Back on July 21 Mukasey gave a speech to a bunch of Federal Judges. His talk was couched as his reasons for a new AUMF. He used excused such as allowing the Detainees into the USA was a threat to National Security, that Habeas was too messy and crap along those line. In that speech was much more dangerous things hiding just under the surface. Some of Mukasey's remarks were reported by CQPolitics at the time.
Mukasey said the bill should provide procedures for protecting sensitive national security information and should bar habeas proceedings from delaying military commission trials for detainees, the first of which began today at Guantanamo Bay.
Mukasey said the bill should explicitly state that the United States remains in armed conflict with the Taliban and al Qaeda and can detain enemy combatants for the duration of the conflict. ( His stated reason for a new AUMF) He said the bill also should state that habeas proceedings should be handled by the federal court in Washington. http://www.dailykos.com/...
Mukasey and Bush are looking for another blank check. more on the flip.
In todays New York Times is another heads up on this coming disaster. I have the feeling this will be the Oct. Surprise used to question the Democrats patriotism. When Pelosi and or Harry refuse to bring this to the floor for a vote the crys will be loud and often.
WASHINGTON — Tucked deep into a recent proposal from the Bush administration is a provision that has received almost no public attention, yet in many ways captures one of President Bush’s defining legacies: an affirmation that the United States is still at war with Al Qaeda.
Seven years after the Sept. 11 attacks, Mr. Bush’s advisers assert that many Americans may have forgotten that. So they want Congress to say so and "acknowledge again and explicitly that this nation remains engaged in an armed conflict with Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and associated organizations, who have already proclaimed themselves at war with us and who are dedicated to the slaughter of Americans." Bush Seeks to Affirm a Continuing War on Terror
As I mentioned in the diary about the first speech, many of us have called for the first AUMF to be canceled, rescinded, etc, but except for a few of the people in Congress, it has fallen on deaf ears. Emptywheel took the time to lay out the four major points of Mukaseys claims and they are all based in fear. The main fear , it appears to me, is that some of the Detainees we have abused will get out and tell their story. Stories of Torture, Secret Prisons, Murders, and more. Heaven forbid a real Federal Judge hear the truths of Bushs actions. It goes even deeper than that some fear.
Some lawmakers are concerned that the administration’s effort to declare anew a war footing is an 11th-hour maneuver to re-establish its broad interpretation of the president’s wartime powers, even in the face of challenges from the Supreme Court and Congress.
The proposal is also the latest step that the administration, in its waning months, has taken to make permanent important aspects of its "long war" against terrorism. From a new wiretapping law approved by Congress to a rewriting of intelligence procedures and F.B.I. investigative techniques, the administration is moving to institutionalize by law, regulation or order a wide variety of antiterrorism tactics.
Over at Firedoglake Bmaz is on top of this story also and has been for a while. Here is a quote and link to that diary so you can see how important this may be in the near future.
This "seemingly innocuous" reaffirmation of our battle against terrorism is not innocuous at all; it is diabolical and craven. I am not the only one who thinks so... ( Insert Bruce Fien Quote )
Not now. Not again. Never again. This too cute by a half "little reaffirmation" slipped into the mix during the sturm, drang and heat of presidential election season must not be allowed to slip through and pass into law. People always want to know what they can do post FISA, what are our issues; well, here is one. Make sure that the Cheney/Bush/GOP cabal, and their Hoyer/Pelosi/Blue Dog enablers do not screw the pooch yet again. Bush Re-Ups War, Obstructs Accountability As Nation Twitters Over Palin
We need to make sure this is never allowed to go forward. Bush and Mukasey would find some way to use it against us or to keep us from bringing justice back to the USA. As Bmaz says "No now. Not again. Never Again."