Bush administration seeks secrecy for Supreme Court proceedings

[stevedeshazer]

The Bush administration asked the Supreme Court to let it keep its arguments secret in a case involving an immigrant's challenge of his treatment after the September 11 attacks.

Mohamed Kamel Bellahouel wants the high court to consider whether the government acted improperly by secretly jailing him after the attacks and keeping his court fight private. He is supported by more than 20 journalism organisations and media companies.

<snip>

Lucy A Dalglish, executive director of The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said she was disappointed by the government's request.

"The idea that there is nothing that could be filed publicly is really ridiculous," she said. "It just emphasises our point that we're living in frightening times. People can be arrested, thrown in jail and have secret court proceedings, and we know absolutely nothing about it."

source: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/01/06/1073268010767.html
________________________________________________________________

This request was filed by none other than our old friend, Ted Olson. When Ted Olson is on something, it matters a great deal to the Neocons. What's being hidden now?

[mouse7]

1. Maybe Ted bought his wife's plane ticket after Condi warned him n/t

[dfong63]

2. that's insane

[stickdog]

3. This entire Constitution be kept secret! Because if terrorists ever

learned about the Bill of Rights, our entire way of life would be threatened!

"On the bright side," Bush stated, "terrorists don't have any reason to hate us anymore."

[lovedems]

4. There are so many stories that we should be seeing ad naseum

all over the news! It continues to boggle my mind though I remain unsurprised at the utter complacency of the media. Secrecy is bad, it means there is something to hide. I watched nightline last night and there were clips of the chimp and his hencemen talking up Saddam before the war. My husband and I sat there in disbelief that their pre-war comments weren't played over and over again to remind the people WE WERE LIED TO! (Ted Koppel totally kicked ass IMO) It just surprises me that stories like this (pre war intelligence, 9/11 stonewalling, Plame investigation, crappy medicare and energy bills, ETC. ETC. ETC) aren't all over the place now that we are officially in an election year.

[Cooley Hurd]

5. The secrecy of this administration is unbelieveable!

Who the fuck do they think they work for??? This attitude is a slap in the face of every American who believes in good, transparent government!

"We expect there to be transparency. People who have something to hide make us nervous."
Actual Bush quote - Anchorage, Alaska, Feb. 16, 2002

Yeah... right!

[Bandit]

6. And "Open Government" is what makes America Great

"They hate us for our freedoms" the Bush* Cabal that is.

[kayell]

7. "They hate us for our freedoms"

Shouldn't the terrorists be sending us some flowers and candy right about now?

* has been working so hard to make them love us.

[calimary]

10. Well shouldn't they stop hating us so much, since the bushies

are curtailing our freedoms more and more by the day?

8. grrrrrrrr

What will they do though if the Supreme Court says, sorry open proceeding?!?!?
It's not outside of the realm of possibility.
True conservatives (strict constructionists) have this strange tendency to believe in old fashioned things like habeas corpus, the bill of rights etc.

[stevedeshazer]

9. Hope you are right

But I ain't holdin' my breath. :mad:

13. I'm just an optimist

for some strange reason.
I hope I'm correct too.

[pinto]

11. see also:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=301400

[TrogL]

12. Didn't there used to be something similar called a "Star Chamber"?

[Demeter]

14. Don't YOu Mean Starr---Ken Starr Chamber? n/t