Letters to the Editor
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Form The Circular Firing Squad!
Perhaps we should ask Joe Lieberman how strong a Democratic majority we have in the Senate.
It's great that we have at least one party in American politics that can have debates and differences of opinions within its ranks. Obviously, there are some issues (and the issue of restoring habeas corpus could maybe be the most serious ever) about which there should be no disagreement-- a veritable litmus test-- but the fact remains that it is there.
I was impressed with the Democratic party after the Ned Lamont primary victory. Is there any credit given for good intentions? Should Democrats expel Lieberman from the party and risk ceding the putative majority? Should Blance Lincoln and David Pryor be next?
I'm as impatient as anyone for Democrats to repair the damage done to our country and its repuation over the past six years, but we aren't going to do it by assigning blame for the worst and most shameful episodes to the weakest members of the fragile dissenting coalition.
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Democatic Disgrace
The silence from Democrats during the passage of the MCA, allowing a few republican senators to "lead" on the issue of civil liberties, was indeed a disgrace. And remains so.
Those who vote democratic should keep a very close eye on this congress. Do not accept the argument that majorities are too thin to address this issue.
The time may be arriving (soon) in which real splits may appear in the party, due to the need to apply strong pressure on laggard Democratic members of congress on the Habeas issue, as well as other matters. If for some inexplicable reason Democratic members are not willing to repair the damage done to our civil liberties, then they should be pressured to the point of not having any alternative but to do it--out of self-defense.
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Thanks, Glenn
The Dems should attach Habeas restoration to *every single bill passed* in this Congress. Make Bush veto 'em all until he capitulates. It is that important.
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Thanks Glenn!!!
It is my fervent hope that this story gets a lot more press, and that if the Military Commissions Act is repealed or radically altered, that the responsibility is squarely laid at the feet of the Democratic leadership on what could only be a virtual party-line vote.
I suspect that President Bush will veto it; I know I would.
But these are the kinds of stories I want to see much more of in the run-up to 2008.
By the way, did Nancy Pelosi get around to hiring process servers to sreve subpoenas on all of the trial witnesses in the Hindu Kush?
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In the meantime, I just sent an email
to my representative, Joe Sestak, saying that GWB should not be let off the hook, but should have to veto the bill, if necessary. And I mentioned the idea of further investigations/hearings... etc.
I was going to use the phone numbers that another commenter thoughtfully provided, later on today, but then I came across MyDD's list with emails via the Blog Report:
http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/5/8/1878/41129
It was more convenient at this time of day.
And I included a link to this discussion.
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Yes, but it's still maddening
I agree with this post emphatically, and also with its value. But I want to urge Glenn to continue with his media coverage too, in addition to the substantive matters. In the Washington Post today Fred Hiatt also talks about the need to restore habeas corpus and about the Democrats' responsibility to do so. It sticks in my gullet that he should engage in snarkiness against the Democrats in this issue, even though I agree that they have been spineless. The outrage is that people like Fred Hiatt enabled an entire political party, the Republicans, to betray America and American ideals so utterly and so remorselessly that no one even calls them on it any more. We just expect it of them, and expect that Fred Hiatt can blame Democrats for not stopping them. I can handle Glenn leaning on the Democrats because that's what's needed. But for Fred Hiatt to do so makes me furious, as if Fred Hiatt could claim to be on the side of the angels on this issue. Because of his editorial, I read Glenn's post and feel a sinking of the heart. If the whole question becomes whether the Democrats have done right, and we don't keep shouting about how the Republicans have done wrong, they will rise again, at least among the Harvey Mansfield "manly" types who worship shit-kicking strength over civilization and kindness.
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Che Pasa:
Then what? Does the Autocracy wither? Does anyone seriously believe it will? I don't. More than likely what will happen is that there will be much parading around and blaring of trumpets and public worship of the "restored" Constitution, but nothing will actually have been "restored" at all.
The restoration of habeas corpus will accomplish exactly what it will accomplish -- namely, it will enable the thousands of people who are withering away for years in U.S. custody the opportunity to get into a court and convince a federal judge that they are not guilty.
Nobody is suggesting that the enactment of this bill would be some cure-all or would satisfy those who make grand systemic critiques of America (if anything would ever be satisfactory).
But there are real human beings in detention right now, and while it may be true -- sitting on a generalized intellectual plane of political philosophizing -- that this measure would only be a small fraction of what is needed, it is equally true that the difference between having a habeas corpus right and having none is enormous for the actual people who are actually being detained with no process of any kind.
We've had this discussion before, but absent some violent fundamental revolution -- which might be more glorious and dramatic but is so improbable that it's irresponsible to wait for it -- all change is going to be incremental. And each increment can easily be dismissed away as insufficient by pointing to all the things left to be done.
But that is tantamount to being in a group trying to climb a mountain, and each milestone that is passed along the way, having to hear: "Oh, what we just accomplished is nothing, meaningless, who cares? Look at all the ground we have to cover still." Yeah, that's true. But so what? It still is necessary to take each step.