The Wall Street Journal‘s editors go after Lindsey Graham on his recent proposed “deal” (which is not close to done) to close Guantanamo and send KSM back to a military tribunal:

Mr. Graham says if the White House sends September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to a military tribunal instead of a New York courtroom, he’ll help rally Republicans to support closing the prison in Guantanamo. Why? The plan for KSM’s tour of the civilian justice system is already a political dead horse. The White House has been backing away from its plan to try terrorists in civilian courts. What’s left is Mr. Obama’s unfortunate campaign promise to “close Guantanamo.” So Senator Graham is working with chief of staff Rahm Emanuel to help them out of this bind.

But this isn’t merely unnecessary (since a civilian trial of KSM is fast losing support in Congress and among voters); it is unwise. After all, there are good reasons why we haven’t closed Guantanamo already, despite the president’s ill-considered announcement just days into his presidency. The editors go on to note:

Closing Guantanamo has always been something of a red herring. The prison is remote, secure and humane, not to mention a state of the art facility already paid in full. The preferred White House alternative of a prison in Illinois will add legal complications and subtract the nice weather. Al Qaeda will claim we’re torturing detainees wherever we hold them. International critics will carp at anything short of opening the jail doors.

So why did Graham throw this out there? Well, just as he voted to confirm Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court, this is a man who plainly loves the media adulation that goes along with taking on his Republican party. That makes one a “maverick” and “courageous” among the chattering classes. Alas for Graham, there’s little support for his gambit. He’ll have to find something else with which to annoy conservatives.

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