The difference between George W. Bush and Abraham Lincoln, of course, is that while Bush suspended habeas corpus for "aliens detained by the United States," Lincoln did so for American citizens. Habeas corpus is a person's right to challenge in court the legality of his imprisonment.
Perhaps it is too soon for history to judge Bush's action, but historians have reached a verdict on Lincoln's, says Michael Burlingame, the Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at the University of Illinois at Springfield, and the author of "Abraham Lincoln: A Life," which is considered the definitive work on the 16th president.
Burlingame was featured in an June 26, 2011 article by The Day in Connecticut.
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