Question for Andrew Sullivan

QUOTE FOR THE DAY I: "I fear you do not fully comprehend the danger of abridging the liberties of the people. Nothing but the sternest necessity can ever justify it. A government had better go to the extreme of toleration, than to do aught that could be construed into an interference with, or to jeopardize in any degree, the common rights of its citizens," - Abraham Lincoln, in the midst of a national insurrection. It's on page 523 of Doris Kearns Goodwin's wonderful new book, "Team of Rivals." The italics are in the original.

Has anyone told Andrew that Lincoln suspended the Writ of Habeus Corpus and threw people in jail in the north who tried to protest his political choices?

Nah.... He needs to hate on bush so why point out the irony of this.

**Update** Sully has a response

LINCOLN: The scoffing from the back row from my quoting Lincoln deserves, I guess, a response. Yes, I am, of course, well aware that he briefly suspended Habeas Corpus. It was re-reading about those years and decisions in Doris Kearns Goodwin's book that brought me upon that quote. Lincoln's decision is still debatable, but it was made at a time of national meltdown. My point here is that even Lincoln, in the most perilous political situation imaginable, still recognized the vital importance of defending the liberties that the Constitution is fundamentally constructed to protect. I have never heard president Bush extol the importance of civil liberties for Americans, and the need to guard against the criminal arm of government. It would be good to know that he even appreciates the trade-off. Maybe I've missed his defense of civil liberties for Americans. If someone finds a quote from him in that respect that isn't pro forma boilerplate, I'll gladly post it.

I am amused ( I wonder IF I wasn't the only one with this gripe)

nice to know Sully also ignores the fact Abe threw people in jail who politically disented against him in states like minnesota and new york no where near the battle field and susprended their habeus corpus

Protestors do not equal terrorists.

and I am also amused sully finds lincoln being hypocritical to his public statements superior to Bush not being a hypocrite