NEWS: The Death of Habeas Corpus

It is not quite so clear as to who is "liberal" and who is "conservative" when it comes to the court. The so-called "liberals" on the court (keeping in mind that two of them are actually Republicans) are generally listed as Ginsberg, Souter, Stevens, and Breyer. The so-called "conservatives" are Roberts, Scalia, Thomas and Alito.

Then there is Kennedy, who has traditionally been more conservative, but has tended lately to vote for more socially liberal causes, such as the decriminalization of homosexual sodomy and the banning of the execution of minors. Kennedy is also the crucial 5th vote to uphold Roe v. Wade. But really, there's no way of accurately predicting where he'll vote on any issue. This is also true of the other "liberals" and "conservatives" on the court, though (at least in my experience) the "liberals" tend to vote as a block slightly more than the "conservatives" do.

The main point is that the current abortion "standings" are currently 5-to-4 in favor of reproductive rights. Everything else is anyone's guess.

Not to mention the fact that the appointment of a conservative to replace the eldest Justice on the occasion of his death has already occurred. In fact, two new conservative Justices have been appointed by Bush - Roberts and Alito. And that this Court has already shown its unwillingness, in HAMDAN v. RUMSFELD, to simply roll over for the President on the subject of detainees' rights to fair legal treatment.

Whether "conservative" or "liberal" in personal philosophy, this court has clearly reaffirmed the notion that the U.S., including its President and its armed forces, is bound Constitutionally by its treaty obligations as "the supreme Law of the Land." One of which is the Geneva Convention. Another notion they have reaffirmed in Hamdan is the right to every defendant - whether in civilian or military trials - to be present at the proceedings and have access to the evidence against them.

I don't see either of those reaffirmations being ignored by the Court just because Congress and the President say they should be.

The last post on this thread was 2 days ago, so I'm probably too late to get a reply (damn "real life" getting in the way again), and I'd be embarassed by how far off-topic this is if I thought anyone was still reading it at this late date... but when has Cato been cheerleading Dear Leader? I'm not challenging you; I'm genuinely curious, as this is something I seem to have missed. I've always thought of them as more or less a mirror of the Libertarian Party, which has certainly been doing anything BUT cheerlead for GWB, and has been far stronger in its condemnation of the Bush regime (not that anyone ever listens) than the Democrats have. I also have to say that being blamed for making the bed in which we now lie is rather novel for me; I thought it was supposed to be Ralph Nader's fault for challenging the 2-party system. Ralph spoils for the Democrats, we spoil for the Republicans. Anyway, for the record, I voted for Kerry in '04. I did so not because California was in any danger of going Red, but because it seemed a more satisfying symbolic "fuck off" vote against this administration than voting for Libertarian Michael Baradnik would've been.
As I said, reasonable people can disagree about things like "economic policies that crush the middle class", and about the difference between real free-market capitalism vs the 3rd world-style crony-capitalism that this government has given us, but to lump us in with those Bible-thumping crypto-nazis just isn't fair. It's like if I called you a communist.

As they say in Afghanistan (or so I'm told) "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", so play nice, you pinko.

Good news: I'll reply
Bad news: I'll hardly respond.

I think it's funny how the political spectrum is viewed as a _ when really it's a O
I like to say, "I'm so far left I'm right."

was hoping for a reply from the guy calling me names, but thanks. And I agree.

during the Clinton years I relished my libertarian self-image as a right-wing screwball among my mostly liberal friends. Then, after 9/11, the country lurched so far to the right that all of a sudden I felt like Che fucking Guevara. I'm now on the far left, yet I haven't changed.