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Thursday, September 11, 2008

Obama or McCain/Palin? Leadership or “Executive Experience?”

Imagine if you can, Sarah Palin standing up for the Constitution, instead of making fun of it like she did in her introductory speech at the Republican convention. Imagine her saying everything Barack Obama said recently, presented here. Imagine that you have a choice between leadership and “experience.”

The Washington Post writes: In unusually pointed remarks at a rally, Sen. Barack Obama ripped into Republicans for undermining the rule of law, blasted Gov. Sarah Palin for “mocking” the Constitution and assailed the Bush administration for talking tough while failing to apprehend Osama bin Laden.

“First of all, you don’t even get to read them their rights until you catch them. They should spend more time trying to catch Osama bin Laden; and we can worry about the next steps later! My position has always been clear: If you got a terrorist, take ‘em out — take ‘em out. Anybody who is involved in 9/11 — take ‘em out! But what have I also said is this: When you suspend habeas corpus, which has been a principal dating before even our county –- it’s the foundation of Anglo-American law — which says, very simply, if the government grabs you, then you have the right to at least ask, “Why was I grabbed” and say, “Maybe you got the wrong person.” The reason you have that safeguard is because we don’t always have the right person. We may think this is Mohammed the terrorist, it might be Mohammed the cab driver. So the reason that you have this principle is not to be soft on terrorism. It’s because that’s who we are - that’s what we’re protecting! (applause) Don’t mock the Constitution! (applause) Don’t make fun of it! Don’t suggest that it’s un-American to abide by what the founding fathers set up — it’s worked pretty well for over 200 years!


According to the Washington Post: The crowd rose to its feet in loud applause. It was one of the most warmly received arguments of the day, a departure from the economic policies that anchor Obama’s current stump speech.


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