The Republicans in congress are still following the Bush/Rove playbook for how to get elected as they did in 2004: Scare the people into thinking the Democrats are soft on terror. We're the heavies and we treat these turkeys like the inhuman trash they are. Throw them in Guantanamo without rights and let'em squirm. This didn't work in many ways, one of which was that terrorism was not stopped by this kind of thinking. Obama and Holder are on the right track and should stand up for what they are doing. BP

 The The most recent target is the Obama administration?s handling of the failed Christmas Day bomber, particularly its decision (an absolutely correct one) to have the F.B.I. arrest and interrogate the suspect and file federal terrorism charges rather than throw him into a military prison where the Republicans seem to expect that he would be given no rights, questioned and held without charges. Senator Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, suggested ?without any evidence ? that vital intelligence was lost by that approach. Senator Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, told Politico that he wants to block financing for civilian trials of terrorism suspects so Republicans can brag about it this fall. He said ?the core question is whether the attorney general of the United States ought to be in charge of the war on terror.?As Mr. McConnell should know perfectly well, that is not the question at all, core or otherwise. The Obama administration has embraced the idea of using military tribunals for some terrorism suspects. The Christmas bombing suspect, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was arrested in the United States. The American justice system does not allow people arrested in the United States for serious offenses to be detained and held without access to an attorney.It is good that the administration is pushing back.In a five-page letter to Mr. McConnell, Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. said that the handling of Mr. Abdulmutallab followed the sensible practices of presidents of both parties. Although Mr. Abdulmutallab stopped talking at one point, he has since begun cooperating, according to administration officials. Law enforcement agents know that many defendants talk after being told of their right to remain silent, Mr. Holder noted.

NY Times Editorial 1-10-10