Senate fails to extend right to detainees

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Wednesday rejected legislation that would have allowed terrorism suspects held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to petition federal courts claiming that they're being held in error.

The 56-43 vote in favor of the bill fell short of the 60 votes needed to cut off Senate debate, blocking the legislation. Both Washington state senators voted for the measure.

The bill, sponsored by Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., would have given military detainees the right of habeas corpus — the right to challenge one's detention in court, rooted in English common law dating from before the Magna Carta of 1215 — which serves as a check on arbitrary government power.

The Bush administration opposed giving the right to terrorism suspects. Most Republican senators backed the administration. Besides Specter, the other Republicans who voted with the Democrats were Gordon Smith of Oregon, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Richard Lugar of Indiana, Olympia Snowe of Maine and John Sununu of New Hampshire.

The change in law would have applied to roughly 340 men held at Guantánamo. Many have been held for more than five years without charge. The Bush administration has said indefinite detention of enemy combatants who threaten the United States is necessary in an age of terrorism.

Agriculture chief expected to resign

Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, a Republican, is expected to resign today to clear the way for a Senate campaign in 2008.

He will be joined by President Bush to make an announcement today.

Nebraska Republicans who spoke on condition of anonymity said Johanns intends to seek the seat of Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel, who is retiring.

Johanns, 57, was mayor of Lincoln from 1991 to 1998, when he was elected governor. He won re-election to a second term in 2002 and became agriculture secretary in 2005.

Democrats have been recruiting former Sen. Bob Kerrey to run for Hagel's seat.

New York lawmaker: "too many mosques"

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., told a political newspaper that there are "too many mosques in this country, there's too many people who are sympathetic to radical Islam.

"We should be looking at them more carefully, we should be finding out how we can infiltrate, we should be much more aggressive in law enforcement," King said in a video on the Politico Web site.

Asked to comment, King said he didn't mean to convey there should be fewer mosques.

"What I am saying very strongly," he said, "is too many mosques in this country are not cooperating with law enforcement and too many have been taken over or are heavily influenced by extremists."

Seattle Times news services