A Victory for the Constitution

In a 5-4 decision (hmm, wonder who came down on which side....not), the Supreme Court has ruled that, contrary to the criminal Bush administration's claims, the detainees in the limbo of Guantanamo do indeed have the constitutional privilege of habeas corpus.

The US Supreme Court Thursday ruled detainees held in the US military base at Guantanamo Bay have the right to appeal to federal courts in a blow to the Bush administration.

The court ruled that detainees in the US jail in southern Cuba "have the constitutional privilege of habeas corpus," in the third ruling on Guantanamo against the current administration of President George W. Bush.

By a vote of five to four, the court found that even if the base was officially on Cuban territory, it was in fact operating as if it were on American soil and therefore the detainees had the same constitutional rights as all Americans.

Score one for the forces of light, justice, and the American way.

UPDATE: From the NY Times write-up on the decision, this quote by Justice Kennedy:

“The laws and Constitution are designed to survive, and remain in force, in extraordinary times,” Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the court.

Exactly. American ideals are easy to stick with in good times. The true measure of our mettle comes in times of severe trial. Anyone who's willing to set aside the founding principles on which this nation was founded for immediate expediency - or illusory "security" - should be ashamed.

Yes Justices Roberts, Alito, Scalia and Thomas. That would be y'all.