Nightline's Daily Line

Thanks for putting this up, ABC.

If we have evidence against these terrorists, it's time to put them on trial. Holding them indefinitely makes us look bad. I would think McCain, of all people, would understand this.

Justice Scalia is wrong here. Suspending our Constitution is not really an option.

Scalia, belongs to the Bush Regime and they have proven that they have no regard for our constitution nor for any law that stands between them and power. Bush should step down now, especially after how he has destroyed our nation.

Absolutely shocked at Scalia's opinion. It reads something you would read in Oceania's constitution.
My goodness!

We should allow the military to try these prisoners. They are military prisoners of war. There is already rules for dealing with prisoners. The supreme court should stay out of the military.

If we abandon our core values/principals in response to the terrorists, haven't they won?

The rule of law, fairly administered to all, is supposed to be what we are about. Abandoning that is tantamount to waving the flag of surrender to the extremists.

While it has been too long coming, the Supreme Court is to be commended for standing up for our Consitution, and real American values.

Justice Kennedy is correct. I once attended a conference in France, and they were making an argument against public CCTV cameras, because some day, there could be someone in power that could abuse this.

This always stuck with me, and it should be applied to this matter as well. Habeas Corpus is not only important for Americans, its important for the World.

Justice Scalia can't actually know that this decision will result in the death of americans. So to claim that his fellow justices are, essentially, complicit in murder, is absurd. It demonstrates his petulance, emotional dysfunctionality and intelectual intolerance.

In fact, it sounds like an angry bully who didn't get his way.

This is indeed the model Justice of Pres. Bush

Scalia has shown himself, yet again, to be a partisan hack rather than a jurist capable of dispationate legal analysis.

Continuing to hold these prisoners without due process totally goes against our constitution and that rights that we hold so dear. Why have the constitution if it can be disregarded at will by our top leader(s).

Thank you, thank you. I've been saying that I want my country back & it looks like it just might finally be happening. No matter what, you need to face your accuser and state your case. No matter how much we disagree, we should hear the other side. Thank you to the court for finally starting the repair job to the honor and rights in this country that will probably take 100 years to fix.

The conservatives often talk about how they interpret the constitution and don't just rule on their agenda. This time it is the "liberals" who are interpreting the constitution and not using it for their political agendas. Let's not have a double standard here.

Justice Scalia's dissenting opinion doesn't even discuss the constitution. Instead he, like others in our government, are trying to use scare tactics to convince people to do things their way. Isn't that how we got into the mess that we are in with Iraq?

Prisoners of war. What war, was there a "war" declared? Scalia is way off base as usual.

The courts should stay out of war related prisoners held as a result of combat. How can you prosecute a war if a combatant has to worry about how some pacifist back home will rule?

This is a monumental decision for freedom and for the Constitution against a rogue Presidency. The strength of our democracy faces its greatest test during exceptional times.

Constitutional democracies cannot long endure governance by necessity. Instead, Justice Kennedy showed his measure as a person of principle and courage.

Terrorism is as terrorism does and our slide into what we fight and fear most has been precipitous. Perhaps, this is at last a turn away from this imperial Presidency.

Is there a choice. Of course Scalia is right. What's the matter with those others. These are our enemies.

If the flag of the United States of America is flying over Guantanamo Bay, then certainly anyone under that flag by choice or otherwise, is subject to the laws and the rights that the flag represents. To think otherwise is insane!

Hey MIguy, you're worried about looking bad?

How you think you're gonna look when these aholes come here and cut your head off?

They don't like us.They want to kill us.
All of us!

Shouldn't the constitution be for legal American citizens.

Justice Kennedy's statement is, in my modest opinion, more than accurate. It may help us regain some of the respect we have lost as a nation worldwide for the way things, in general, have been handled. Deciding who gets justice and who doesn't should never be in the hands of any single-minded person, I don't care if they ARE the President.

The United States holds other countries accountable for their human rights policies. How can our leadership ignore the basic truth of our constitution? How can a fearful man be lead into bad decisions by a manipulative and paranoid man who just just supposed to be his "Vice"? WILL these leaders of our administration be held accountable by the world for the attack and invasion of a country? Was not the leader of the country this President attacked held accountable for his 1990 invasion of a country? ARE WE BETTER THAN SADDAM???? Perhaps Justice Kennedy is beginning to show our country what we will need to do to heal from these mistakes.
Alan C. Wilson in MN

The Supreme Court is way off base. These are prisons of war-NOT welcome guests. They are killing our American solders. Protect our country-STOP being so liberal and stuck on your selves.

Scalia I agree with you!

