Gradual encroachment

To those Democrats who are supposedly going to vote for the FISA compromise that broadens the power of the President to illegally spy on American and possibly grant the telecoms backdoor immunity I offer for consideration this quote from James Madison:

"I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations."

Unless you are totally ignorant of American history or in a state of complete denial, I'm sure my point is obvious.

Giving Up Essential Liberty

To those cowards who would vote for the renewal and expansion of FISA and telecom immunity I would offer this quote from one of our founding fathers:

"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." – Benjamin Franklin

A Real Patriot Would Vote No

A real patriot would vote no on the renewal and expansion of FISA.

I know the rightees have loudly draped themselves in the flag, declaring that renewing and expanding FISA is vital to the defense of the American way of life against the attacks of terrorists, blah, blah, blah.

When, in truth, renewing and expanding FISA is actually doing the terrorists work for them. The Number One goal of terrorists is to force us to change our way of life, and most specifically to cause us to live in fear of one another. Renewing and expanding FISA helps accomplish that terrorist goal.

If the goal is to defend the American Way of life against terrorists, then that is best accomplished by upholding the Constitution, not eviscerating it. A real patriot would vote no on the expansion and renewal of FISA.

Chicken Liberals

I have been utterly mystified as to why so many Democrats would come out in support of the FISA compromise.

First, it doesn’t just renew FISA, a bad idea to begin with, it actually gives wannabe tyrant George Bush more power to spy on American illegally! Second, it gives the telecoms, who went along with this totally unconstitutional practice, immunity from lawsuits by innocent Americans who were spied upon.

So, why would the Democrats hand this lame duck and highly unpopular president such an incredible political victory?

Perhaps because they are Chicken Liberals… Because they are afraid that by standing-up for the constitution and letting the FISA bill lapse because the price for its renewal is too high they will be the targets of smear ads that they were soft on terrorism, that they were unpatriotic, that they didn’t support of troops, blah, blah, blah! Chicken Liberals.

Well, Chicken Liberals, know that that sword can cut both ways. I’ve got a couple alternative ads in mind…

How about a caricature of any congressman or senator who votes for the compromise shown pulling the Constitution from its resting place in the national archives and tearing it up?

How about the faces of the founding fathers on Mt. Rushmore hung in shame?

DINOs (Democrats In Name Only)

The following message was sent today to the DNC and to Obama 08:

Please be advised that if the Democrats buy into the compromise on FISA that grants Bush more powers to spy on US citizens and that grants telecom immunity, then they will NOT get my vote this November, because as far as I am concerned there is no difference between them and the Republicans. It will prove that all of the Democrats and Barack Obama's rhetoric about change is just that, nothing burt empty rhetoric.

Intellectually deficient

As I have noted in earlier posts, I teach critical thinking in my college classes. So it is always amusing --- if I didn’t laugh, I’d get mad --- to see justices of the U.S. Supreme Court degenerating into apocalyptic rhetoric.

Of course I am talking here about the conservative minority’s ranting in yesterday’s 5-4 Supreme Court ruling that extended habeas corpus rights to prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

By hysterically exaggerating the alleged dire effects of the majority ruling, rather than focusing on the legal merits of the case, they demonstrate yet again how intellectually deficient they are --- just like the president who appointed them.

Fear, not intellectual rigor, seems to be their only weapon.

Which, I tell my critical thinking students, is a sure sign that deep down inside they know they're wrong.

Who is advising these people?

So, according to today’s news…

Sen. McCain is apparently going to trot out the old Republican shibboleth about Democratic “failed policies of the past” to taunt Sen. Obama.

And Sen. Clinton is reportedly going to try over the next few days to convince superdelegates that she’s a better “closer” than Sen. Obama.

Except, Sen. McCain, I would ask you: Whose policies over the last eight years have been such utter and abject failures? It certainly wasn’t a Democrat who sat in the White House. And it certainly wasn’t the Democrats who controlled the House and Senate for most of those years.

Except, Sen. Clinton, I would ask you: Who was it that, despite starting out with what was generally presumed to be a commanding lead in the race for the Democratic nomination, actually failed to close the deal? It certainly wasn’t Sen. Obama.

Why I can’t now support Hillary

The following message was sent by e-mail today to Hillary Clinton’s campaign:

I understand the power of your personal ambition. I understand your difficult status as a feminist icon trying to break the glass ceiling. I even understand your “all-in” fighter’s mantra that “all’s fair in love and politics.”

But, unfortunately, these powerful forces have now so consumed you that they have become a tragic parody of themselves.

Your insistence that the Florida and Michigan delegates should now receive their full voting rights, despite having agreed to the action that stripped them of their votes in the first place… And that because you are reportedly not happy with the compromise reached this weekend you are considering taking the nomination fight to the convention floor in August…

…is nothing more than trying to change the rules of the game because the game isn’t going your way. Which, as far as I’m concerned, is no different than what George Bush has repeatedly done with his Constitution-shredding executive orders.

Should you somehow actually get the Democratic nomination --- which, by the way, would be tantamount to “stealing the election,” no different than what Bush did to Al Gore in 2000 --- you would not receive my vote in the general election and I would actively campaign against you.

Yes, I know this would supposedly help elect John McCain. But since at this point I see little difference between you and the hypocritical and morally corrupt Republicans, so be it.