More empty rhetoric from Specter

The Bush plan to do away with the Constitution is running into a small, but trivial, amount of trouble in the Senate.

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration's initial proposal to prosecute suspected terrorists drew continued skepticism Wednesday from lawmakers, with a key GOP senator contending that Congress must be given more authority to determine tribunal procedures.

Steven Bradbury, the top legal adviser at the Justice Department, told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the administration's legal proposal was still under review but did not say when it would be finished.

Judiciary Chairman Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., said he would oppose any legislation that would authorize the defense secretary to determine what crimes may be tried by military tribunals — reportedly a provision in an early draft of the administration's proposed bill.

Specter is sure to hold out for a bill that gives this power to the Prez, not the Secretary of Defense. Then, of course, the Prez could delegate the responsibility to the Secy of Defense, and everything would turn out just as Bush wants it. Specter is such a trouble maker!

And, of course, the Dems will be to frightened of being labeled soft on terror that they will sit by and do nothing.