Rene,
If they were not "welcome guests" why did we bring them to a military base governed by U.S. law?

No one ever told Bush that there are three branches of government that have political power, that America is a nation of laws and a Constitution that ALL must follow, that the Constitution's mandates cannot be overridden or ignored, that torture is not legal, that the Geneva Conventions protect our soldiers or that, because he lies so often, some of his lies will be exposed. President Bush is the world's most obvious terrorist behind only behind binLaden. Those souls at Guantanamo have not been charged, have not been indicted, have not been afforded the minimum defense afforded to those who must defend themselves in counties we deride as uncivilized.

So what happens if someone comes and kidnaps Rene and Tom in the middle of the night. Those nasty terrorists strike again. They take Rene and Tom back to their terrorist caves, where they are locked up for being enemy combatants...never a trial, never a jury, never a conviction.

Sounds good to me.

What do they think they are doing? Sure these detainees would have constitutional rights under our constitution - IF THEY WERE AMERICAN CITIZENS. They are foreign nationals and, as such, DO NOT enjoy the rights and freedoms of the American people. I say that this decision is null and void and we should just ignore it. After all, it is the United States Supreme Court and not the world court, therefore they have no jurisdiction.

The Supreme Court will regret this move' Pray for them. Scalia, God hears you and He's pleased

OH, those nasty terrorists just kidnapped Ron B too, and took him back to the cave. Never to be seen again.

The hubris of the judiciary will increase the cost of freedom for future generations in both gold and blood. Or perhaps not. Perhaps instead of capturing terrorists, our soldiers will just issue them a writ. They will ask if they are tourists, and remind them that if they are wrongly detained, they can sue for millions of dollars. This will of course be a boon to liberal lawyers who want to start class action lawsuits on behalf of racists who wish to wipe jews off the planet.

Our nation provides protection of its citizens with the writ of habeas corpus. Our worst criminals that commit the most heinous crimes are afforded this right. How can any freedom loving nation allow people to be imprisoned, often based on innuendo and accusation alone, without this right? Shame on this republic and Justices Scalia, Thomas, Alioto and Roberts for supporting this form of injustice.

Our constitution pertains to our nation and it's citizens. It is not the constitution of the world. It is the constitution of America.

You are not entitled to the benefits of a club unless you are a member.

You are not entitled to the benefits of heaven unless you are a member.

You are not entitled to the benefits of insurance unless you sign up

and you are not entitled to the full benefits of an American Citizen unless you are one.

The correct word is not happiness.
The correct word is joy.
Eye contact and smile creates JOY.
JOY creates SMILE - SMILE creates JOY.
Forced smile and eye contact resulted in ending decades of very severe stuttering over one decade ago.
Now I talk things to death, and the wise turn and walk away.
I truly enjoy talking - now.

If our Constitution starts with the words "We the people of the United States", then how could it refer to citizens of other countries?

I believe that enemy combatants of the U.S. are, as all people are, entitled to treatment consistent with the standards of basic human rights, but not to the entitlements of U.S. citizens.

That is, unless they are American citizens, then they can be tried for treason.

I don't think they bother taking anyone back to the cave.

They cut the head off and burn the body.

And in case you haven't noticed, they don't play by any rules.

They dress as civilians and hide behind women and children.

I guess I am a little confused like some say McCain is (some being John Kerry) these prisoners of war (not five and dime drug store theives)are not afforded the same provisions as citizens of this country. They are POW's and theirfore are under the jurisdiction of the military. Last time I checked the President was the Commander in Cheif, not the Judicial Branch of our government. Did anyone in the liberal/Democratic party pass any government class in high school or were they just to high on drugs to figure it out. We USA citizens are on the road to distruction if we do not stop this liberal/Democratic nonsense.
Wake up America and vote for people with Common Sense and those who are PRO American.This does NOT include Obama, Reid or Pelosi as much as they would like us to believe they are true Americans.

Here here, to Dwayne

I believe Judge Kennedy is jeopardizing ALL American lives with this most recent decision. What other country in our universe would so liberally put its citizens in such dangerous consequences??? God bless America!

The Romans, maybe?

Unbelievable.

There once was a great nation. They called it America. It once believed in liberty, freedom, law, and justice. It once held moral authority above all else, and was determined to spread this moral authority to other countries, not by force, but by example. Where people had equal rights, where people had empathy, understanding, and most of all, integrity.

Or was there such a country?

I dont think s, Eric. I think thats just the morality angle we've rallied behind in the past.

