Three Years Late

Editor,
Regarding your editorial "Three Years Late" on 11/23: George Bush has by no means abrogated his prerogative to write a second "lettre de cachet" declaring Jose Padilla an illegal combatant and toss him in a dungeon again, and the suit to have this designation removed forever from his hide will still be submitted to the Supreme Court. BushCo dumped his case on the federal court in the form they did specifically to avoid having to defend their policies of disappearance and torture before the high court. It is remarkable how efficiently they have dismantled the crown jewel of our constitutional democracy, our deep and abiding fealty to due process and the rule of law.