Raise your hand if you thought we were all paranoid for warning that the Torture Bill's insane provisions would be turned against Democrats...
Now use that hand and smack yourself in the face.
George Bush is swiftly rolling out the case for why Democrats are giving the kind of support to terrorists that would seem to qualify them as "enemy combattants."
President Bush asserted Friday that critics who claim the Iraq war has made America less safe embrace "the enemy's propaganda."
Call me crazy, but that's starting to sound a lot like a certain Republican House Majority Leader, who had this to say not too long ago:
Speaking of Democrats, Boehner told reporters, "I wonder if they're more interested in protecting the terrorists than protecting the American people.
"They certainly don't want to take the terrorists on to defeat them,'' he added....
Which sounds a lot like what the wingnuts have been hearing from Limbaugh, Hannity, Malkin, and Coulter for years. But let's defer to the NY Post, which pulled no punches when it said of Hillary Clinton, and presumably all other Democrats:
For there can be no denying what she did in overtly embracing the Lamont campaign.
The nation is at war. And Hillary Clinton is giving aid and comfort to the anti-warriors.
I don't think it's paranoid anymore to assume the right wing is in complete agreement that Democrats fall into one of these categories:
"(7) UNLAWFUL ENEMY COMBATANT.--The term `unlawful enemy combatant' means an individual determined by or under the authority of the President or the Secretary of Defense--
(A) to be part of or affiliated with a force or organization--including but not limited to al Qaeda, the Taliban, any international terrorist organization, or associated forces--engaged in hostilities against the United States or its co-belligerents in violation of the law of war;
(B) to have committed a hostile act in aid of such a force or organization so engaged; or
(C) to have supported hostilities in aid of such a force or organization so engaged
The President, the Republican-controlled legislature, and Republican media outlets are now all in agreement on this. And I for one don't assume for a single minute that this is all election-year blustering.
Bush might be dumb enough to think his rhetoric is just that - but the rest of these folks, especially the right-wing mob as channelled through conservative media, are deadly serious. And I fear Bush, on having caved in to them on the rhetoric, may well be forced to cave in when it comes time to act, too.
The wingnuts have been saying it for years: "Democrats belong down at GITMO if they want to provide aid and comfort to the enemy." Now, whether they yet realize it or not, they finally have the tools to make this happen - and a President who is either too stupid or too eager to realize he's just legitimized their fantasies.
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And frankly..... I have no idea what to do about it. Our best hope is to win the midterm elections, but between now and then - and even afterwards, whether we win or lose - I'm at a loss.
Part of me wants us all to write LTE's and warn the American people that the President now has the power to kidnap anyone, from anywhere, at any time, for any reason, in order to imprison and torture them forever. I suspect it might wake some people up to the danger we're facing.
The other part of me thinks the right-wingnuts really are THAT dumb, and still think this legislation only applies to Muslim/"Islamofascist" terrorists. In this respect, I'm loathe to let the secret out about what this legislation actually allows Bush to do...
But then again, they'll figure it out sooner or later anyway - especially once John Yoo and his ilk tell them "of course that's what this was for! Everybody knew that when they voted for the bill!"
A troubling dillema, isn't it?
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So what do we do? Of course we have to win the midterms, but even THAT doesn't truly save us. Even if we win, Bush can exercise this authority before we roll back the law or begin impeachment proceedings. I just don't know what to do.
The stage is being set. The justification is being lined up. The pretext is laid and the tools are in place. What do we do to stop this from being used against us?
It is, unfortunately, time to inquire upon this seriously.