As usual, Judge Scalia overreacts to a ruling in which he represents the minority opinion. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Scalia (and his puppet Thomas) would limit himself to interpreting the Constitution as our Founding Fathers had intended it as opposed to how he'd like to see the country run. For all his recent "outreach" attempts (with the obvious goal of selling his book, naturally) Scalia remains true to his nature - a blustering, pompous old goat whose intellectual stance is to demean anyone who doesn't share his opinion.

Martin Beshear (sp?)said we could vote for Kennedy or Scalia, but how do we do that? If you require lengthy comments, you'll miss people with little time, no wish to make their views public, etc. Pleas redesign your website to allow a simple "vote".

I agree with the majority (Kennedy's opinion), but also agree with both justice's quotes. Scalia says people will die, and that's as true as the fact that releasing convicted criminals will result in some killings, but that doesn't make it the wrong thing to do. Some percentage of recidivists will end up killing, in the course of a robbery, or whatever. Does that mean we should never release convicted prisoners?

Maybe Scalia has some cogent points, but this isn't one of them. In light of his "stinking descent" (are we talking slippery slope here?) it seems doubtful that he has any.

ps Remember the days when we believed that it was more important to free 99 guilty people if it meant imprisoning one innocent person? Guess that kind of thinking is archaic now. Sad.

Does he demean the people who dont agree with him by calling them a blustering, pompous old goat?

We're headed for anarchy. Citizens don't trust their government and the Judicial branch has become the mascot of the liberal left between gay marriage and it's allowing litigation to get to be a lottery system with a high probability of winning. We still have it pretty good, but we're headed toward scary. Scary isn't it.

The Ideal of freeing 99 guilty people for the release of one inocent is romantic and ridiculous. It is exactly what terrorists have in mind when they take hostages.

Kennedy is correct on this one. We are a nation of laws, molded by the Constitution, which is a foundation of our country...So Scalia is saying that if we follow our own laws, we die? But if we DON'T follow our laws, we live? hmmmm No WONDER 'corruption' seems 'overpopulated', and the good guys are disappearing!

Every Kennedy thats ever been in government has screwed it up.

Justice Kennedy was right. The rule of law must be preserved. We are not a monarchy or a dictatorship. Many innocent men have been detained and tortured. It's kept secret. We should move towards keeping our rights and justice for all forever.

Justice Kennedy was right. The rule of law must be preserved. We are not a monarchy or a dictatorship. Many innocent men have been detained and tortured. It's kept secret. We should move towards keeping our rights and justice for all forever.

I decide who shall live and who shall die....not the supreme court! by the way, dwayne it's: therefore, thieves, and destruction. Im not saying that you are stupid or anything...did you pass an english class in high school, or elementary school for that matter? Goddamn conservative right wing loser

eric,
keep acting like an idiot and this country will eventually get what you "THINK" you want it to be and when you say something that country's government does not like they won't bother taking you to the cave, they will just gather you and your family (if they actually mean anything to you)and kill you on the spot. Ask some of the distant family members of the people Sadam did not like.

Okay let's everybody take a breath ......
The Constitution does not apply to prisoners of war. Yes we are at war. They get better care there than prisoners in our own country. The alternative would be TAKE NO PRISONERS, all you highly educated, read between the lines on that one. Military Tribunal is the only consideration they should get. Attorneys have to be behind
this, anything for them to make a buck.
When they start passing the bucket to
collect monies for the Terrorist Defense
Fund, you Liberals make sure you give them your name and full address so they can send you a thank-you note!!! You just keep kissing up to these Terrorist and before you know it they'll be knocking on your door at home to return the favor. BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID

Wow! God has not only spoken but confirmed that conservatives are aholes......

This decision is a joke. These people are prisoners of war, or foreign nationals captured while engaging in terrorist acts, or planning terrorist acts. They come under military law. They are not U.S. citizens, nor do they deserve to be treated as such.

The only factor that confuses the idiot majority on the Court, is that although these prisoners were captured abroad, they weren't kept there. Had they remained imprisoned in Afganistan or Iraq, this wouldn't be an issue. The German Nazis were tried in Neurenburg not in the U.S., nor given rights under the U.S. Constitution.

This is another regretful decision.

Good ickInAmerica. you must be an ahole licker.

Kennedy gets his strokes going to DC cocktail parties where everyone tells him what a good monkey he is.

Well, Tough Mom, I'm ok with conceding your point that the Constitution doesn't apply to prisoners of war if you'll concede mine that the Geneva Conventions certainly do.....

Why must every person saying something about conservatives resort to name calling. I think I know why. Inability to articulate clear argumentative thoughts.

Why don't we put one behind the left ear of all those "innocent detainees" and be finished with it.

Of course, Im not defending that one........

