They talked their way into spending the rest of their lives in prison

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/steinberg/1571235,CST-NWS-stein13.article

Cheap talk proves costly for Sears Tower plotters

May 13, 2009

BY NEIL STEINBERG Sun-Times Columnist

Opening shot ...

The third time's the charm. After two mistrials, they finally nailed those hapless would-be terrorists down in Florida for plotting to blow up the Sears Tower.

"Plotting to blow up the Sears Tower" certainly catches your attention, and if it were an action picture, you'd have a cast of bad guys, led by Alan Rickman, with a stolen nuke and a white van careening down Lower Wacker Drive.

Reality, at least in this case, is a much thinner gruel. A half-dozen Haitians -- the "Liberty City Six" -- talking vaguely about toppling the tower (which, in their dazed minds, would lead to an anti-government uprising, a hoot, since our own local officials stealing our own money and pouring it down a sewer barely raises a yawn).

They talked about blowing up the Sears Tower, talked about jihad, talked about bold plans.

And that's about it. Some tough-talking dumb guys who had the massive mope misfortune to do their tough-talking to an FBI informant. They talked their way into spending the rest of their lives in prison. I'd feel better about it if one of them had taken a concrete step, had bought a book of matches, anything. Not that I feel bad about it, mind you. But we have enough mopes in prison already. Adding five more won't make us any safer.

[Dogmudgeon]

1. I thought this was about Bush, Cheney, Yoo, Bybee, et al.

Bush, at least, has the good sense to STFU.

(Did I really write that Bush had good sense?)

--d!

[Thor_MN]

2. Bush doesn't have the good sense to shut up, he just doesn't have Chenney's hand up his ass anymore

Dickhead is speaking for himself these days, rather than making Bush's mouth move.