One would think that a former prosecutor and former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee would have some rudimentary knowledge of the American criminal justice system. One would think so, but one would be wrong:

“The suspect accused of trying to blow up a flight on Christmas Day should not have been read his Miranda rights, Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) said Tuesday…”I do not believe he should have been read his rights,” Specter said during an appearance on MSNBC. “I think the most important thing is to find out what information he has to prevent future terrorist acts.

“The most important thing is to get what information he has,” Specter said. “More important than conviction.”

And apparently in Specter’s mind, more important than whether or not that information is factual.

“Specter said that while it would be preferable to try suspects like Abdulmutallab in regular criminal court, if confessions are made inadmissible in those courts, then defendants should be tried in military tribunals.”

Pick a court, any court. Whichever one allows coerced confessions and illegally obtained evidence. There are certainly courts like that to be found, Sen. Specter—in China, Cuba, and Iran. Evidently you prefer their system of justice to ours.