Conservatives and liberals traded places for an hour last night, putting aside ideological convictions in a Whig-Clio debate on President Bush's war powers.
Princeton Progressive Nation editor-in-chief Robby Braun '07 and College Democrats treasurer David Christie '10 took the conservative side, defending President Bush's expansion of executive authority. Braun is also the chair of The Daily Princetonian editorial board.
Princeton Tory editor Rick Morgan '09 and College Republicans president Alex Maugeri '07, who is also an associate editor for the 'Prince,' took the liberal side, arguing for the preservation of civil liberties and accusing Bush of attempting an "institutionalized and permanent encroachment of power."
The sparsely attended debate in the Whig Senate Chamber was moderated by Whig-Clio Senate president Michael Reilly '07.
"Desperate times demand desperate measures," Braun said, defending the USA PATRIOT Act, warrantless wiretapping and the detainment of enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay, who have no recourse to legal counsel.
We have to "make sure the weapons we use to fight the terrorists are as great as the weapons they use to fight us," Braun added.
Maugeri, arguing for the liberal side, emphasized respect for the rule of law, the necessity for an accountable government and the crucial place of civil liberties in American society.
"As long as civilian courts are functional, citizens have to be granted access to them," Maugeri said. He cited the case of Timothy McVeigh, the terrorist responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, who was granted due process and convicted by a civilian court, not by a military tribunal.
Though no official winner was declared, both sides did a thorough job of presenting the arguments usually espoused by their opposition, remaining unfazed in their unaccustomed roles.
All four debaters described the debate as a learning experience and admitted that researching their opposition was an unsettling, but rewarding, experience.
Christie, the temporary Democrat-turned-Republican, said he was "surprised" to learn that the American Civil Liberties Union has not actually documented any abuses of civil liberties under the Patriot Act.
Morgan said he "ran into a lot of information that I hadn't had access to. It was interesting having to argue from the other side. People should have to do that more in general."
"I find a lot persuasive on the liberal side," Morgan added.
David Smart '09, who helped plan the event, said the goal of the event was "to get all of the political groups to come together." He is also a 'Prince' columnist.
"The idea is to get us to see the other perspective," he added.
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