home

Verdict in Saddam Case, Announcement Nov. 5

The judge has reached a verdict in Saddam Hussein's trial. Both the verdict and sentence will be announced on November 5.

A death sentence for Saddam two days before election day?

[Hat tip Patriot Daily.]

< Conn. Senate Debate Today | Defender Lynne Stewart Gets 28 Months >
  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


  • To little to late (none / 0) (#1)
    by Mreddieb on Mon Oct 16, 2006 at 08:01:31 AM EST
    Nov 5th is on a Sunday. I don't think it will have much of an impact on voters. But there is still time for the left to pre-empt any significant impact.

    two days before election day (none / 0) (#2)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Oct 16, 2006 at 08:16:56 AM EST
    Thanks, I changed the post from "the day before" to "two days before".

    Parent
    Ahem (none / 0) (#3)
    by Anonymous Hero on Mon Oct 16, 2006 at 08:25:22 AM EST
    You are assuming that he will be convicted and sentenced.  As is most of the nation.

    This is a can't lose for the Democrats.  If he is sentenced to death, the answer is "duh".  

    If, however, he is acquitted OR he is sentenced to something other than death, it will be a crushing blow to the administration, and, perhaps, Republicans.

    Agreed (none / 0) (#4)
    by PoliticalTruthWatch on Mon Oct 16, 2006 at 08:27:14 AM EST
    Even with a guilty verdit. . .EVEN with a death sentence. . .it can be EASILY pointed out that this has done NOTHING to stop terrorism and that EVEN with his death things are WORSE in Iraq, NOT better, as a result of these failed policies. . .

    Parent
    Can't lose any more than they have so far (none / 0) (#5)
    by Edger on Mon Oct 16, 2006 at 08:43:49 AM EST
    A death sentence for Saddam two days before election day?

    Well, since they've got nothing else left to run on, they can't lose any more than they have so far by trying that, I suppose.

    Maybe the poor bugger will even get a 1 or 2 point blip in the polls out of it.

    So? :-)

    Foregone Conclusion (none / 0) (#6)
    by kdog on Mon Oct 16, 2006 at 08:52:10 AM EST
    You are assuming that he will be convicted and sentenced

    Was there ever any doubt?

    Calling this farce a trial sullies the word "trial".  Saddam's execution was set in stone the day we invaded...the whole thing is just for show.  A way to keep his ugly mug on the news since his capture...and a way for the admin. to continue to make attempts to justify this debacle.

    Verdict (none / 0) (#7)
    by hgardner on Mon Oct 16, 2006 at 09:44:02 AM EST
    or a death sentence will lead to a blood bath in the streets of Iraq, probably good for the Democrts on Election Day but will make it harder to pick up the pieces Bush broke.

    Sadaam verdict (none / 0) (#8)
    by scribe on Mon Oct 16, 2006 at 10:49:22 AM EST
    No surprise.  My reaction, though, is "is that all there is?"

    It seems Rover and the Unit are rolling the dice on this one.  Hoping a death sentence for Sadaam two days before the election will turn the tide seems both wishful, and inadequate.  I mean, there's a headline today about how Bushco is considering replacing the whole Iraqi government.  Some sovreignity, that, no?

    What I'm thinking is that this is only one part of the whole series of October surprise moments Rover and his folks have planned for the weeks between now and the election.  In that context, bringing home the death sentence on Sadaam would make for a nice near-climax to their PR orgy, to be capped with maybe a Preznit speech the day before the election, or "in response" to "bringing the tyrant to justice".  

    Maybe this is a kiss-and-makeup present from 43 to 41 - the dead body of the guy who tried to have Daddy whacked?  And then there's one big happy Repug family?

    Half seriously, my thought is if that Rover and The Unit have any expectation of winning the election through any means other than outright theft and rigging it, they'd have to excavate Osama from that shipping container on Kwajelin where they've been making him make blue-backdrop videos as needed and waltz him into court in the S.D.N.Y. (where there is an indictment pending against him re the African Embassy Bombings, but not 9/11) for arraignment.  

    That, or start a war against Iran.  Though, truth be told, I don't think that an Iranian war will cut it - people are too p'd off and going into a new war would likely backfire.  

    A PR orgy by itself won't do.

    freedom and democracy? (none / 0) (#10)
    by Edger on Mon Oct 16, 2006 at 03:44:03 PM EST
    Bushco is considering replacing the whole Iraqi government.  Some sovreignity, that, no?

    Where does Bush get off replacing an elected government?

    Maybe one of his stalwart supporters here can tell us, whatever happened to "spreading freedom and democracy"?

    ===
    btw, a bumper sticker drove past my house earlier that said simply: "Doing my part to P*SS OFF the Radical Right!"

    Parent

    Big surprise, huh? I'd bet hard money... (none / 0) (#9)
    by Bill Arnett on Mon Oct 16, 2006 at 02:32:12 PM EST
    ...that all the judges that have been hearing this case were under orders from Day One of Saddam's trial to "find him guilty and sentence him to death right before the American Elections".

    It seems absolutely certain that with the number of charges of such a grand scope and scale that it would not be possible to finish up a fair trial in anything close to this little bit of time since Saddam's arrest.

    I wonder, will he be executed immediately before any appeals can be filed? It wouldn't look so good if he were able to stall his death until after the election, eh?

    Hey edger and all! And Jeralyn, the new site rocks!

    saddam trial (none / 0) (#11)
    by Sailor on Mon Oct 16, 2006 at 05:00:17 PM EST
    We're gonna give him a fair trial ... and then we'll hang him!

    Re: Verdict in Saddam Case, Announcement Nov. 5 (none / 0) (#12)
    by john horse on Mon Oct 16, 2006 at 10:12:46 PM EST
    The October surprise has been moved to November.  Please mark your calendar.

    The reason that I don't think this will have much impact on the election is that it won't have much impact on the war.  Remember when Saddam's capture was supposed to be the great turning point.  However, instead of getting better after his capture things just kept spiraling downward.  Deep down most Americans know that Iraq has been a failure and will dismiss dog and pony shows like Saddam's trial as the diversions they are.