The War on Terror: It Takes Balls

Balls, as in testicles, have been in notably short supply in the debate over the Bush administration's extralegal use of secret prisons and torture in the War on Terror.

So it was beyond refreshing to see Republican Senators McCain, Warner and Graham take on President Bush over his latest attempt to get around the Constitution and Geneva Convention. This, of course, infuriated right-wing diehards, and John at Power Line actually referred to the trio as "the left."

By the right wing's crude calculus, this would make McCain, Warner and Graham terrorist appeasers like the Democrats.

Then there were the Pentagon's top uniformed lawyers, who marched up to Capitol Hill on Thursday and said, with all due respect for the commander in chief, that his proposals would not withstand legal scrutiny and would irrepairably tarnish the nation’s tarnished reputation internationally.

Said Senator Lindsey Graham, himself a former military judge:

It would be unacceptable, legally, in my opinion, to give someone the death penalty in a trial where they never heard the evidence against them. ''Trust us, you’re guilty, we’re going to execute you, but we can’t tell you why?" That's not going to pass muster; that's not necessary.

More here and here.

BUSH LIED -- AGAIN

Speaking of balls, the mainstream media has been clearly lacking in that department this week. It just isn't asking tough quesitons.

In an exception, The New York Times documents the president's myriad lies about secret prisons and torture.

MEAN & DIRTY ON THE HOMEFRONT

Simon Tisdall of The Guardian writes in an irony-free commentary that after pretty much ignoring Osama bin Landen for years, he's now suddenly a headline issue as mid-term election campaigns heat up:

But the U.S. president's tactical switch has raised suspicions that Republicans are once again resorting to the politics of fear. . . .

The White House's critics say the congressional campaign is witnessing a return of the scare tactics that have characterised the Bush years. Democrats have been encouraged by polls suggesting they could regain control of the House of Representatives. And public confidence in the Republicans' ability to handle national security issues has fallen sharply since 2002.

So now the battle over who can best protect America grows mean and dirty.

Cartoon by Pat Oliphant/Enterprise Press Syndicate