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PEMBERTON, NJ — Sen. John McCain ripped the Supreme Court’s decision on Guantanamo Bay detainees Friday, calling the ruling “one of the worst decisions in history.”

“I think that it is it opens up a whole new chapter in interpretation of our constitution, that says that people who are not citizens of this country and are enemy combatants–some of them still ardently seeking to destroy the United States of America and all that we stand for and believe in–are now granted habeus corpus rights,” McCain said, refering to the 5-4 decision that found that foreign detainees have rights under the constitution to sue in civilian courts. “We will regret very much in the days and months and years ahead this decision by the United States Supreme Court.”

The presumptive GOP nominee, joined by Senators Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham at a press conference, said he plans to “exhaust” all legislative options to narrow the impact of the decision and will first take aim at “eliminating the frivolous suits, the complaints about diet or whatever, reading material, or whatever it is, and try to more narrowly define it.”

Sens. Lieberman and Graham also trashed the decision at the press conference.

McCain initially said he had “concerns” about the decision an hour after the ruling was released Thursday, but after a day to digest the ruling he took his language up a notch.

“Our first obligation is the safety and security of our nation and the men and women who defend it. This decision will harm our ability to do that,” McCain said at a town hall meeting prior to press conference, where he also took the opportunity to blast Obama’s judicial appointment philosophy.

“Senator Obama applauds this decision and he supports it…I strongly supported Justice Roberts and Justice Alito, Senator Obama opposed them and voted against them on ideological grounds, something which is precedent breaking from the past,” McCain said, noting that he had previously voted in Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer, who both supported the Court decision, even though he didn’t share their judicial philosophy.

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BOSTON, MA  — Sen. McCain told reporters Thursday that the Supreme Court decision declaring that foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay have rights under the Constitution to use civilian courts, “concerns” him.

“I was just informed of the Supreme Court decision. I haven’t had a chance to read the opinion yet. It obviously concerns me. These are unlawful combatants, they are not American citizens and I think we should pay attention to Justice Roberts’ (dissenting) opinion in this decision,” McCain said at a Boston press conference this morning, an hour after the ruling was made public. “But it is a decision that the Supreme Court has made. Now we need to move forward.”

McCain, who also supports the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, had been an advocate for the military tribunal system that the Supreme Court struck down.  Aides to the presumptive GOP nominee said he did not have time to read up on the ruling prior to his press conference but will have more to say on the topic.