According to the
NY Times, Senate
Democrats will roll over for the McCain Torture Bill.
[...] "The time to act is now," said Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, as he opened Senate debate after reaching a deal with Democrats who agreed not to stand in the way of a final vote on the bill in exchange for consideration of amendments.
So, in exchange for having pointless amendments defeated by a lockstep (goosestep?) Republican majority, Harry Reid has
again capitulated, and is forfeiting the right (obligation?) to to filibuster this heinous legislation that enables every American be thrown in prison without charge, without trial, wiithout even a simple hearing before a judge (save your quarter, you don't get a phone call or Miranda rights either).
And how are the stalwart Democrats fighting for your rights under the Constitution? Just look!
[...] Concerned the legislation was being rushed through before an election without most senators understanding what was in the final version, Democratic Senators Robert C. Byrd of Virginia and Barack Obama of Illinois planned to offer a sunset provision that would require Congress to review the military commissions, as the trials are known, in five years.
Rest easy America! Thanks to the heroic Democratic leadership (or is that an oxymoron?) our nightmare will only last a minimum of five years! There are a few Democrats with spines:
"This is un-American, this is unconstitutional, this is contrary to American interests, this is not what a great and good and powerful nation should be doing," said Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont.
[...]
Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, the senior Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, characterized the bill as the product of an administration that "has been relentless in its determination to legitimize the abuse of detainees."
Well, we'll see if that's true. We'll see if they're bold enough to filibuster or brave enough to put a hold on the bill (and this is exactly when a hold is supposed to be used - when a poorly constructed bill is jammed through to a vote).
Unfortunately, it appears there are enough Defeatocrats in leadership positions that will side with the McCain Torture Bill (and let's call a spade a spade. It's a torture bill, and John McCain deserves full credit). Instead of standing up to Bush's National Socialist Party agenda, despite Bill Clinton reaming the right wingnuts' spokesmodel this past weekend, despite the NIE spelling out that torture breeds terrorists, despite the end of freedom as we know it, Harry Reid and the Democratic braintrust are cowards who are afraid they'll lose in November by protecting the American Constitution. Simple math: A few congressmen lose their jobs vs. A few hundred million Americans lose their rights?
There may only be minutes left to save your rights. Call, email, visit your Senators' offices. Let them know that if they don't stand up to this attack on freedom, you won't stand up for them this or any other November. Let the DSCC know that they'll not see another dime if they don't protect you from Bush's Brownshirts. Let Harry Reid know that if he (once again) wimps out and fails to do his duty as a Senator that you'll make sure he won't ever be Senate Majority Leader.
Someone needs to send Reid a copy of Bartlett's. He should look up two quotes:
First, essayist George Santayana: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," because Harry doesn't seem to recall Benjamin Franklin's foreboding admonition: "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."