Newt throws his hat in the ring

Newt Gingrich officially announces his candidacy for president. I don't think he has much of a chance to get elected. However, given the state of the Republican slate of candidates, he may have some chance of winning the nomination. Not much of one but I'd say its possible. We have to wait to see who else gets in the race. Anyway, he will make the race more interesting and entertaining.

Demjanjuk Convicted

John Demjanjuk's conviction in Germany is a disturbing development in the law. The Washington Post reports he was convicted of being an accessory to murder even though "There was no evidence that Demjanjuk committed a specific crime." Just because he was there he must have been guilty is the reasoning of the court. Obviously this flies in the face of most Western ideas of criminal jurisprudence. Just because the Holocaust was an horrendous crime against humanity should not mean we through out due process and the basic principles of our legal system. It is to the great credit of the Isreali courts, that their Supreme Court was willing to free him based on a reasonable doubt as to his guilt. I hope that the German court system will redeem itself during Demjanjuk's appeal.