Article I, Section 9, Clause 2 of the Contitution: "The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it."
Gonzales, sworn testimony before Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Jan. 18th, 2007:
"The fact that the Constitution — again, there is no express grant of habeas in the Constitution."
Even Arlen Specter was stunned at this jaw-dropping assumption of unconstitutional idiocy.
The fact that it was uttered in broad daylight and broadcast to a live audience, by the man who's very JOB it is to protect, defend, and enforce constitutional and statutory law to insure 'equal JUSTICE for all' is astoundingly outrageous.
It exemplifies complete contempt for the most basic founding tenet at the heart of all democracy.
(NOTE: this post originated as a comment to the excellent diary by AVENGING ANGEL titled Top 10 Reasons Gonzales Must Go READ IT FIRST, IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY. ANY 1 OF THE 10, IMHO, REASON FOR IMPEACHMENT. THIS IS MY FIRST DIARY BY THE WAY-I AM OFFICIALLY NOW A "NON-LURKER", BUT STILL JUST A REGULAR JOE SCHMOE FROM SAN JOSE, CA.)
As Keith Olberman pointed out in his outstanding 'special comment' following passage of the egregious Military Commissions Act of 2006, if you can be denied your right to due process of representation to question charges against you by reviewing the evidence in a court of law amongst a jury of your peers, and instead be imprisoned indefinitely WITHOUT charge OR representation with NO evidence or just HEARSAY, then the rest of those Bill of Rights are pretty much rendered MOOT now, aren't they?
Of course, once you've taken the steps to use your unique position of authority to help debase America to the level of outright barbarism by endorsing institutionalized tortured confessions(as well as torture just for the fun of it), all bets are off as far as the rule of law is concerned, anyway.
A GODDAMNED PIECE OF PAPER!!, indeed.
Alberto Gonzales, uniquely UNQUALIFIED for the job. Par for the course, as they say.
Once he was announced as a candidate to replace the equally odious Ashcroft, I KNEW Gonzales would be Bush's prick--er, pick.
Inspired(?) as Bush is by the neocon/theocrat/corporatist/blue-blood elitist worldview responsible for so much of the death, destruction, suffering, division, and debasement we have witnessed these past 6 years, of COURSE he goes with the ever-loyal boot-licking sycophant/lackey that owes his ENTIRE CAREER to the boy-king.
Given a list of choices, Bush will ALWAYS make the WORST one first. Always has, always will.
AND THIS ONE HAS TO GO. NOW. LOOOOOOOOOONG PAST DUE.
I felt the same about Strangelove-ian Rumsfeld as well, and it took an unprecedented historic sea change in the American political landscape for THAT slap-happy crazy asshole to finally get the well-deserved boot up his ass, BUUUUUT.........
There he is, little Alberto, pants around ankles, dick in hand, pissing on America AGAIN, darin’ us to take action with that 'WATCHA GONNA DO ABOUT IT, HUH?’ defiance 5 year olds get when they know they’re due for a whuppin’, but Big Brother’s got their back.
Replacing A.G.s with hyper-partisan hacks and political cronies loyal only to the Bush Brand of neo-con republicanism rather than to the Constitution and the rule of law?
Huh.
Better to discourage investigations into rampant wholesale republican corruption and launch phony ones against democratic rivals at election time, you say?
Really.
Using the Patriot Act to circumvent the confirmation process to appoint them indefinitely without oversight or accountability?
Izzat right.
And BALD-FACE LYING ABOUT IT TO CONGRESS, FOR FUCKSSAKE?
I see.
Newsflash, for ya there, Torture-Boy—THIS AIN’T YER RUBBERSTAMP ENABLING REPUBLICAN CONGRESS ANYMORE.
I'm SICK AND TIRED of Bush Administration officials' standard boilerplate response "Mistakes were made. I take full responsibility" BULLSHIT they get away with when they're caught fucking up--AND THEN RARELY, IF EVER, IS ANYONE HELD TO ACCOUNT--THEY PAY NO CONSEQUENCES FOR THEIR ACTIONS.
Quit or you're FIRED, dude--that's how it's suppose to work in the REAL world. (I know, I know--IOKIYAR)
Word to the Senate Judiciary Committee--
DO YOUR JOB. DISPENSE SOME REAL JUSTICE, FOR A CHANGE. PUT IT OUT THERE LOUD AND CLEAR THAT "IOKIYAR" IS NO LONGER S.O.P.
Take Gonzales, string him up, batter him, bruise him, make him sing and resign, or IMPEACH THE FUCK, then draw and quarter him and throw that smug piece of shits' bloody carcass to the jackals waiting in the peanut gallery. Ditto for that PIG Karl Rove. As for Harriet Miers, her political career is already dead and buried as far as I can tell. Besides, I just can't get it up to pick on an old lady(unless it's Phylis Schafly--haven't heard much from her lately, but that bitch can burn in hell anyway--someone throw a bucket of water on her already, will ya?).
Americans have already seen the Emperor has no clothes--and one by one the enabling cheerleaders in his administration are being exposed as pretty damn threadbare themselves. The way things are shaping up, before too long 'Commander Codpiece' will be left all alone in this cruel old world without so much as a figleaf to cover his 'manly'(?) private parts--AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN ALL, FINALLY, COLLECTIVELY OR INDIVIDUALLY DELIVER THAT ONE GOOD HARD SWIFT KICK IN THE NUTS HE'S SOOOOO BEEN DESERVING OF AND BEGGING FOR THESE PAST 6 YEARS.
AND NOW WITH THE RANT OFF, SOME CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS TO PRESSURE GONZALES REMOVAL:
Again, I’m just a Joe Schmoe from San Jose—But I DON’T think a Democrat here and a Republican over THERE is going to get it done; I do think, however, that a concerted, coordinated effort from the grassroots, blogs, the Democratic Party, the ACLU, constitutional scholars, the ABA and any A.G.s either currently employed or retired and are willing to speak out, collectively, loudly, clearly and repeatedly calling for his removal MAY.
What do YOU think, and who should be first in line if that kick in the nuts opportunity should ever come to pass?? I look forward to your responses.
Thank You for the opportunity to vent. Kruzrdude OUT.