What the hell is going on?
I've said it before: the function of the opposition is to oppose. Still, many of us here in Vermont get tired of hearing that there isn't much we need to do on the national level, whatever the issue, because our delegation already has it right.
And yet, when we're in the minority and trying to get into the majority, the impetus to play it safe seems to be too strong for some of the leaders to resist. Take a look at this post from TPMmuckraker:
[N]ow that the Republicans have worked out a deal on detainees, Democrats are not planning any organized effort to filibuster the deal in the Senate, even though they may not agree with some of the specifics in the legislation.
With just a few days left before the election recess, Democratic aides say they are not going to give Republicans an opportunity to paint them into a corner.
“We’re going to do what we can to limit the amount of daylight between us and them on national security issues in order to neutralize this as a political issue,” a senior Democratic aide said.
Now I ask you, what the hell are the D's in Washington doing trying to "limit the amount of daylight" between them and the government that has weakened the national defense and strengthened the terrorists?
And yet, when we're in the minority and trying to get into the majority, the impetus to play it safe seems to be too strong for some of the leaders to resist. Take a look at this post from TPMmuckraker:
[N]ow that the Republicans have worked out a deal on detainees, Democrats are not planning any organized effort to filibuster the deal in the Senate, even though they may not agree with some of the specifics in the legislation.
With just a few days left before the election recess, Democratic aides say they are not going to give Republicans an opportunity to paint them into a corner.
“We’re going to do what we can to limit the amount of daylight between us and them on national security issues in order to neutralize this as a political issue,” a senior Democratic aide said.
Now I ask you, what the hell are the D's in Washington doing trying to "limit the amount of daylight" between them and the government that has weakened the national defense and strengthened the terrorists?
posted by Jack McCullough at 7:04 PM
1 Comments:
Combine the USA PATRIOT Act's under reported definition of domestic terrorists (yes folks, it's not just about foreigners) and the Republican's torture bill and you've got some REAL scary stuff happening. For all activists — left AND right. Congress is insane to abdicate so much power to the White House.
I'm all for a Democratic majority. But don't assume the cowardly lions would suddenly become courageous. Remember who controlled the Senate when the PATRIOT Act passed 98-1? The Dems.
So why didn't the Democratic majority resist this draconian intrusion on our civil liberties? (Senator Leahy did get a sunset clause — of course it's been reauthorized anyway.)
Was it 9/11 hysteria? (THE justification for every disgusting act this Administration has done these past 5 years.)
Or, was it the Anthrax letters sent to Judiciary Committee Chairman Leahy and Majority Leader Daschle? (A still unsolved crime that shut Congress down — coincidentally of course — while the PATRIOT Act was hastily enacted.)
Maybe if the Dems want another shot at being the majority they need to go on the offensive. Attack the Republican's strength. What if the Dems and Indies began challenging THE UNDERLYING PREMISE for passing all this garbage. 9/11!
What if they began calling for a new investigation NOW. (I know, they must control Congress to control the agenda — BUT NOT THE PROPAGANDA WAR.) Do you REALLY think Dems will get control as long as the fear of terrorism terrorizes Americans?
What if the party line became "give us Congress and we'll stop this President's agenda by investigating what really happened on 9/11?" They would have support from victim's family members, firefighters, FBI agents, physicists, scholars, and just plain working folk like me. I mean come on. Even FEMA and NIST haven't explained how Building 7 could collapse into its own footprint! And there are hundreds of other credible scientific questions! Enough to raise reasonable doubts in the minds of voters.
What if Democratic and Independent candidates showed the Building 7 demolition video (www.WTC7.net) with a voice-over demanding answers before surrendering one more civil liberty.
What if candidates began connecting the dots? Outlined ALL of the lies this Administration has been caught in during the past 5 years. (Why do we trust them about 9/11?) Explained how a Republican controlled Congress has created an incredibly powerful Orwellian Executive Branch…What if?
Besides, what have they got to loose? The majority? Cowardice?
Post a Comment
<< Home