Friday, June 20, 2008
Congratulations George Bush and Dick Cheney
Well, it's done. This is the point at which we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start all over again. It is not the time to give up. If the Bush/Cheney cabal doesn't face charges for the warrantless surveillance crimes they have committed, there are plenty of other crimes to choose from, and we need to elect Democrats who will do the job.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
I think you are forgetting that it still has to pass in the Senate.
Thanks Mike - I actually did remember that it has to pass the Senate and I would love to think that telecom immunity might meet it's end there, but since this bill pretty much mirrors what the Senate already passed earlier, that hope is mighty dim. But you're right, it's something. You still think this issue isn't such a big deal?
Ideally I would like to see the bill fail. But I don't think it will be the end of the world if it does not.
There are a lot of things that need to change. It's not going to happen overnight.
But I don't mean to belittle efforts to make changes happen now. Just don't lose all hope when it doesn't work out right away.
I don't think that vilifying Steny Hoyer is the answer. We need to look at the practical reasons why Hoyer did what he did and try to make changes at that level.
I think the Democratic leadership recognizes that leaving this issue out there is too big a stick for Republicans to beat us with during the general election. They had to have some resolution so that the GOP couldn't claim that Democrats are hobbling our intelligence gathering abilities during a war. There was no way to pass what they wanted over a Bush veto.
Hopefully, we will be able to revisit this issue again once we have a Democratic president and a friendlier Congress.
I think the Democratic leadership recognizes that leaving this issue out there is too big a stick for Republicans to beat us with during the general election.
One of the points Greenwald has made repeatedly is that Democrats don't do much to counter Republican charges that they are weak by being, um, weak.
I tried to convey the impression that I haven't given up hope. I think we need to elect tougher, smarter Democrats. And while I don't necessarily want to "vilify" Steny Hoyer, I think this was a despicable sellout (and the fact that it was carried out so secretively says that louder than anything) and I think he needs to pay a political price for it. This is exactly how that change you speak of is going to happen, and you're absolutely right that it won't happen overnight. This is just a start.
The amount of breast beating going on in Dem circles has given too much ammunition to the anti-Obama forces out there just looking to pounce. He has committed to an attempt to knock of the telecom immunity - and the ACLU has pledged to pursue prosecution in other ways because the administration behavior is unconstitutional. I say give credit for trying, and work to give us progressive reps at all levels so the right wing doesn't succeed in it war against America.
Bill Kristol: If it looks like Obama's going to win, Bush will go ahead and bomb Iran.
[crooks & liars has the video]
What other crimes will they try to fit in before they go?
Post a Comment