What the hell happened to John McCain?

The more time goes by, the deeper my relief that John McCain lost the election. It was bad enough that he was willing to make Sarah Palin the vice-president. But now there is the Enemy Belligerent, Interrogation, Detention, and Prosecution Act of 2010.


The word "fascist" is thrown around way, waaaaaay too much in the blogosphere. Most of the time I roll my eyes and dismiss the opinion of whoever has decided to use it. It's lazy and sloppy, and typically indicates an ignorance of what "fascism" actually means. But, as God is my witness, I cannot think of a more apt word for this:

An individual, including a citizen of the United States, determined to be an unprivileged enemy belligerent under section 3(c)(2) in a manner which satisfies Article 5 of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War may be detained without criminal charges and without trial for the duration of hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners in which the individual has engaged, or which the individual has purposely and materially supported, consistent with the law of war and any authorization for the use of military force provided by Congress pertaining to such hostilities.

And whose civil liberties will suddenly be null and void?

CRITERIA FOR DESIGNATION OF INDIVIDUALS AS HIGH-VALUE DETAINEES- The regulations required by this subsection shall include criteria for designating an individual as a high-value detainee based on the following:

(A) The potential threat the individual poses for an attack on civilians or civilian facilities within the United States or upon United States citizens or United States civilian facilities abroad at the time of capture or when coming under the custody or control of the United States.

(B) The potential threat the individual poses to United States military personnel or United States military facilities at the time of capture or when coming under the custody or control of the United States.

(C) The potential intelligence value of the individual.

(D) Membership in al Qaeda or in a terrorist group affiliated with al Qaeda.

(E) Such other matters as the President considers appropriate. [emphasis added, here and above]

Got that? Anyone the President "considers appropriate" can be deemed a high-value "enemy belligerent," and held without charge or trial for "the duration of hostilities" against the United States or any of its coalition partners. Or, in other words, forever. This means, quite literally, you.

This anti-American disgrace, this consummate travesty of legislation has now found several co-sponsors, including the ghoul we all once knew as Joe Lieberman. The man who brought it forth unto the Senate is the man the GOP wanted to occupy the Oval Office. These people, who hold such power, have so palpable a disdain for the very Constitution they have sworn to uphold that it robs one of the power of speech.

Every American should oppose this bill. Every. Single. American. There is no defending it, and the people responsible for submitting and co-sponsoring it have proved themselves unworthy of sitting in the Senate.