As the FISA battle has continued, I've found myself at a tipping point with respect to the Democrats and US politics more generally. Now it looks like the House is going to split the legislation and give the President his telecom immunity.
That's it. I'm done. And I realized it as I was writing to Nancy Pelosi.
I just sent this to Pelosi:
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Dear Ms. Pelosi,
As I see House Democrats beginning to capitulate on the FISA legislation and move in the direction of telecom immunity so that we will never know what the Bush Administration has done to us and to the Constitution, I'm reminded of what a fool I've been.
What a fool I've been to think that the Democrats might work to restore the rule of law in this country.
What a fool I've been to encourage my students to vote and to extol the virtues of civic engagement to them.
What a fool I've been to spend countless hours engaged in efforts to educate those in my community and to work on getting out the vote for Democrats.
I trusted you. I trusted in the Democrats when they were elected in 2006. I flew a flag for the first time since September 11th on that day. I thought that our long national nightmare was over.
What a fool I was.
If the House caves on this and gives Mr. Bush and the big telecom companies immunity, I'm done with politics--most certainly done with the Democratic Party, the party that I've supported all my adult life.
I will join the cynical masses of Americans who think that it doesn't matter who is elected. I've spent a great deal of time arguing that they are wrong, that they were being naive.
I'm now quite sure that I was the one who was naive.
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Looking at my Inbox, I see that it bounced back to me. I think I'm done trying to kick the football, though.
Go ahead, hate away. But there's no need to point out the issues on which the two parties claim to differ. I know them.