As a lifelong opponent of the death penalty, I’ll state at the outset that I’m opposed to the execution of even the most nefarious of criminals. Which will likely put me in the minority of Americans, as most will likely support the plan to execute those who planned and helped facilitate the 9-11 attacks.

Still, I can’t argue with the logic of Debra Burlingame, whose brother died in those attacks.

“My opinion is,” she said, “if the death of 3,000 people isn’t sufficient for a death penalty in this country, then why do we even have the death penalty?”

What I can argue with is the timing of the trial, which adds further weight to ongoing complaints that the Bush administration never seeks justice for the sake of upholding the law, but times every case to achieve maximum political advantage. It won’t be necessary to get these guys executed before the November elections. Instead, the goal is to gain their convictions in the final month of the presidential election campaign.

That way, all the lies and twisted intelligence and years of mishandling tied to the Iraq War can be temporarily set aside. The failure to get Bin Laden and al-Zawahiri can be overlooked. It’ll allow Bush to crow about justice and good old Republican fortitude against terrorists while many Americans revel in the blood vengeance against some of the perpetrators of that horrific, traumatic crime.

These men were captured long ago and their trials have been put off for years. And now, when Bush most needs distraction from his foreign policy failures, to try and help another GOP Iraq War hawk get elected, voila! here’s the perfect show trial to achieve that.

He’s also got to be aware that such a trial could provoke another Bin Laden attack on our country, just as the trials of the first Twin Towers bombers provoked the 9-11 attacks. Perhaps he considers that a welcome possibility, further reinforcing that the perpetual War against Terror is necessary and everything done to anyone ever is fully justified, (including, maybe, martial law just before an election).

I don’t suggest the law should ever be delayed out of fear of what an enemy might do. But I’m emphatic that justice should be pursued swiftly as a matter of legal ethics and equitability, and should never be delayed to advance political goals above the simple safety and security of the public.

And the timing of this is disgusting.

If you have any doubts about what’s occurring, consider the other show trials Bush has accomplished, always timed for political gain. Or how the truth gets censored, such as occurred with the report completed two and a half years ago.

The Bush administration and its staunchest supporters, like John McCain, have no interest in truth, justice or the American way. Or even effectiveness. Everything is done for politics, power and cronyism, timed for maximum political advantage.