THE PEOPLE'S VERDICT - AT 9:45 A.M. ET:  It is simply remarkable to watch how this administration pursues policies that are unpopular with the public.  Recently, the attorney general, Eric Holder, announced that the mastermind of 9-11 will be tried in an ordinary civilian courtroom in new York City.  The Gallup organization asked Americans what they think of this:

PRINCETON, NJ -- By 59% to 36%, more Americans believe accused Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed should be tried in a military court, rather than in a civilian criminal court. Most Republicans and independents favor holding the trial in a military court, while the slight majority of Democrats disagree.

That's a 23-point difference.  Not even close.

Once again, though, the Democrats show just how far to the left their party has gone.  Some 51% of Dems favor the civilian courts.  Compare this to 22% of Republicans, and, most important, 32% of independents.

The Democrats are isolating themselves from the majority of Americans. 

Holder's decision was terrible, and there are moves to have it reversed.  Debra Burlingame, whose brother was captain of the American Airlines jet that was flown into the Pentagon on 9-11, writes:

I am one of the organizers of a rally being held at noon this Saturday in Foley Square to stop President Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and members of Congress from bringing sworn enemies of the United States into this country - from bringing war criminals captured on the battlefield, lawfully held as war detainees, into civilian court.

Foley Square is the location of the United States Court House in Manhattan, where the trial will be held.

It doesn't have to happen. We who are opposed to the decision must make ourselves perfectly clear to the powers that be that we will not tolerate this decision.

And Debra, whom I've met, and who is terrific, has sterner words for our attorney general than have come out of the mouth of any Republican:

The attorney general has suggested that those who oppose prosecuting these men here in New York City are afraid - that we somehow don't have the courage to face Khalid Shaikh Mohammed in court.

How dare this man, who didn't have the decency to notify victims' families of his decision to bring these monsters here, imply that we lack courage. Courage is carrying on after watching your loved ones die, in real time, knowing that they burned to death, were crushed to death, or jumped from 100 flights high. Courage is carrying on, even as we waited, in some cases years, for something of our loved ones to bury. More than 1,100 families still wait.

Great piece.  Read the whole thing.

December 1, 2009