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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
It was particularly disappointing to see Senators Webb and Mikulski on the list of those voting "aye."
Essentially, the administration is threatening a terrorist attack anytime they don't get what they want. That is not a good enough reason to throw away our civil liberties.
The Democratic argument seems to be:
"If we do what they say and there is a terrorist attack we won't be blamed."
"If we don't do what they say and there is a terrorist attack they will say it is our fault."
Have you ever heard a more stupid argument?
This administration has no credibility. None. The only thing propping them up at this point is the media. And based on Hiatt's article, that may be about to change.
The Democrats have the majority in Congress. They have the responsibility to preserve our democracy from this rogue administration's illegal machinations. The Dems need to quit making excuses and just do it.
FISA already allowed wiretaps with the approval of the FISA Court, which grants wiretap applications 99% percent of the time. Furthermore, if it's an emergency, approval can be obtained retroactively (50 USC 1805(f)). FISA did not need to be reformed. What a load of crap.
Glenn Greenwald... In the not-blue state of Montana, Jon Tester defeated an incumbant GOP Senator by running on a platform of repealing the Patriot Act in its entirety. Wouldn't the most basic rationality compel Democrats to draw the conclusion that this rank Terrorism fear-mongering does not actually work?
This is hardly surprising. Ironically perhaps, Montana is part of the country that is home to the most right wing Patriot Movement. Montana Freemen?
The PATRIOT act has never been popular with Montanans and Idahoans and other plains states in the PNW. Talk to David Neiwert or read "In God's Country: The Patriot Movement and the Pacific Northwest".
http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Country-Patriot-Movement-Northwest/dp/0874221757
There is also the fact that very few people see any real threat of a terrorist attack out there and even fewer Muslims. It's not even safe for gay white Americans. That being said, I find it more and more difficult to defend many of these Democrats and I have had never had any illusions about who many of them were. My perceived "partisanship" has always been more of a strategic matter. If enough people are ready to jump ship and start working towards mainstreaming the Green Party for future election cycles, that is fine by me. It is long overdue. I never even hang out at Daily Kos. The Green Party's position on the PATRIOT act has been the same since 2001 when it was enacted. Repeal it.
The Democratic Party of the 21st Century has lived up to my expectations: Wherever the prospect of controversy or (shudder) conflict rears it's head, talk tough and then knuckle under.
Let's just change our name from Democratic to Amoeba-- spineless, brainless blobs of protoplasm of no use to anyone.
Lord above, do these fools WANT to remain the second-fiddle party forever?
As diarist Bob Johnson pointed out on DailyKos, the Dems may have just signed their own political death warrant with this legislation. I've been concerned that the administration has been spying on its domestic political enemies -- if someone else can come up with any better reason why Ashcroft's panties were in a twist, I'm all ears -- and now we will never be able to find out.
Nixon used the entire national security apparatus to spy on his opponents. Anyone suggesting that the current bunch aren't doing the same is either a paid GOP shill, or a blithering idiot.
See you all in France.
Let's stop broad brush trashing the Democrats and put the blame where it belongs. On Rahm Emauel and the 'insiders'. Blue America has been doing great work and are continuing to do so. See their track record noted below.
From Down With Tyranny:
http://tinyurl.com/36emaf
Indiana was 3 for 3-- 3 freshmen Democrats elected, 3 freshmen Democrats who vote just the way the Republicans they replaced would have voted on issue after issue after issue. Last year Rahm Emanuel Insiders shoved 3 right of center marginal Democrats down Indiana's throat: Baron Hill, Joe Donnelly and Brad Ellsworth. Blue America made no endorsements in these races. Gretchen Clearwater, our candidate to oppose far right reactionary Mike Sodrel, was beaten in the Democratic primary by a less far right reactionary, ex- and future congressman Baron Hill. Hill has turned out to be as awful as we expected, voting with Bush at nearly every opportunity, yesterday's FISA authorization being just the latest assault on Democratic (and American) values and ideals.His two clones, Brad Ellsworth and Joe Donnelly, have been exactly as horrible, voting against the Democrats on almost every issue that separates Democrats from Republicans, progressives from reactionaries. In 2008 there is a race in Indiana shaping up that will be very different from the lesser of two evils type races in most Indiana districts. Progressive, values-oriented minister Barry Welsh is challenging right-wing extremist loon Mike Pence again. This time, though, Barry, could actually beat him. And I'd take one Barry Welsh for a trio of traitors like Hill, Ellsworth and Donnelly any day of the week. Barry will be the live Blue America guest at Firedoglake on Saturday, September 1. (I'll remind you closer to the day.)
A handy guide to those who voted "yes" and their home pages:
http://pruningshears.squarespace.com/pruning-shears/2007/8/5/house-fisa-yes-votes.html
When was it that Democratic party switched to be solely motivated by fear of future castigation? Were they subjected en masse to Skinnerian conditioning, so that any though of action brings an immediate terror of reprisal? Apparently so, since they are now incapable of acting in any meaningful fashion, paralyzed by the thought that whatever they do will bring censure upon them.
They haven't realised yet that they're going to be torn apart in some of the press no matter what they do. If they make a politically injudicious move, it will be harped on for months. If they don't, then one will be invented. They need to get to the point where they no longer care that this happens, and simply govern anyway.
As it stands now, they are hostage to this fear. Worse, they are displaying signs of Stockholm Syndrome, and slowly identifying with the agenda of their captors instead of that of their constituents. That this should be happening now, when their opposition is at a historic low and the country is clamouring to support them if they'd but act, is even more heartbreaking.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
Once seen as a lunatic fringe, reactionary anti-women groups are courting respectability
Salon headlines in your mailbox
