McCain on Guantanamo ruling, age
Posted: Thursday, June 12, 2008 12:51 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann
On the Guantanamo ruling, McCain said he hasn’t read the opinion yet, but said the ruling “obviously concerns me."
“We should pay attention to Justice Roberts,” McCain said, adding, "It is a decision the Supreme Court has made and now we need to move forward.”
VIDEO: NBC's Andrea Mitchell talks with Sam Brownback about the Supreme Court's ruling on Guantanamo Bay and whether he is interested being vice president.
He reiterated his support for closing Guantanamo Bay.
On Jim Johnson/Eric Holder, McCain says the media and political observers will make the decision, but says “it is a matter of record” that Holder recommended the pardoning of Mark Rich.
“All of those things will be taken into consideration," McCain said, "especially when you’re entrusting individuals with one of the most important decisions” --selecting a vice president.
On John Kerry saying McCain was “confused” on foreign policy yesterday, McCain somberly said, “I’m obviously disappointed in a comment like that.”
On a potential Colombia trip, McCain said travel plans are “in flux” and his campaign is “looking at a lot of different places." He pivoted to use the question to slam Obama on CAFTA.
*** UPDATE *** The Obama campaign released the following statement from the senator on the ruling: “Today's Supreme Court decision ensures that we can protect our nation and bring terrorists to justice, while also protecting our core values. The Court's decision is a rejection of the Bush Administration's attempt to create a legal black hole at Guantanamo -- yet another failed policy supported by John McCain. This is an important step toward reestablishing our credibility as a nation committed to the rule of law, and rejecting a false choice between fighting terrorism and respecting habeas corpus.
"Our courts have employed habeas corpus with rigor and fairness for more than two centuries, and we must continue to do so as we defend the freedom that violent extremists seek to destroy. We cannot afford to lose any more valuable time in the fight against terrorism to a dangerously flawed legal approach. I voted against the Military Commissions Act because its sloppiness would inevitably lead to the Court, once again, rejecting the Administration's extreme legal position. The fact is, this Administration's position is not tough on terrorism, and it undermines the very values that we are fighting to defend. Bringing these detainees to justice is too important for us to rely on a flawed system that has failed to convict anyone of a terrorist act since the 9-11 attacks, and compromised our core values."
