The ACLU goes after Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld: that is the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo."
The ACLU (search) and the group Human Rights First (search) have filed a federal lawsuit against Rumsfeld on behalf of eight foreign men who say they were tortured by U.S. forces. The lawsuit will most likely be dismissed, but the exercise is important.
"Talking Points" believes that any violations of military law — torture, executions, false imprisonment — are unacceptable and should be vigorously prosecuted, and the Bush administration seems to be doing that. Just today, it criticized the interim government in Iraq for some rights violations.
That being said, "T-Points" also believes that the ACLU is the most dangerous organization in the country and is trying to paralyze the federal government by suing over a bevy of anti-terror strategies. The ACLU is putting us all in danger by its fanatical opposition to fighting the war on terror.
Here are the facts:
• The ACLU opposes the Patriot Act (search). In 2003, liberal California Senator Dianne Feinstein (search) asked the organization to produce examples of the government abusing citizens under the Patriot Act. The ACLU could not cite a single example.
• The ACLU opposes the "no-fly" list compiled by the Transportation Security Administration. It has sued the federal government over the list.
• The ACLU opposes allowing state and local police to enforce the immigration laws. It has sued the Justice Department to prevent federal information about immigrants to flow to local authorities.
• The ACLU believes alleged terrorists wearing civilian clothing should have Geneva Convention (search) rights and attorneys paid for by the American taxpayers, even if those people are captured overseas.
In fact, "Talking Points" could not find one pro-active anti-terror measure that the ACLU supports. Not one. They are against everything.
There's no question that oversight is needed. America cannot allow human rights abuses. But, with more than 300,000 military in the field, bad stuff's going to happen. You don't dismantle your defense system because abuses occur. They occur in every war. You deal with them case by case.
For example, I agree with the ACLU that accused terrorist Jose Padilla (search) should be charged or let go after two-and-a-half years of incarceration. I believe the Guantanamo detainees have a right to be tried in front of a military tribunal. And I want accountability in every phase of the terror war.
But the ACLU is just flat-out dangerous. It panders to its far-Left base by portraying the USA as a bad country, giving terrorists aid and comfort, as it holds America to an impossible standard.
The executives who run the ACLU are very well paid, funded by billionaire George Soros (search) and others, and the more bad things the ACLU can say about America, the more money comes rolling in.
Get the picture? It is awful.
And that's "The Memo."
The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day
Time now for "Most Ridiculous Item of the Day"...
Our competitors over at CNN have announced that they will begin airing commercial announcements for booze, liquor, alcohol. Presently, no other cable news outfit accepts such advertising, and CNN will only run the ads after 9:00 p.m.
Now I could make a dumb joke about this, but I'm not going to do this. Instead, you could supply the punch line and e-mail it to me. That will be far less ridiculous than me making a fool out of myself. CNN, booze after 9:00...
I—You can watch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Most Ridiculous Item" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com
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