Why do neo-cons hate the rule of law?

From the bitching about the KSH terror trial in New York City to moaning about standard legal proceedings allowed to any criminal, conservatives are showing themselves to hate the Constitution.

The fact of the matter is that no one hopes these people go free. But how do we as a country justify violating our own laws to rig a trial? Shouldn't we as a nation be showing the parts of the world that hate us the greatness of our court system? Shouldn't we show that even the most hated criminals get their day in an open court?

I fail to understand how one can suggest that we have closed banana republic-type hearings for anyone, much less those accused of murder.

To be sure, it's galling that they still get the presumption of innocent-until-proven-guilty. But that's the Constitution at work.

Bill O'Reilly teed off on Scott Fenstermaker, a lawyer for accused 9/11 terrorist Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali in a habeas corpus case challenging Ali's detention (video here).

O'Reilly: Don't you think people watching you, and millions are right now, counselor, and I don't mean this with any disrespect, think that you're a weasel?

Fenstermaker: They might. That's fine.

O'Reilly: Cause I do. And you seem like a nice guy, but I'm saying this guy sitting in front of me doesn't think these people were murdered on 9/11 when we saw what happened; if he won't say they were murdered or not, he's a weasel.

...
O'Reilly: You know people hate you. Do you care?

Fenstermaker: No, I'm honored that they hate me. The people that hate me hate the rule of law.

Bravo counselor.

I'd also like to remind Mr. O'Reilly that John Adams - future 2nd President of the United States - defended the soldiers accused in the Boston Massacre, calling it "one of the best Pieces of Service I ever rendered my Country". Even though much of the nation hated him for it, Adams realized that every man is due his day in court and deserves a fair trial. That's how we do it in America.