Data Point: Habeas Corpus

by hilzoy

In comments to an earlier thread, Katherine posted a link to a statement by a group called Habeas Lawyers for Obama. Excerpt:

"We are at a critical point in the Presidential campaign, and as lawyers who have been deeply involved in the Guantanamo litigation to preserve the important right to habeas corpus, we are writing to urge you to support Senator Obama. (...)

Some politicians are all talk and no action. But we know from first-hand experience that Senator Obama has demonstrated extraordinary leadership on this critical and controversial issue. When others stood back, Senator Obama helped lead the fight in the Senate against the Administration's efforts in the Fall of 2006 to strip the courts of jurisdiction, and when we were walking the halls of the Capitol trying to win over enough Senators to beat back the Administration's bill, Senator Obama made his key staffers and even his offices available to help us. Senator Obama worked with us to count the votes, and he personally lobbied colleagues who worried about the political ramifications of voting to preserve habeas corpus for the men held at Guantanamo. He has understood that our strength as a nation stems from our commitment to our core values, and that we are strong enough to protect both our security and those values. Senator Obama demonstrated real leadership then and since, continuing to raise Guantanamo and habeas corpus in his speeches and in the debates."

The reason I post this is not to make any comparison between Obama and any other candidate for President. I have no idea what proportion of habeas lawyers involved with the Guantanamo cases have signed this, though Katherine says it's a non-negligible, though also non-unanimous, proportion of them. But for all this post tells me, and for all I know, every Senator in the race could have done as much, and I do not mean to imply otherwise.

I post this because one of the things I always want to know, about legislation that matters to me, is who was really willing to work behind the scenes on the right side, and this is often hard to find out. It's easy to figure out who voted for a bill, who gave speeches on its behalf, and whether those speeches were any good. But I also want to know who did more than that, and that information is not easy to find, at least for those of us who don't work on the Hill or know people who do.

No one I know personally has signed this petition. But there are signatories whose work on these issues I know, and whom I trust. If they say that Obama was willing to go to the mats for this one, I believe them. As I said, for all I know, every other Senator running for President could have done as much. But it matters to me to know that Obama did.

Comments

[KCinDC]

Another significant point in the comments on the earlier thread: CharleyCarp said he was signing on to the statement. Actually CharleyCarp's appearance is a significant point in itself.

[Gary Farber]

I feel a need, as a rule, to look up and cite links.

[Steve]

I might be the only person in America, but I find this endorsement more meaningful than Ted Kennedy's.

[Katherine]

No, you're not the only one.

[serge]

I know one of the signers quite well, Brent Mickum, who has represented many Guantanamo prisoners...he is one of my oldest friends, and a genuine hero.

[plum]

This story just appeared in the Boston Globe:
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/01/lawyers_for_git.html

On a lighter note: I know we're not supposed to unfairly single out comments for ridicule, but the first comment on the Globe page is hilarious. But she supports Obama! Oh, dear.

[CharleyCarp]

Geez, KC.

Serge is right: Brent's aces.

[KCinDC]

Charley, I'm not sure how you interpreted my statement, and I'm not sure how to interpret your "Geez". I meant only that your return is a momentous event, which I am happy to see.