The rain, wind and cold couldn’t chill the spirit of thousands of Americans who turned out in lower Manhattan on Saturday to protest the Obama administration’s decision to grant Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other 9/11 jihadists a civilian trial. As Kathryn was nice enough to mention over he weekend, it was my first experience giving a speech outside rather than inside the majestic courthouses near Foley Square, where the Justice Department plans to hold the KSM trial.

It was a great honor to be there among the 9/11 families, the firefighters, NYPD, the emergency responders, the vets, and so many concerned Americans, including some who told me they’d come from hundreds of miles away. The rally had the feel of the unity the nation had in the months after the suicide-hijackings . . . at least until you reminded yourself that we were there largely because that feeling has vanished within our government, even if it remains strong in much of the country at large. As I said in my remarks, we will have to channel that spirit to get this decision reversed: It remains within Congress’s power to require that alien enemy combatants be barred from entering the U.S. and be tried by military commissions. But Congress, especially as currently constituted, won’t act unless members are convinced that Americans demand action.

You can find lots of good coverage (and a lot better pictures than the above) around the net: 911 Never Forget, (where you can sign our petition), the 9/11 Families for America, the Weekly Standard, Michelle Malkin, and Urban Infidel (from whom I purloined the photo) have great stories, pictures, and video.

Thanks again to everyone who turned out. It’s just the beginning.