Saturday, November 21, 2009

A Defense Oriented Democrat... A Breath of Fresh Air



This Dem makes me happy that there are a few JFK minded guys in that party.  This is with thanks to HotAir:

The chair of the House Armed Services Committee has sent a letter demanding the appearance of Attorney General Eric Holder to explain his decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four co-conspirators in federal court.  Rep. Ike Skelton, a Missouri Democrat and former prosecutor, says the decision raises “many serious questions” to which Skelton would like answers.  Skelton also wants to make sure that Holder doesn’t continue to favor federal court trials over military tribunals:

Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) penned a letter to Holder and Defense Secretary Robert Gates suggesting military trials would be a more appropriate venue for the accused terrorists.
“As a former prosecutor, I am not yet convinced that the right decision was made in these cases, nor that the presumption in favor of federal criminal trials over military tribunals for these detainees should continue,” Skelton wrote. …
“The decision to terminate the prosecution of these self-confessed terrorists in military commissions, transfer them to the United States, and bring them into a federal courthouse for trial raises many serious questions which I would like you both to address in a full committee briefing on December 3, 2009, at 1:00 PM,” Skelton requested.
The letter, which The Hill reprints in full at the jump, expresses Skelton’s skepticism politely but unmistakably. Skelton reminds Holder that he worked hard to ensure a fair system for all of the Gitmo detainees in the military commissions system, and that effort was meant to prevent the very decision Holder and Barack Obama have made.... (more)...