Sunday, November 22, 2009

Obama and Holder's assault on due process.


If I didn't know better I would think the fix is in.
With that said, I have to wonder what is worse?


That the trial is a sham, or President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have an unequaled arrogance that may eventually blow the case against Khalid Sheikh Mohammad.


'Failure Is Not an Option'
By JAMES TARANTO

On Wednesday we noted that President Obama defended his decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammad as a civilian by declaring that the outcome is preordained: KSM will be convicted and put to death. This appears to be not just bluster but the administration's actual position.

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Attorney General Eric Holder, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, made a similar statement under questioning from Sen. Herb Kohl, a Wisconsin Democrat:

Kohl: But taking into account that you never know what happens when you walk into a court of law, in the event that for whatever reason they do not get convicted, what would be your next step? I'm sure you must have talked about it.

Holder: What I told the prosecutors and what I will tell you and what I spoke to them about is that failure is not an option. Failure is not an option. This--these are cases that have to be won. I don't expect that we will have a contrary result.

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JAMES TARANTO: "Failure is not an option"? Is Eric Holder attorney general of the United States or some unctuous motivational speaker?

For the sake of political expediency, Obama and Holder are refusing even to make a pretense of respect for due process. If KSM & Co. are convicted and put to death, America's critics and enemies will point to Obama and Holder's assurances in arguing that the defendants were subjected to sham justice. Nice work restoring America's moral standing, Mr. President.


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