By Martin Bosworth
What an absolute disgrace this is:
The Senate bowed to White House pressure last night and passed a Republican plan for overhauling the federal government’s terrorist surveillance laws, approving changes that would temporarily give U.S. spy agencies expanded power to eavesdrop on foreign suspects without a court order…The legislation, which is expected to go before the House today, would expand the government’s authority to intercept without a court order the phone calls and e-mails of people in the United States who are communicating with people overseas.
Not only did the Democrats almost completely cave in to the Bush junta on this most critical issue, they actually gave him more power. Unbelievable. How can any Democrat paint themselves as a logical alternative to the GOP when you have this kind of sycophancy going on? Aren’t we past this knee-jerk “ZOMG THE TERRORISTS ARE COMING TO KILL US!!!11111” nonsense yet, that we should so easily give up the rights for which we’re supposedly fighting?
What makes this even worse is that if you look at the Democrats who supported the bill, an unnerving number of them are the new freshman class who were supposed to change things and work differently. Bob Casey, Jim Webb, Claire McCaskill, and Amy Klobuchar were beneficiaries of the 50-state strategy and lots of netroots support (and in Webb’s case, a mix of economic populism and a lot of macaca), and THIS is what we get from them? When your big push is to elect as many right-leaning Democrats as possible just to make sure you win, it should be no surprise when they start supporting right-wing policies.
Probably the only consolation here is that none of the Senate Dems running for office supported the bill, though I wonder how much of that was political expediency as opposed to ideological belief. And God bless Russ Feingold for taking his colleagues to task over this pathetic kowtowing:
Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin, angrily chastised his colleagues for bending to the administration’s will.
“The day we start deferring to someone who’s not a member of this body … is a sad day for the U.S. Senate,” Feingold said. “We make the policy — not the executive branch.”
Apparently this is no longer true. In the Decider’s world, all it takes is even the slightest mention of a possible terrorist act for us to roll over and bare our throats. When did America become such a nation of quivering milksops?
I never thought I’d be glad to live somewhere that has no Congressional representation, but today I am–because I wouldn’t want the vast majority of these people to ever claim they represent my wishes.
Categories: Crime/Corruption, Freedom/Privacy, Politics/Law/Government
Progressive Culture | Scholars & Rogues 
It’s moments like this that remind me why I’m not a Democrat.
I voted for Ken Salazar, and yet again I’m offended by his vote. This is becoming a habit for Sen. Salazar that he either needs to break, or I’ll work really hard when he’s up for re-election to toss his sorry ass out of the Senate.
Maybe it’s time write another “You’re pissing me off, and you deserve the verbal beating behind the woodshed you’re getting in this letter” letter. It won’t change his mind, but it might make me feel better.
Bastard.
I voted for Salazar for one reason – he wasn’t Pete Coors. But really, if that’s the best thing somebody can say about you….
Although sometimes oversimplified, it is useful to think of both political parties as two differently colored hand puppets. The blue Democrat puppet fits on the corporate left hand. The red Republican puppet fits on the corporate right hand. As in a puppet show, the two puppets may fight with one another for the entertainment of the audience. But, behind the curtain or under the stage, the puppet master really controls the show.
When will people finally come to understand that armed revolt is the only way forward?
Buy a gun and learn to use it, you idiots!
Ripped from today’s headlines……CONGRESS NOT ONLY CAVES ON FISA; GIVES BUSH AUTHORITY TO USE MICHAEL VICK FOR DETAINEE INTERROGATIONS
I voted for Webb because the choice was him or Macaca Allen.
I’ll not vote for him again. Any guy who reacted as toughly as he did to Bush’s condescending “How’s your boy?” (Webb’s son was serving in Iraq) – and took the heat he did in VA for castigating Bush over Iraq – then who declines into being a supporter of Bush’s police state – has been bought. That’s the only explanation I can offer. He’s been bought.
Over the past several decades, there have been several schemes launched to disarm the American public. The most common excuse is to protect the children.
For some reason, people without firearms seem to think that the police exist to protect them. It is patently untrue. Police exist to protect the status quo. Moreover, liberals seem to forget that most police are rightwing. Doubters should read a little labor history.
The government will always be armed. The question is: Who else? One exercise that is useful in this regard is to rent BraveHeart and imagine how thing might have turned out differently if the peasantry had been armed with crossbows when King Edward came a’calling!
The Founding Fathers weren’t stupid. They allowed the citizens to keep firearms and divided government against itself for a purpose. In this regard, the reading of Federalist No. 46 provides some insight. They correctly believed that an armed citizenry, like a free press and an independent judiciary, to be an excellent barrier to tyranny.
You think any of them are being blackmailed? It might explain a lot of this. It would make more sense. Perhaps this is the heart of the so-called “Hookergate” scandal? It’s a thought.
PS: 703-836-0522. Google it, then search the name. Could be a biggie.
Just like the republicans , their fellow democrats let the democrats that are running for election in the 2008 get off the hook , by voting against the bill , but making sure there are enough votes to support it. I believe the democrats show join the Independent party and stop all this BS for our gutless democrats with no backbone or maybe they are really republicans pretending to be democrats.
I am sick of the whole d… lot. I do not believe a word a democrat says anymore…
Pete>>>>
Two stolen elections, weapons of mass destruction and Iraq, an unjust and illegal war, torture, suspension of habeas corpus, almost 50% increase in the National debt which your children and grandchildren will have to pay for, political corruption of every department of the government, constant lying to the American people and Congress, and numerous other high crimes and misdemeanors and 18 Democrats vote to reduce our rights. Put this in your diary and vote all these people out of office in 2008 and every Fascist Republican.
I often wonder if Senate minority leader Tom Daschle was screwed out of his election in 2004 by the republicans corruption, because he was a true democrat and didn’t back down from any fight. He didn’t stop swinging when the democats were in the minority. Good man and good leader.
Harry Reid has a loud bark , but he doesn’t bite , the same with Nancy. In fact there are very few democrats (if that is what we are now electing), in the Senate or House now days. I will never forget the Blue dog democrats were given a private meeting with Bush , as soon as the 2006 election was over. Democrats all bark and no bite….
Pete…
The Dems are flat out worthless. Our country is doomed.
Excellent column!!! You guys have this issue down solid. We thank you for adding us to your blogroll. I read this blog every day. Good job.
All of the new ex republican , conservative democrats seem to really be democrats on one issue , the war . If anyone really believed people who are generally conservative are suddenly going to turn liberal overnight your kidding yourself . We are polluting our party with right wingers which will only make us republican lite , not opposition to conservative poison .
Vacation was more important for the Corleones (R) and Brazinis (D) than doing what’s right or in Americans best interest. All Bush had to do was threaten them with keeping them in D.C. until this was resolved and puff…….it’s done. Russ Feingold is the only senator I have any respect for anymore.
It apparently seems that the democrats lost their nerve. I am very disappointed that they no stones to take on this inept president. They have given him more lunacy power to the spy bill and like a spoiled child he will abuse this even so. So not only congress given this idiot more power to destroy the constitution but its ok that to lead our U.S. into the meat slaughter for a useless country that cant help themselves. Congratulations democrats in congress you just showed us that you really cant do the job.
They–and you–might lose their nerve if they’re being blackmailed. Check-it-out.
If you want to know how your Representative voted on this travesty, here’s the link:
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll836.xml
I’m happy to see that my Rep, Udall of CO, voted no. I may actually vote for him come 2008 to replace my other useless senator, Sen. Wayne Allard.
Especially since it looks like the “choice” will be Bobblehead Schaffer.