Morning Meeting graphic states “Holder Faces Senators Skeptical of 9/11 Trials” while showing Leahy

From the November 18 edition of Morning Meeting:

In fact, Leahy and other senators have voiced support for holding trials in New York

Leahy: “Those who perpetrated the attacks should be tried here.” USA Today reported on November 18 that Leahy “urged support for Holder's decision to prosecute the Sept. 11 planners in New York: 'As many surviving family members of those killed that day have said, after years of frustration, it is time to have justice ... Those who perpetrated the attacks should be tried here.' ” In a press release on November 5, Leahy also expressed confidence in the U.S. federal court system's ability to handle the trials, saying, “Where the administration decides to try them in Federal courts, our courts and our prisons are more than up to the task.”

Feingold: “I commend the Obama administration for deciding to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York.” In a November 13 statement posted to his website, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) said:

I'm pleased that after more than eight years, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks will finally be brought to justice. I commend the Obama administration for deciding to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in New York, which shows the world that this country stands firmly behind its system of justice and its Constitution. As we saw with Zacarias Moussaoui, Richard Reid, and Timothy McVeigh, our system of justice is more than capable of securely, fairly, and effectively prosecuting alleged terrorists. I remain skeptical that it is necessary to use the controversial military commission system for cases such as the USS Cole bombing. Despite the changes enacted by Congress this year, that untested system does not have the track record of fairness and justice that our criminal justice system has. Nevertheless, today's announcement is long overdue.

Feinstein: New York is “well-equipped to handle the trial of known terrorists.” On November 18, The Hill reported that Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) “supports Obama's decision, although she has not been a vocal proponent. After Holder's Friday announcement, Feinstein was notably absent from the flurry of Senate reaction. When asked directly what she thought about Mohammed being transferred to New York for trial, Feinstein said she thought the city was 'well-equipped to handle the trial of known terrorists.' ”

Whitehouse: Federal courts are the “tried and true and tested way of delivering justice to terrorists.” In an interview on the November 13 edition of MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) expressed his support for the trials (at 5:26 in video):

MADDOW: As a former U.S. attorney, what is your reaction to so many Republicans, really, claiming today that federal courts aren't equipped to handle terrorism cases?

WHITEHOUSE: Well, the record is to the contrary. There have been literally hundreds of trials of terrorists. The Federal Bureau of Prisons estimates that there are more than 350 domestic and international terrorists incarcerated in our prisons after having been convicted. And the military commissions have a record of three convictions. So if you're looking for the tried and true and tested way of delivering justice to terrorists, the federal courts with the United States prosecutors of the Department of Justice are the proven way to go.

Kate Conway is an intern at Media Matters for America.