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Like Nixon, Obama Has an Opinion on the Guilt of a Suspect

Posted Nov 19, 2009, 07:03 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss

When President Nixon declared that Charles Manson was guilty of seven California murders, the cult leader sought to use the comment to his advantage. He showed jurors the headline "Manson Guilty, Nixon Declares,” and sought a mistrial.

The ploy didn’t work. Observers say there is also likely to be little impact from a similar statement by President Obama, this time opining on the fate of Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the Associated Press reports.

In a television interview, Obama commented on those who were offended by the prospect of Mohammed being tried in a civilian court in New York. Obama said people won’t find it “offensive at all when he's convicted and when the death penalty… Continue reading...



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