Sunday, June 15, 2008

Why hasn't this gotten more attention?

I have been busy lately, and therefore have mostly been surfing science blogs. Still I'm surprised that this piece of news haven't gotten more coverage.

Supreme Court restores habeas corpus, strikes down key part of Military Commissions Act by Glenn Greenwald.

The US Supreme court struck down Section 7 of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, which allowed detainees to be kept at Guantanamo without appearing before a court. This is a very important step, and is one of the necessary steps for the US to rejoin the civilized world.

Glenn makes a very good point about the judges involved in this decision.

Three of the five Justices in the majority -- John Paul Stevens (age 88), Ruth Bader Ginsburg (age 75) and David Souter (age 68) -- are widely expected by court observers to retire or otherwise leave the Court in the first term of the next President. By contrast, the four judges who dissented -- Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, John Roberts and Sam Alito -- are expected to stay right where they are for many years to come.

John McCain has identified Roberts and Alito as ideal justices of the type he would nominate, while Barack Obama has identified Stephen Breyer, David Souter and Ginsberg (all in the majority today). It's not hyperbole to say that, from Supreme Court appointments alone, our core constitutional protections could easily depend upon the outcome of the 2008 election.


Another reason why people should vote for Obama.

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