Muster Gas

That didn't take long. It looks like the White House is already figuring out how to use the Supreme Court decision in the Hamdan v. Rumsfeld case to cast Democrats as terrorist-loving surrender monkeys:

White House counselor Dan Bartlett says the administration's task now is to determine how to design military tribunals that will pass constitutional muster. Bartlett says Bush could portray any lawmaker who objects to legislation as supporting the release of dangerous terrorists.

So, we have an admission of the ploy by Bartlett that anyone who opposes any new legislation that Bush asks for -- and he will ask for it -- is to be portrayed as supporting terrorists. Which means, of course, that Democrats and whatever few Republicans there are left with a congressional bone in their otherwise rubber-stamp bodies will grant Bush whatever he demands, just as predicted. And let us further ask: just what these days wouldn't pass "constitutional muster"? If Bush said he needed to eat babies in order fight terror, well, by god, that would good enough for this Congress. Have at 'em George! Salt?

Anyone who experienced a brief fit of the vapours over the Supreme Court ruling that Bush had to obey the law will be in for some disappointment when the law is changed to accomodate Bush. After years of false dichomoty nonsense, this tack was easily forseen. It was even encouraged by the Supreme Court itself

Nothing prevents the President from returning to Congress to seek the authority he believes necessary.