Today's Daily Schadenfreude: the Bush crime syndicate

It's just not a good day to be Drunky McStagger, is it? You're in Prague, one of the world's most beautiful and scenic cities, but back in the U.S. of A., everything's going to shit. And you know it -- your face shows it.

First, two war crimes trials at Guantanamo -- the only such trials underway at present -- are dismissed because the defendants were classified as "enemy combatants," not "unlawful enemy combatants" as required by the law authorizing such trials.

In both of Monday's cases, the judges ruled that the new legislation says only "unlawful enemy combatants" can be tried by the military trials, known as commissions. But Khadr and Hamdan previously had been identified by military panels here only as enemy combatants, lacking the critical "unlawful" designation.

"The fundamental problem is that the law was not carefully written," said Madeline Morris, a Duke University law professor. "It was rushed through in a flurry of political pressure from the White House ... and it is quite riddled with internal contradictions and anomalies."

Prosecuting attorneys in both cases indicated they would appeal the dismissals. But the court designated to hear the appeals - known as the court of military commissions review - doesn't even exist yet, said Marine Col. Dwight Sullivan, chief of military defense attorneys at Guantanamo Bay.

[...]

The distinction between classifications of enemy combatants is important because if they were "lawful," they would be entitled to prisoner of war status under the Geneva Conventions.

Oooh, Drunky, that's gotta hurt. I'll bet your gang left the word "unlawful" off of most of the declarations, didn't they? Whoops.

Meanwhile, in Washington, Dick "Dick" Cheney's BFF Lewis "Scooter" Libby (himself a past recipient of the Daily Schadenfreude award) got 2½ years in prison for lying about the Valerie Plame leak and obstructing the investigation. Now, Drunky, do you pardon Libby and essentially admit that your crime syndicate was complicit in the leak, or do you piss off your base and ignore him the way you've ignored New Orleans and the soldiers you've sent to die? Mmmm, tough choice there, Hobson. (Look it up.)

And then the icing on the cake: more hearings about the U.S. attorneys firings. Up today is Bradley Schlozman, a political appointee in the Executive Office of U.S Attorneys who "repeatedly inquired about applicants' political affiliations" when he worked in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. You have enough popcorn there, Drunky?

Part of me wanted to give Drunky the DS award all by himself, for the second straight day. But I think there are more dry mouths and tightened sphincters among the "administration" than just Drunky's. So, congratulations to the entire Bush crime syndicate -- today's Blast Off! Daily Schadenfreude is for you!