Jay began writing politically themed commentary and founded his blog, Swimming Freestyle, in October 2007. Here he'll write about politics from a progressive perspective.

More Articles
Topics

A PIcture for the Day

Mail Goggles

Why the Ayers attack won't work

Shameful outbursts now common at McCain/Palin rallies

Afghanistan government in peace talks with Taliban

A Picture for the Day

Status of Force Agreement

1930 British/Iraqi Treaty

Examiner Feeds

These websites were picked by the Progressive Politics Examiner as useful resources.

Obama, McCain debate economy, Iraq

MSNBC Top Headlines - 1 hr 18 mins ago

Obama, McCain begin 2nd debate

MSNBC Top Headlines - 3 hrs ago

Stevens' friends heard scheming in FBI tapes

MSNBC Top Headlines - 3 hrs ago

Iraq pressured on future of troops

MSNBC Top Headlines - 5 hrs ago

Palin's per diem pay under review

MSNBC Top Headlines - 6 hrs ago

News

Opinion

Progressive Politics Examiner Links

swimming freestyle

National Examiners

Charlie Papazian
Beer Examiner
Most Recent Post
Sorry, we don't serve bears beers at this bar at the Great American Beer Festival

Tony Campbell
Politics Examiner
Most Recent Post
Political Posturing vs. Realistic Leadership - McCain and Obama (Debate Deux)

Patricia Phillips
Space News Examiner
Most Recent Post
Mercury close-up during MESSENGER fly-by shows planetary details

Kelly Hightower
Cocktails Examiner
Most Recent Post
Think Pink, Drink Pink

Jeff Millman
Dog Training Examiner
Most Recent Post
Dog to dog aggression? Use these tools to identify and lower stress.

The Hamdan conviction

Add a Comment

August 7, 3:18 PM

by Jay McDonough, Progressive Politics Examiner

Nothing to be proud of here. After seven years of manipulating the justice system to finally find some court that is guaranteed to convict Salim Hamdan, the best the Justice Department can do is to convict this fourth grade dropout for "material support" of terrorism. Charged with war crimes, the Government ended up with a conviction for charges Hamdan admitted to when captured; he was Osama bin Laden's driver.

"I would be very surprised if any of this conviction stands at the end of the day," says Scott Horton, a law professor specializing in human rights at Columbia University. "He was convicted of things that are not war crimes by a tribunal that has the power only to prosecute war crimes."

Indeed, the Hamdan verdict points up, more than anything else, one of the central mistakes of the Bush administration after 9/11: sheer overreaching. Was this really the best the administration could do—a driver—in the first test run of its much-batted-about tribunal system, nearly seven years after the terror attacks themselves? By arrogantly deciding that the president had the right to define and pursue the "war on terror" any way he liked, and that he could define anyone he liked as an "unlawful combatant"—then expanding its prisoner population way beyond the true Al Qaeda culprits to include everyone rounded up in Afghanistan and then Iraq—the administration ensured itself a legal and moral quagmire. (Link)

This was the big, lead off case to showcase the fancy new military tribunal system set up to circumvent normal justice. An all military jury, relaxed rules of evidence, allowance of hearsay testimony, and even allowing the admission (at the Judge's discretion) of testimony gained through the use of torture. And still the prosecutors couldn't get a conspiracy conviction.

Anyone willing to bet what will happen if the Bush Administration ever gets around to pulling in some al Qaeda heavyweights into trial? Is the evidence so tainted by testimony gained only by the use of illegal torture that even military tribunals will be unable to convict?

And the icing on the cake; Hamdan was sentenced today to 66 months in jail. The Justice Department prosecutors asked he be sentenced to at least 30 years, if not life imprisonment. As Hamdan has already spent 5 years in military prisons, he is technically be eligible for release in 6 MONTHS!

Yeah, this Bush Administration, they're real tough on terror.

Topics: Bush , Hamdan , The war on terror

Feed

Comments

A PIcture for the Day

Add a Comment

October 7, 5:50 PM

An ultra-Orthodox Jew prayed at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, before the start the holiday of Rosh Hashana. Jews will mark the two-day holiday of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, at sundown on Monday. (Photo: Bernat Armangue/Associated... Read More
Topics: A Picture for the Day

Mail Goggles

Add a Comment

October 7, 4:26 PM

An advancement rivaling sliced bread:As mornings after go, there are few combinations more deadly than a computer, too much alcohol and a seething sense of indignation.But there could soon be a solution for people who cannot resist sending an ill-conceived... Read More

Why the Ayers attack won't work

2 comments

October 7, 3:58 PM

Given the energy the McCain/Palin camp is putting into linking Barack Obama and William Ayers, they clearly view it as their last hope to make up support they've lost as a result of a couple crappy debate performances and an economy that is teetering... Read More
Topics: Obama , McCain , Ayers

Shameful outbursts now common at McCain/Palin rallies

16 comments

October 7, 1:24 PM

Partisan loyalty is normal. Folks don't typically go to campaign rallies unless they support the candidate and some will, obviously, have extreme loyalty to that candidate. But at what point does that partisan loyalty become a blinding... Read More
Topics: Republicans , McCain , Palin

Afghanistan government in peace talks with Taliban

1 comment

October 7, 12:39 PM

The other day I posted an update on the war in Afghanistan, now being characterized as "grim" by an unreleased National Intelligence Estimate. Included in the post were comments by NATO commander, Gen. David McKiernan, suggesting a longer... Read More
Topics: Afghanistan , Taliban

Veterans group gives McCain a "D"

1 comment

October 7, 9:44 AM

Despite John McCain's efforts to claim he's is a friend of veterans, there's ample proof otherwise. During the recent presidential debate, Senator McCain once again claimed his support among veterans groups:“I’ll take care of them.... Read More
Topics: McCain , Veterans , IAVA

A Picture for the Day

Add a Comment

October 6, 5:52 PM

Indian men watched a large screen displaying India's benchmark share index on the facade of the Bombay Stock Exchange building in Mumbai, formerly Bombay. India's main index tumbled nearly 6 percent to its lowest close in more than two years as a looming... Read More
Topics: A Picture for the Day

One more thing about the bailout.....

1 comment

October 6, 5:45 PM

About all that righteous indignation that the government took taxpayer dollars to bail out Wall Street? It ain't so. In fact, we should probably wish it were so. In fact, the U.S. will borrow that $700B from China mostly. We are... Read More
Topics: Bailout

It continues to be all about credit

Add a Comment

October 6, 5:25 PM

Anyone else get a knot in their stomach watching the stock market today? The Dow was down 800 points during the day, eventually closing down nearly 370 points. Anyone hoping the market would respond favorably to the TARP (Troubled Asset Relief... Read More
Topics: Economy , Bailout