Eight years later, Bond works up courage to criticize Bush and Ashcroft on shoe bomber case

UPDATE: Bond released a new statement to TPM explaining his position, but remains silent as to why he didn't criticize Bush when he was in office.

--------------------------

Talking Points Memo has picked up on my exchange with Sen. Kit Bond's communications director Shana Marchio, and can't find any examples of Bond criticizing the Bush Administration's criminal prosecution of "shoe bomber" Richard Reid.

We couldn't find any reports of Bond speaking out against Bush's handling of the [Richard] Reid case, but we've asked Marchio if he made his views known at the time.

Reid was arrested in December 2001, and pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in January 2003 to eight counts, including attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, attempted homicide, and placing an explosive device on an aircraft.

Former Attorney General and Missouri Governor/Senator John Ashcroft celebrated the work of the U.S. Attorney in announcing the charges against Reid in January 2002.

A search of Nexis articles mentioning Bond and Reid shows no public criticism or even concern from the Senator about the prosecution, conviction and detention of Reid. 

Reid now lives in the ADX Florence "Supermax" facility in Colorado, along with Jose Padilla, Mahmud Abouhalima, Ramzi Yousef, Eric Rudolph, Terry Nichols, Zacarias Moussaoui and Wadih el-Hage. No word yet on why Bond is comfortable with the fact that all of these convicted terrorists live in "neighborhoods" in Colorado.  As you may know, the Senator became very concerned about terrorists "coming soon to a neighborhood near year" on or around January 20, 2009.

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thenationalguard/ / CC BY 2.0