September 18, 2007 5:01 PM

Vote Tomorrow to Restore Habeas Corpus

If you were tossed in jail -- or the United States' prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- you'd expect the right to a fair hearing before a judge at which you could hear the charges against you, right?

Well, unfortunately, you currently have no such right. The Military Commissions Act -- passed by a Republican-controlled Congress in November of 2006 -- for the first time since the Civil War suspended the right of habeas corpus, without distinction for the habeas rights of citizens vs. non-citizens. If President Bush decides that you are an "enemy combatant," you're headed for Guantanamo; do not pass go, do not collect $200, don't even think about your miranda rights or rights to legal counsel.

Tomorrow morning in the Senate there will be a key vote on restoring habeas corpus; Republicans are expected to filibuster this amendment, so sixty votes will be needed to move the amendment forward. Our friends at RestoreHabeas.org are 'citizen-whipping' the vote, and the image below displays where things currently stand. Click on the image to find out where your senators stand. You can then click on your senator's name to place a call -- or you can send them a message by clicking here.