Posted on 09/09/2008 4:07:32 PM PDT by Pinkbell
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. -- Sen. Barack Obama delivered an impassioned defense of the Constitution and the rights of terrorism suspects tonight, striking back at one of the biggest applause lines in Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's speech to the GOP convention.
It was in St. Paul last week that Palin drew raucous cheers when she delivered this put-down of Obama: "Al-Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America and he's worried that someone won't read them their rights."
Obama had a few problems with that.
"First of all, you don't even get to read them their rights until you catch 'em," Obama said here, drawing laughs from 1,500 supporters in a high school gymnasium. "They should spend more time trying to catch Osama bin Laden and we can worry about the next steps later."
If the plotters of the Sept. 11 attacks are in the government's sights, Obama went on, they should be targeted and killed.
"My position has always been clear: If you've got a terrorist, take him out," Obama said. "Anybody who was involved in 9/11, take 'em out."
But Obama, who taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago for more than a decade, said captured suspects deserve to file writs of habeus corpus.
Calling it "the foundation of Anglo-American law," he said the principle "says very simply: If the government grabs you, then you have the right to at least ask, 'Why was I grabbed?' And say, 'Maybe you've got the wrong person.'"
The safeguard is essential, Obama continued, "because we don't always have the right person."
(Excerpt) Read more at voices.washingtonpost.com ...
"We don't always catch the right person," he said. "We may think it's Mohammed the terrorist, but it might be Mohammed the cab driver. You might think it's Barack the bomb-thrower, but it might be Barack the guy running for president."
If in doubt, vote them out.
It took his 300 advisers a week to come up with that line?
Sorry O’Bammie old boy. Governor Palin didn’t “mock” the Constitution. SCOTUS did.
Boy, that's gonna win over swing voters. Not.
This guy's speechwriter spends too much time hanging out at Daily Kos.
What does he care about the Constitution? He just wants to appoint a bunch of ultra-liberal judges who will circumvent the Constitution.
It might be WHO?
Don’t take a chance. Put a bullet where it does the most good.
Avoid the problem of liberal courts who try to 2nd guess how your opponent might try to kill you.
'scuse me???
No, Barack, that's your friend Bill Ayers - he's the bomb thrower.
Dang, I hope Rush spots that opening.
Keep it up, Obama!
Just learned of the ObamaLOON’s “lipstick on a pig comment”. This clown would have trouble spelling “constitution”.
Ah, but he’s the gift that keeps on giving. Methinks that Haaaavaaad better withdraw that degree asap in order to retain what little of their shoddy reputation that remains.
Hmmm... Obama says, “Don’t mock the Constitution”, but yet his policies completely ignore it! Not to mention that 70% of his supporters don’t believe in upholding it! it really is hard to take him seriously...
As far as “Barack the bomb-thrower”... He really likes associating himself with terrorists, doesn’t he. How do we know they are not the SAME PERSON? After all, one of his bestest buddies IS a bomber!
If he thinks that we should “take them out” why don't we just “take them out” and shoot them all. Oh, then they will complain about that.
If in doubt, vote them out.
Too funny!
“They should spend more time trying to catch Osama bin Laden”
Who wants to actually wager money on the idea this guy is actually alive today? All Obama is doing here is mocking the men in the field, anyway.
OBAMA ADVOCATES MURDERING CAMP GIMO PRISONERS!!
Obama to Palin: ‘But, but, foreign terrorists have Constitutional rights too!’
OBAMA ADVOCATES MURDERING CAMP GIMO PRISONERS!!
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