Tuesday
May042010
Hoyer Downplays GOP Criticism Surrounding Arrest Of Times Square Suspect
Tuesday, May 4, 2010 at 2:41PM
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) sought to offset complaints from Republicans over federal officials' decision to read the Miranda rights to Faisal Shahzad, who was arrested Monday evening for a failed attempt to detonate a car bomb in New York City’s Times Square Saturday night.
“Republicans are going to carp about whatever [the Obama administration is] doing, frankly,” Hoyer said during a briefing with reporters Tuesday. “That’s their responsibility from their perspective.”
The Majority Leader denied that there was any legal ambiguity surrounding authorities’ decision to read Shahzad, an American citizen from Pakistan, his Miranda rights.
Hoyer pointed out that this conclusion was accepted by far right television personality Glenn Beck, who Tuesday morning announced his support for granting Shahzad his constitutional dues on a Fox News program.
“It doesn’t have a great deal of credibility, carping about [Miranda rights],” said Hoyer. “The Bush administration handled people that way.”
Added Hoyer, “If you don’t criticize your own administration for going that way ... I don’t think it sells.”
On Tuesday morning, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said that reading Shahzad his Miranda rights before completing his interrogation could be a "serious mistake." Rep. Peter King (D-N.Y.), the ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee, expressed similar hesitation in an interview with Politico.
“Republicans are going to carp about whatever [the Obama administration is] doing, frankly,” Hoyer said during a briefing with reporters Tuesday. “That’s their responsibility from their perspective.”
The Majority Leader denied that there was any legal ambiguity surrounding authorities’ decision to read Shahzad, an American citizen from Pakistan, his Miranda rights.
Hoyer pointed out that this conclusion was accepted by far right television personality Glenn Beck, who Tuesday morning announced his support for granting Shahzad his constitutional dues on a Fox News program.
“It doesn’t have a great deal of credibility, carping about [Miranda rights],” said Hoyer. “The Bush administration handled people that way.”
Added Hoyer, “If you don’t criticize your own administration for going that way ... I don’t think it sells.”
On Tuesday morning, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said that reading Shahzad his Miranda rights before completing his interrogation could be a "serious mistake." Rep. Peter King (D-N.Y.), the ranking member on the House Homeland Security Committee, expressed similar hesitation in an interview with Politico.
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