All for show

In case anybody is still under the illusion that John McCain would represent a meaningful upgrade over Bushco's utter contempt for human rights, his comments on Guantanamo should put that to rest:

Senator John McCain agreed that the U.S. should ensure that no prisoner at Guantanamo is subjected to torture. But, he said, closing the prison is premature without a legal resolution to the prisoners' cases.

"I don't think they deserve a fair jury trial, but there should be some sort of adjudication" to decide whether detainees are held for life, executed or released rather than held indefinitely, Mr. McCain said.

In other words, McCain seems to think that a good old-fashioned kangaroo court, with no need to be "fair" to the accused, should resolve all concerns about the way the Guantanamo prisoners have been treated. And moreover, by virtue of having fallen on the wrong side of Bushco, the detainees apparently can't "deserve" anything better.

Sadly, the suggestion is all too likely to eventually find its way into practice, as it would provide a convenient way to deflect some responsibility away from Bush himself while still assuring that the status quo wouldn't change. But for those who think the U.S. should respect the rule of law sufficiently to avoid show trials, it's clear that McCain holds his country to a significantly lower standard.