Just chuck everybody in the clink and let things sort themselves out. Link

The Senate voted Tuesday to keep a controversial provision to let the military detain terrorism suspects on U.S. soil and hold them indefinitely without trial -- prompting White House officials to reissue a veto threat.

The measure, part of the massive National Defense Authorization Act, was also opposed by civil libertarians on the left and right. But 16 Democrats and an independent joined with Republicans to defeat an amendment by Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) that would have killed the provision, voting it down with 61 against, and 37 for it.

Even Rand Paul is against it.

"It's not enough just to be alleged to be a terrorist," Paul said, echoing the views of the American Civil Liberties Union. "That's part of what due process is -- deciding, are you a terrorist? I think it's important that we not allow U.S. citizens to be taken."

He's sharing similar views with the ACLU. The ACLU!

Meanwhile, the proponents seem to be channeling a little McCarthy.

"The enemy is all over the world. Here at home. And when people take up arms against the United States and [are] captured within the United States, why should we not be able to use our military and intelligence community to question that person as to what they know about enemy activity?" Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said.

"They should not be read their Miranda Rights. They should not be given a lawyer," Graham said. "They should be held humanely in military custody and interrogated about why they joined al Qaeda and what they were going to do to all of us."

That doesn't sound totally paranoid and irrational or anything.

At least Obama's come out saying he's going to veto it. But, really, how the hell did we come this far? Our Senate just voted to allow anyone to be detained forever and to hell with evidence or a trial by your peers or any of that silly stuff.

Sixteen Democrats voted against the Udall amendment which would have killed this particular provision in the bill - Bob Casey (Pa.), Kent Conrad (N.D.), Kay Hagan (N.C.), Daniel Inouye (Hawaii), Herb Kohl (Wis.), Mary Landrieu (La.), Carl Levin (Mich.), Joe Manchin (W. Va.), Clair McCaskill (Mo.), Robert Menendez (N.J.), Ben Nelson (Neb.), Mark Pryor (Ark.), Jack Reed (R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.).

I'm not surprised to see Landrieu on the list, but my idiot Senator voted against the amendment, too. I suppose Menendez must have gotten an earful about it, though, because there's an update at the bottom of the article saying he asked to have his vote changed to be in favor of the amendment.

Great. Thanks, Menendez. Mebbe next time you can vote the right way without a do over, huh?

Bedwetters.