Tomorrow, Darth Cheney will be on This Week on ABC, and in what will likely be another diatribe of fearmongering, demagoguery, and blurring of history will undoubtedly touch on the Khalid Sheikh Mohamed trial and the mirandizing of the “underwear” bomber . Frankly, the idea that there is an argument about these things, the concepts that somehow are justice system is unable to process these individuals, that we are made more vulnerable and they stronger is incredibly insulting, and one that I wish conservatives would.

In understanding the Mohamed trial, what is most disturbing is how the argument has transformed. Initially, the argument was that because we will be holding a trial for a terrorist, that trial will give him a platform from which to spread hate. This has since devolved (which is difficult, because that argument is flaky as is) into a question of cost; should we be willing to pay the security costs for the trial? Should we annoy New York drivers in midtown to to transport this individual? It will cost a lot of money, and were already in debt.

This is the biggest load of baloney sausage I have ever heard, and to hear it from elected officials – who swear to uphold the constitution – makes me truly nauseous. From what research I have done, and from all precedent known to me including the Bush administration, if you set foot on American soil, your ass gets a fair trial, a jury of peers, and a sound legal defense. Hell, that is why the Bush administration set up Guantanamo – because once you touched that blessed soil that is America, no matter if you are Mother Teresa or Caligula, you get the rights which we all enjoy. To argue that for financial equity and legal expediency we should abandon this precedent – this principle of justice – because of who the lawbreaker is a betrayal of our founding documents, and our moral core. I don’t give a damn if it costs as much as the useless fighter we have pursued for twenty years or the mythical space laser missile defense shield that will never work, justice for all is why we still get to call ourselves the most free,just, and bad ass society in the millions of years of human existence (or 6,000 years, Mrs. Palin).

This leads me to the underwear bomber – the infamous mastermind who decided after Richard Reid couldn’t light his shoe on fire, maybe right under the genitalia would be better place to try and ignite. Darth Cheney will undoubtedly call his mirandizing a travesty of justice, and a failure to capitalize on intelligence. He might be right, if the premise wasn’t totally carp. Again, once you touch the US of A, you get our rights, no matter who you are.  Next, all accounts point to the fact that this guy has spewing information like a third grader with projectile vomitting thanks to FBI interrogation. Now, I don’t try to speak for others motive (ie I’m about to) but there are only two reasons I can honestly see why the Republicans are attacking the Obama administration.

1.) They smell blood on national security, and are trying to capitalize in a critical fundraising period leading up to the November elections. This one is the most obvious, and likely the ultimate factor behond much of the ballyhooing and soapboxing.

2.) If Mr. Dick Bomber (not to be confused with Dick Cheney’s personal plane) gives actionable intelligence without the use of electrodes strapped to his nearly immolated man bits, it will severely undermine the “torture saved lives” argument, and thus underscore the Republican security narrative in the run up to the next election.

So, what can be clearly seen is this: Republicans are playing to American’s fears and prejudices again, and its got some traction. But, if the administrations reply tomorrow (headed up by Vice President Folksy McTalkstoomuch) can convey a certain seriousness about returning to the American justice system traditions, and do so without a perceived naivete that has scratched at this administration from the beginning, then they have the potential to turn this fight around.