Senate democrats are doing the impossible with their improbable new majority: they are capitulating to the dictator-in-chief. They effectively authorized war with Iran. They are about to confirm an attorney general who holds the constitution in as much contempt as did Gonzales. And they are going to approve a FISA bill that makes permanent the 6 month extension, only this time with blanket immunity for telecom companies. Why did we elect these people? They all swore an oath to defend the constitution, not to take indefensible positions all to avoid 30 second ads. Their reprehensible actions are threatening the integrity of the institution of congress, and the very legitimacy of the constitution.
The congress is supposed to be an independent check on the executive branch. If congress abdicates its independence, and the executive branch consolidates congressional and judicial power, we are no longer living in a constitutional republic. Rather, we are living in a tyranny. Bush is little more than a despot. He is an American dictator. This is how constitutional republics turn into dictatorships. All constitution and extra-constitutional powers are gradually consolidated into the executive. And once he has the powers of the other branches, he never gives them back.
Senate democrats approved the Iran war bill. What was lost is that congress has already lost its power to declare war. The unitary executive can now start a war whenever he wants. The integrity of congress is near a total collapse.
Michael Mukasey has clearly shown that he does not feel that the constitution or the law limits the powers of the unitary executive. He believes that having people tortured is within the powers of the president. He is an attorney general nominee who does not respect the law or the constitution. And yet senate democrats are going to capitulate and confirm him anyway.
The FISA bill that senate democrats will pass (after Dodd's filibuster is shut down) abdicates unlimited powers to the president. If they didn't pass a bill (or simply extended the current law until January of 2009), they could pass a new law when the next democrat is sworn into office. But Bush wants presidential despotism to continue after he leaves office. And so when the senate bill is signed into law, it will be easier for future presidents to undermine the constitution and ignore the law.
Don't senate democrats understand what they are doing to congress and the constitution? These powers they are abdicating will never be returned to congress.