No Habeas Corpus

There are 42 Republicans and 1 "Independent Democrat" in the Senate who don't support habeas corpus. The specific issue revolves around the rights of alien "enemy combatants," but the Military Commissions Act arguably applies to U.S. citizens, as well. This is going to do wonders for Congress's 11-percent approval rating in the latest Reuters/Zogby poll.

When will the Democrats learn how to play the media game. Last year, whenever Democrats threatened to filibuster bills that genuinely deserved to be filibustered, the Republicans and their media pals screamed as though the world was ending. They were even considering a "nuclear option" that would ultimately do away with the filibuster altogether. But when Republicans filibuster, the Democrats mildly complain and don't press the issue. The loss of this amendment was reported as if the Senate just wasn't interested in restoring habeas corpus. How many people are watching these proceedings closely enough to pick up that the Republicans (and their "Independent Democrat" pal) are simply being obstructionist?

What would happen if we returned to the old-fashioned Mr. Smith Goes to Washington method of filibustering? Let everybody know that the Republicans are standing up there saying that they're too afraid of the enemy combatants in Guantanamo (and hidden elsewhere around the world) to actually have to face them in a court of law. Make it hard work to filibuster again. That way, nobody will filibuster unless they really mean it. Let's go back to good, old American values.