In general, I’m not fond of the work of Republicans in Congress. However, this morning, thanks are due to six Republican members of the United States Senate.
Senators Chuck Hagel, John Sununu, Olympia Snowe, Richard Lugar, Gordon Smith, and Arlen Specter voted with the Democrats in the Senate in favor of an amendment to the Defense Appropriations Bill for 2008 (S.Amdt. 2022 to S.Amdt. 2011 to H.R. 1585) that would have brought back the right of habeas corpus that was destroyed by the Military Commissions Act on 2007.
Sadly, the vote was still four shy of the needed 60 votes to pass. Former Democrat Joseph Lieberman voted against restoring habeas corpus. If he and three more Republicans had stood in favor of one of the most ancient legal rights Americans once enjoyed, a good deal of the abuse wrought by the Military Commissions Act might have soon ended. Still, the six Republicans who voted for liberty deserve to be recognized.
Common sense progressive defense of liberty is not the task of one political party. Even Republican politicians can join progressive Americans in the effort to restore the tradition of liberty in the USA.
(Source: Library of Congress)
