for the purpose of not having to obey ANY LAWS when it comes to the treatment of those prisoners.

And by the way, he is legally not allowed to do so. According to Geneva III, the designation of "unlawful combatant" can only be determined by a court.

It is unbelievable that in America, a person can be held "in perpetuity" without charges even being filed against him entirely because the government slapped a label on him. It's Unamerican. And, yes, I think the adjective fits. I think that's it's an adjective Liberals should start using more, because when describing Bush's actions, it actually applies.

Label a man "unlawful enemy combatant," and the law is what Bush says it is. Like some medieval feudal duchy.

That should set off alarm bells all over the country.

And I'm not sure what's worse - that the man actually had the gall to do such a thing, or that Congress was actually supine enough to let him.

IS George W. Bush sanctioning torture? Well, why the hell ELSE would you spend all that time and money having lawyers figure out ways to make torture legal?

Why would you DO that if you didn't want to torture people?

Bush seems to think that saying "Everything changed after 9/11" gives him the justification to do any damned thing he pleases, legal or illegal. Well, it doesn't. This is America. We have laws here.

Congress is FINALLY holding a hearing into the disgrace that is Guantanamo, and it's about time. And I only hope that there are enough moral Republicans to demand full Congressional oversight on the place, which is what should have been happening all along.

IF new rules have to be made to deal with those detained in antiterrorism operations, then it is the job of Congress to determine what those rules are, how one defines "unlawful enemy combatant," whether the Geneva Convention applies, and if not, what does.

It isn't the job of some political appointee operating entirely behind close doors, out the reach of all oversight.

This is America. We have laws here.