Just when I thought the Senate in general, and the Democratic caucus in particular, couldn't be any more craven than when they confirmed Alito to the Supreme Court, they go and top themselves spectacularly.
The 12 so-called Democrats who voted for this abomination against democracy should be ashamed of themselves, and I hope they all get primaried into oblivion when they're up for re-election. Carper (DE), Johnson (SD), Landrieu (LA), Lautenberg (NJ), Lieberman (there's a shock), Menendez (NJ), Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), Pryor (AR), Rockefeller (WV), Salazar (CO), and Stabenow (MI) are all dead to me. I don't care if some of them are in red states. They can all go to hell for all I care, and they probably will.
I'd also like to know if Harry Reid even bothered to twist arms to try to pull a filibuster together, or if he said, "Eh, just vote however you feel like. Who gives a shit about party unity or due process." He should have - genuine weakness in the war against tyranny will ultimately hurt the Democrats far more than trumped-up weakness in the war against terror. Instead of sending the message that they're tough on terrorists, they have merely sent the message that they're scared of Republicans. Sad.
As for the Republicans who are up for re-election this year and even in 2008 (except Chafee, who voted against), I hope their opponents have the brains and spine to call them out for caving in to the Bush administration's lust for truly dictatorial power, not to mention it's desperate need for retroactive immunity for its past criminal behavior. We'll soon find out whether the American electorate is more disgusted by Republican criminality or Democratic appeasement.
I wish I could say I'm surprised, but I'm really not. Once the Democrats ceded the field to The Heroic Anti-Torture Wink-Wink Trio, it became pretty clear that they were afraid to be identified with unpopular causes like human rights or constitutional democracy. Pathetic. No shame. No courage. No sense of decency. Yes, most of them voted against it, and some of them even spoke out against it. But not all of them. Not even almost all of them. Not even enough of them to filibuster this monstrosity. If the Democrats can't pull together 41 emphatic nays in the face of one of the most truly awful bills of all time, I consider that to be a collective failure of the party and its leadership. Perhaps that's unfair, but to me it simply doesn't look like they put up much of a fight.
Oh well, at least the Supreme Court will overturn it for being blatantly unconstitutional, right?
Right?
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3 comments:
Yeah right. Dream your lil' dreams.
It is a direct violation of article 1 section 9. It should be ruled unconstitutional. Even Scalia and Thomas can't get around that one with their twisted original intent logic.
It should be ruled unconstitutional. Even Scalia and Thomas can't get around that one with their twisted original intent logic.
Oh, I think they're gonna try. They have even less shame than the congresscritters. Anthony Kennedy is probably our only hope.
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