Spugee wrote:
"Kennedy gets his strokes going to DC cocktail parties where everyone tells him what a good monkey he is."

Ummm....Wouldn't that be Thomas?

the only fools here believe that the constitution only covers those in the U.S.. Will they be rallying for their "rights" when they get into trouble in another country? or praying to me that the laws protect them as much as a citizen of that land? (see Hungary, or midnight express for the challanged)hmmm

No Kennedy. Thomas is an honest broker.

god
I am glad to see you use a small "g".
Actually I did pass English (did not realize this was going to be graded for spelling), but just like a liberal, miss the entire idea just to show the World how SMART YOU are. By the way I have two advance degrees, if it matters to the SMART people.

um, god, isnt it a us constitution?

It doesn't matter what the court says, Bush will just do what he wants. He basically said so today from Italy, if you watch his entire speech. He will ignore the court, change the law if he has to...but he will do what he wants to do. Those in custody aren't going anywhere. And we will do what we do and let it happen and do nothing.

Then good for Bush.

Spugee wrote:
"No Kennedy. Thomas is an honest broker."

Kennedy has ruled in favor of both "liberal" and "conservative" issues that have come before the court. He apparently tries to decide the merits of a case before ruling. Anyone can tell how Thomas (and Scalia), will rule on ANY case before opening arguments are made....

Like Jackson said about a SCOTUS decision, let them enforce it.

yes, umm. my point was that the us govt covers many lands including, guam, puerto rico, the virgin islands (us), midway islands and guantanamo bay. therefore, all are subject to us law and its constitution and thereby its rights.
dwayne, nobody ever said education = intelligence.see current administration for further details

Bad point.

there goes roe v. wade

yay god!

Foreign nationals do not have the rights of American citizens with regard to trial. Can we please stop ignoring that fact?

It is a very good argument for taking no prisoners.

They do have human rights that we must honor.

I shall smite thee, judge scalia. Ye shall burn in hell thru all eternity.

Rick in America
So what does the Geneva Convention say,
must we make thse POW's citizens and now allow them to be tried in our courts. Please educate me on the Geneva
Convention.

DRumble,

If that foreign national is in the United States, he receives full constitutional protection in a criminal trial (see the Fourteenth Amendment)

They should all have green bubbleup and live on lollipop lane. They have the right to be killed.

DRumble, they certainly do while on American soil, and Guantanamo Bay is American soil as it is an established military post, much like a Chinese embassy in the U.S. is soveriegn.

It is a leased property of the USA

nobody on here don't know nothing.

see, i have my back-up....go get him!

god spelled backward is dog, elohssa spelled backward is...

Please pardon my ignorance.

spugee, your home is on "leased property of the U.S." and your brain has been leased to the RNC for further study into the effects of the "patriot act". may you find your way home and please lease a spot near crawford texas, gods other armpit(my first being darfur)

Little g, I always measure a person by their intellect. You seem to be the kind of guy where everything is too short. About two inches.

god's right hand
It is amazing how many liberal/Democrats
think they are god or god's right hand, and by the way god, I have not seen in God's Word (that would be the Bible)where Justice Scalia is mentioned by name. god must be reading the Wrong god's word. (and yes I do Proudly read the Word of God (the Bible) and sometimes mispell words but I do get the meaning of what He is saying, god you might want to read the Word of God.

What is elohssa spelled frontards supposed to be?

frontwards

DRumble, are you short too?

im sorry for the mixup, spugee...i couldnt decide whether to make you a boy or a girl, so i gave you a very small one and a close hole to comfort you. being alone is so sad...

Dwayne

I'm not going to give a rundown on the totality of the Geneva Conventions, suggest you go to Wikipedia for that if you're REALLY interested (which I suspect you're not). But no, we don't need to make them citizens in order to try them in our courts. We DO need to treat them humanely (in the hope that our POW's will be treated the same - ie torture is a no-no) and provide access to humanitarian groups (such as the Red Cross, another liberal organization, no doubt). I find it interesting that many conservatives in this forum are referring to these "detainees" as POW's, whereas the Bush administration will not, classifying them only as the afore mentioned "detainees" in order to deny them the most basic of human (NOT American) rights.

Doesnt John Stewart have a blog for you to talk about that on?

In Bookstores soon: "Spugee: The Last Bush Supporter on Earth"
A man so powerful...he is unaffected by logic, evidence or reason. Like his Idol, Spugee makes all his decision from his gut. Unfortunately the gastric bypass went as planned, and the newly svelte Spug-ster has little left to make an informed decision on what to have for breakfast. TheTruthHurts Press

I'm sure you are use to very small. It's too bad it extends to your intellect.