Senator Orrin Hatch voted against the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act (S. 185) today in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The bill passed by a vote of 11-8. The right of habeas corpus (the means by which detainees can seek relief from unlawful imprisonment) was revoked last October by the Military Commissions Act (MCA), which also legalized the torture of prisoners. Senator Hatch voted for the MCA, along with the entire Utah congressional delegation including Rep. Jim Matheson.
The Habeas Corpus Restoration Act was first introduced last December (see my previous post) by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Arlen Specter (R-PA). Senator Specter noted that habeas corpus is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution (in Article I, Section 9).
“The Constitution of the United States is explicit that habeas corpus may be suspended only in time of rebellion or invasion,” observed Sen. Specter. “We are suffering neither of those alternatives at the present time. We have not been invaded, and there has not been a rebellion.”
UPDATE: See also today’s blog posts by Craig41 and JM Bell, plus JM Bell’s update. Utah’s right-wing bloggers haven’t said anything about this so far.
#1 by Catherman - June 7th, 2007 at 13:30
Of course he did!
I guess the Senator wouldn’t mind then if he were arrested on his next trip to Utah (which probably won’t be anytime soon). When asked about the charges, the police could say, “Sorry, that’s classified.” When Senator Hatch asks to see the evidence, again they’d say, “Sorry, classified…” And when he asks how long he will be held, they’ll say, “probably until you die… or until the war on paranoid Republicans is won.” Then he’d be shipped to an American detention facility that’s not on American dirt so we can tell him we don’t have to follow the laws we believe lift us above the rest of the tyrannical world.
If Mitt Romney has his way, we could deny Senator Hatch access to an attorney, and if Rudy Giuliani’s the President at the time, we could “do what ever it takes” to get what we want to hear out of Hatch… which is probably nothing except a good excuse to torture the man.
Even though our Senators should understand the Constitution of the United States, how cares, he’s a career senator and doesn’t need those framers. I’m sure he’s okay with his vote, because if it’s good enough for others, it must be good enough for him. I think he believes a statement Jesus said about loving our neighbors, but maybe he only loves the ones that are like himself? Maybe he thinks keeping people locked in such a way is love? Or maybe by treating some people badly, he can love others. Talk about a warped idea of equality.
#2 by Larry Bergan - June 7th, 2007 at 16:40
At least Hatch is consistent. He hates our freedom year after year.
What is it about the politicians of Utah and their flippant attitude towards our rights. Chris Cannon could be seen there, along with about ten other Republicans when the Military Commissions Act was being signed into unconstitutional law.