S1867 - An Absurd Addendum

Dec 1st, 2011

The NY Times reports:
"After a passionate debate over a detainee-related provision in a major defense bill, the lawmakers decided not to make clearer the current law about the rights of Americans suspected of being terrorists. Instead, they voted 99 to 1 to say the bill does not affect “existing law” about people arrested inside the United States.

“We make clear that whatever the law is, it is unaffected by this language in our bill,” said Senator Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat who helped shape the detainee-related sections of the bill with Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee."

Now, let me state, for the record, that this should fool no one. Unfortunately, it already seems to have done just that. Andrew Sullivan writes, "The law remains, mercifully, as it was."

Excuse me, but that's not exactly accurate. The law is, for the time being, as it was for the simple reason that this bill hasn't been signed into law. Let's be very clear here; this only muddies the water further. The Senate essentially passed a resolution stipulating that S1867 doesn't, in fact, say what it quite clearly says.

This is bullshit. That Sullivan would suggest breathing easier is nuts.