Nation Columnist and MSNBC blogger Eric Alterman poses some real questions about the Bush Administration's plans to invade Iraq. Here's a few that particularly resonated with us:

"Why can't the FBI afford a decent computer system and people who know how to run it? Can't they hire Microsoft?"

"Why is John Ashcroft arresting people who grow medical marijuana? Ditto New Orleans hookers? Isn't there a war on? Don't the terrorists win if we give up pot and hookers?"

"What about those detention camps Ashcroft wanted for the purposes of indefinitely incarcerating US citizens deemed to be "enemy combatants," while stripping them of all constitutional rights, including the right to trial? Is that still happening? That sounds kinda bad."

To answer the last one, yes it's still happening and we suspect will happen even more. The so-called "dirty bomber" Jose Padilla and Yser Hamdi are still in custody, without lawyers and without charges.

We think the military has the right to accuse someone of being an enemy combatant but it should be a judge who makes the decision. In open court. At a hearing where they are afforded a right to a lawyer, the right to review the evidence against them and to call and cross-examine witnesses. Until and unless a court determines they are an enemy combatant, they should retain their rights as Americans. To say otherwise means the Government can brand someone with a label and then imprison them indefinitely, even forever. We think that's way too much power to give the Government.

"Who elected this guy anyway?"

Not the American people, and we'll have a chance to correct it in 2004.