i-sako.com

Or so my friend Ruth tells me--I haven’t had much time to catch up on the news recently, but I am exceedingly grateful for this:

Supreme Rebuke

SINCE THE OUTSET of the war on terrorism, the Bush administration, across a wide range of issues, has had a simple message for the federal judiciary: Trust us and don’t interfere. Yesterday, in a pair of much-awaited rulings, the court delivered its response. First, the justices declared that U.S. citizens designated as enemy fighters are entitled to a “fair opportunity” to challenge their detentions and “unquestionably [have] the right to access to counsel” in doing so. Then the justices held that federal courts have jurisdiction to hear challenges to the detentions of noncitizens held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Trust, even during wartime, has limits.

And if any administration has ever abused trust, it’s this one. I’m glad to see that the Supreme Court is finally asserting some authority in this area, because we know this Congress won’t--at least not before the election, Newt tells us:

Republican Congress Tightens Purse Strings

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) said the restiveness is real and probably inevitable. “As a practical matter it can’t take full form until after the election, but I would be very surprised if by January—even with Bush reelected—that you don’t see substantially more assertion of oversight.”

By January, huh? How convenient.