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Congress passes torture bill

15:28 / 29.09.06

I'm so pissed about this I can barely breathe.

From the Washington Post

Congress approved landmark changes to the nation's system of interrogating and prosecuting terrorism suspects last night, preparing the ground for possible military trials for key al-Qaeda members under rules that critics say will draw stiff constitutional challenges.

The Senate joined the House in embracing President Bush's view that the battle against terrorism justifies the imposition of extraordinary limits on defendants' traditional rights in the courtroom. They include restrictions on a suspect's ability to challenge his detention, examine all evidence against him, and bar testimony allegedly acquired through coercion of witnesses.

This is exactly the run around Hamdan vs. Rumsfeld Democrats weren't supposed to give Republicans. And yet 12 goddamn Democratic Senators gave the thumbs up to this unconstitutional piece of shit.

And their excuse for placating the GOP yet again?

These Democrats now can make the argument that they view national security as a priority and, thus, try to fend off GOP's frequent charge that electing Democrats would be dangerous.

"They're trying to play it safe," said Robert Erikson, a Columbia University political scientist.

What the hell ever happened to standing up fiercely for the right thing? They play right into GOP hands every. single. time. Instead of holding to progressive values and defending them, they placate what they stupidly think is a 'conservative' public, in the hopes it'll win them elections. It's the bullshit of the red state/blue state myth and they're buying it.

Grrrrr. So pissed.

ONLY NICE THINGS

15:35 / 29.09.06

Well, on the plus side, there is absolutely no way that the Republicans will seek to portray the Democrats as "soft on terror" in the midterm campaigning now. Absolutely not. Nuh-uh.

MattShepherd: I WEDDED KALI!

15:36 / 29.09.06

I share your pissitude, and I'm not even American.

Democrats. Dudes. The charge isn't that you're weak "on security," the general charge, the attitude, the fear, is that you're weak. Indecisive. "Waffly," as they kept saying about John Kerry.

And taking a principled stand against something for educated and morally unquestionable reasons is strong. If you just stuck to your damn guns, when the Republicans come a'whinging "weak on terra!" you can just reply "STRONG ON THE CONSTITUTION AND ON *FREEDOM*, YOU DINKS" and win the danged election.

Now, we have a weak-kneed "we're okay on terror, right? Right? Huh?" acquiescence on a bad idea that they're going to want to fold on in three months. Dumbasses.

Grr.

Elijah, Freelance Rabbi

16:19 / 29.09.06

I hate my government more then I can honestly express.

It may have been a knee jerk reaction, but the first thing I did when I read about this was to make sure my firearms were in working order. I realize that my few weapons will do little good when tanks are rolling down the street looking for people with 'unAmerican' ideas, but they make me feel a little bit safer.

Silly really, but years of being fed stories of the heroic resistence fighters has an effect on a guy.

17:34 / 29.09.06

So the Hail Mary pass seems to be working, then.

This is disturbing.

On the other hand, I've just heard something about judges preparing to knock the legislation down, but can't find anything on the web about it.

17:58 / 29.09.06

There's a reference to the Supreme Court possibly knocking it out in the NY Times article:

Even some Republicans who voted for the bill said they expected the Supreme Court to strike down the legislation because of the provision barring court detainees’ challenges, an outcome that would send the legislation right back to Congress.

“We should have done it right, because we’re going to have to do it again,” said Senator Gordon H. Smith, Republican of Oregon, who voted to strike the provision and yet supported the bill.

rabideyemovement

15:02 / 30.09.06

Regarding the Supreme Court shunting this bill:
As George Bush said to Wolf Blitzer, "I happen to know they won't."