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March 25, 2008

Last Word: Presidential power

Posted: 03:52 PM ET

NEW YORK - Couple of big cases before the U.S. Supreme Court this week. And more and more they’re about our choices in this post 9/11 world.

ALT TEXT

Mr. President, Jami Floyd has the Last Word.

Should the government be able to listen in on your phone calls? To profile you at the airport? To detain people indefinitely? The overriding question is, how much freedom should we trade for national security?

So today, another set of cases before the justices which you may think have nothing to do with you. They're about some faceless foreign men far removed from our shores. And yes, they are suspected terrorists.

But these men are also U.S. citizens. And only Congress has the power to limit a citizen’s constitutional right to challenge his detention. In this country, the President can’t take that away.

Here's why it matters: If the existence of this so-called "war on terror" is sufficient to give the President that right, then the government can seize and detain any one of us. And that is precisely what we fought a revolution to avoid.

And that is the Last Word.

Jami Floyd, In Session anchor

Filed under: Uncategorized


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j.person   March 25th, 2008 7:11 pm ET

First I can't see spying on the homefront and not on.. uhh, let's just say our borders!! I can understand people of suspicious and criminal backgrounds but then consider the scrutiny(goverment tampering).this would make anyone with a parking ticket vunerable. Second the fact these faceless foreign men are probably here for some governmental reason.I sure the "alphabet boys" know who they are.Finally George W. Bush knew of this power( probably bought to his attention by Dick Chaney).this is why they decided on a "war on terror".It's a smoke screen.

Micahel   March 25th, 2008 8:17 pm ET

You Rock Jami! We need to get you on the Alex Jones Show!

Kuy   March 29th, 2008 10:30 pm ET

Kudos to you Jamie! I agree 100%. I get screening passengers on jets. I get metal detectors at public buildings. But snatching people of the streets for "I think he may be..." is just wrong.

bj   March 31st, 2008 8:42 am ET

See the movie "Rendition", it sure made me think about our 'freedoms'....and who decides what those are.

Dan   March 31st, 2008 12:50 pm ET

Well put and insightful comments Jami, as always.

The real problem I have with this sort of governmental abuse is that the government never gives power back. Most of the huge, sweeping powers, programs and policies of the government, from Income Tax to the ability of the president to deploy troops with a declaration of war from the Senate, have been intended as temporary measures.
The government just never got around to removing the powers once the 'crisis' was averted.

To suspend the writ of Habeus now means we suspend it for all time. The 'War on Terror' is a "war" without a defined start or stopping point. Terrorism has existed in the US since the revolution (when WE were the terrorists no less) and will exist until the end of time. To suspend a critical right for as long as an indefinite thing lasts is the essence of tyranny.

Robert Rasmussen II   April 7th, 2008 2:50 am ET

“Anyone who trades liberty for security deserves neither liberty nor security” – Benjamin Franklin

We have come a long way since Benjamin Franklin but seems to have come to a full circle as our government has become that in which we declared independence from in the first place. Post 9/11 we have had our rights stripped from us for security and for the greater good and we received nothing to make us safer and all the more enemies to hate us in the world. If our Four Fathers were around they would start another revolution over all the disgraceful acts our government has done to it's people. 9/11 was nothing more then a tool for the government to strip its people of liberties under a false guise of security. America has fallen from its grace after 9/11 that is for sure.

Brian   April 8th, 2008 4:31 am ET

One thing I've learned in my admittedly short life is that there is no "last word".

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