Keene, Norquist & Barr, the conservative’s conservatives, back NYC Gitmo trials

David Keene of the American Conservative Union, Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform and former congressman and Libertarian candidate Bob Barr are about as conservative as conservative gets. Indeed, I would be hard pressed to find much of anything upon which we might agree – except this:

Each of these men understands and supports what the United States is all about and the Constitution that serves as the nation’s guide. They understand that some things go well above and beyond the politics of the day. And while those of my political ‘ilk’ may approach problems and interpret Constitutional intent from a very different perspective than Keene, Norquist and Barr, where reasonable people should never have to differ is on the overriding importance of continuing the American experiment as it was intended to be conducted.

This morning, these three bulwarks of the American conservative and libertarian movements issued a joint statement on the upcoming terrorists trials set to take place in New York City. What they say is of critical importance to those who have good intentions – no matter what your political orientation – and speaks to the importance of recognizing that some things are ‘bigger’ than whose side you may on.

I do hope you will read the statement in its entirety.

We are confident that the government can preserve national security without resorting to sweeping and radical departures from an American constitutional tradition that has served us effectively for over two centuries.
Civilian federal courts are the proper forum for terrorism cases. Civilian prisons are the safe, cost effective and appropriate venue to hold persons convicted in federal courts. Over the last two decades, federal courts constituted under Article III of the U.S. Constitution have proven capable of trying a wide array of terrorism cases, without sacrificing either national security or fair trial standards.
Likewise the federal prison system has proven itself fully capable of safely holding literally hundreds of convicted terrorists with no threat or danger to the surrounding community.
The scaremongering about these issues should stop.

Via the Washington Independent

These men provide me with a serious measure of hope. Not because they happen to agree with me just this once because I’m quite sure they would disagree with me on almost everything else, but because they remind me – and should remind liberals, conservatives, independents, tea party members, and every other American – that some things are just way too important to leave to politics.

Three cheers for Messrs. Barr, Norquist and Keene.