(%*#!$@)) Gonzales: ‘I Haven’t Really Thought About’ Habeas Corpus

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/10/gonzales-habeas-2/

Gonzales: ‘I Haven’t Really Thought About’ Habeas Corpus

Under the Bush administration, U.S. citizens can be detained as enemy combatants and arrested without being charged of any crime.

At today’s House Judiciary Committee hearing, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales whether any U.S. citizens are “being held today, for over a month, who have been denied habeas corpus or access to an attorney.” Instead of giving an answer, Gonzales replied, “ou’re asking me a question I hadn’t really thought about.”

Sherman then followed up and asked whether there any “U.S. citizens being held now by foreign governments or foreign organizations, without access to attorneys, as a result of rendition.” Gonzales again said, “It’s just — quite frankly, I hadn’t thought about this.” Watch it at link~

When Gonzales testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in January, he claimed that there is “no express grant of habeas in the Constitution.” Today, Sherman asked Gonzales, “Wouldn’t it be your duty as Attorney General to make sure that their rights to habeas corpus were honored?” After some hedging, Gonzales finally agreed: “Yes.”

Matt Stoller and Glenn Greenwald have more on the habeas fight. Sign a petition telling Congress to restore habeas corpus HERE:

https://secure.aclu.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=habeas_petition



Transcript:

SHERMAN: The administration has put forward various theories under which anyone, even American citizens, could be arrested without being charged with a crime. One of these is the theory that you could be classified as an enemy combatant. Are there any American citizens being held today, for over a month, who have been denied habeas corpus or access to an attorney?

GONZALES: I don’t believe so, Congressman.

SHERMAN: Wouldn’t it be your duty as Attorney General to make sure that their rights to habeas corpus were honored?

GONZALES: Well, you know, there’s a lot of people in this government and sometimes people do things that they shouldn’t be –

And I’m not suggesting that’s occurring here. But you’re asking me a question I hadn’t really thought about.

SHERMAN: Is there any agency answerable to the Department of Justice –

GONZALES: We’re all answerable to — put the Constitution into our laws, yes.

SHERMAN: Now, are there any U.S. citizens being held now by foreign governments or foreign organizations, without access to attorneys, as a result of rendition, where agents of the administration have taken people into custody and then given them up to foreign officials?

GONZALES: I don’t — Congressman, I don’t know if I have the question to that question either. It’s something I would have to look at.

SHERMAN: Wouldn’t you, as the chief officer responsible for protecting our civil rights, want to know?

GONZALES: Yes. And I’m not suggesting that that is occurring — It’s just — quite frankly, I hadn’t thought about this.

SHERMAN: Would you respond for the record?

GONZALES: I’d be happy. If I can respond to the question, I will.

SHERMAN: Let me move on to another question. You now have focused more on these –

GONZALES: I don’t want the press to run out and say, “Oh my gosh, U.S. citizens are being held by the government secretly, other governments.” I don’t think that’s the case. I just want the American public to understand that.

SHERMAN: I look forward to a definitive answer for the record. Let’s move on.

[EFerrari]

1. Slime! He wants to censor the press because they might tell the truth.

:mad:

:nuke:

[Monkeyman]

3. Yep

[Spinzonner]

2. Can we get is Law Degree revoked

It seems defective

[Manifestor_of_Light]

4. He completely missed Constitutional Law, and it's a required course.

At least at the law school I went to.
And at ALL accredited law schools.

[fooj]

5. WTF?

I don’t think that’s the case.

What DO you think, Gonzo?

[babylonsister]

6. I know, fooj, this is the head shed of the DOJ?

:nuke:

[Uncle Joe]

12. He thinks he can get away with his crimes by playing stupid.

He knows when it comes to crunch time, the Republicans aren't going to do anything about it, a few will raise a ruckus just to bolster their own polls and then roll over and forget it. The rest of the Republicans will only harp about a witch hunt and do their best to over look the trashing of our Constitution.

As a side note, back in the early 80s, I was a Howard Baker fan when he ran against Reagen, but today even if Baker were running, I couldn't support him because he is associated with the criminal Republican Party. The whole lot of them are either corrupt, complicit, asleep at the wheel or they just don't give a damn.

[MadMaddie]

7. So at what point can the Bar Association take his license?

He is an embarrassment to all good and honest lawyers, he is an embarrassment to the DOJ and the United States....

If this is the kind of law and order this administration wants to export to Iraq and other countries.......

[burrowowl]

8. Hadn't thought about it!

Jaw dropping, he mocks the people like Rummy did, he should be indicted for contempt of congress and contempt of the people.

[Forkboy]

9. I almost starting to miss Ashcroft.

He was batshit crazy,but this guy is a true operator.

[Vinca]

10. Someone needs to check this guy's Harvard diploma for authenticity. nt

[NewYorkerfromMass]

11. Actually, the point about "we're working for the White House"

is the killer. That one's made the NYTimes editorial and front pages.