Glen Greenwald:

It is only those who are losing a debate who have a desire to suppress it. And it is only those who are acting illegally who are desperate to avoid judicial scrutiny of their behavior. In 2002, attempts to equate scrutiny and criticism of the Bush movement with pro-Terrorism and anti-Americanism was a potent and effective tool of intimidation. But now, it just seems desperate, the last gasps of a political movement which is dying and which knows it is, and whose only hope is to forcibly coerce acceptance of their views — and foreclose examination of them — by insisting that open debates are themselves improper and therefore must cease at once.
(emphasis mine)

Part of a discussion on whether debate in Congress emboldens our enemies and/or hurts the morale of our troops.