In Janurary I had a decent feeling things would run a bit different in Wasington. The Democratic party had won the midterms on promises to change course, and I was looking forward to giving this new congress a test drive. Well, since then, I have found many words to describe our new congress.
Cowardly, craven, caspitiluating politicians best describes my opinion.
Our democratic leadership in congress has caved on FISA, war funding, oversite, the list is long.
Our leadership in congress wants to put a vote supresser into the FEC.
They approve an AG that can't aswer whether waterboarding is torture or not. They capitulate to Bush and give him money for his war with no withdrawal requirement, if they can actually get some other spending attached. They allow the minority in the Senate to fillibuster any modestly progressive bill, that might be effective and popular, without actually fillibustering.
Hell, they even allow, and vote for, a bill that condemns the part of it's base that has been the most active, enthusiastic and increasingly financially supportive section of the Democratic party. The "leadership" in congress acts as if they are still in the minority.
"Poor us, if we only had larger majority."
They not only have a majority in congress, they have a majority of public opinion behind them on most issues.
You might even say they are calculating, that they can win big next year if they don't stir things up too much.
People wonder how the current administration can continue unchecked after repeated violations of international and our very own laws. They can do this because our Democratic leadership in congress allows them to.
Well if our democratic leadership in congress is craven, and decides to capitulate to Bush by caving and passing a FISA bill with immunity I will have a new word for our congress.
If congress passes a FISA bill with immunity, they will be complicit in the sredding of the rule of law.
If congress continues to allow the minority to block legislation through easy and painless parlimentary procedures, they are complicit in the tyrany of the minority.
If congress continues to allow subpoenas to be ignored, they are complicit in allowing the administration to not be held accountable.
If our leadership in congress allows war funding to pass without:
- The establishment of the army field mannual protocols for
interrogation of detainees, throughout US intelligence agencies.
- The Webb amendmant.
- A timeline to begin redploying our troops in Iraq from combat
operations.
they will be complicit in possible torture, putting undue anguish on our soldiers, and the deaths of American soldiers and Iraqis, four months at a time.
If congress continues to award no bid contracts in defense bills without oversight and enforcement they will be complicit in the robbery of our treasury.
If our leadership in congress conitnues to allow this administration to violate the constitution, US laws and the Geneva convention, they will be complicit in George W. Bush's tyranny.
Who will history judge harsher, the would be tyrant, or the complicint opposition.
This is not the America I was told about when I was a child.