Well, when you put it that way:
The Confederates launched a surprise attack, under cover of darkness.
It was 8:30 Wednesday night, and the House was plodding toward its 20th hour of debate on a little-watched appropriations bill, when Rep. Ken Calvert (Calif.), who had been leading the Republican side of the debate, rose. “I have an amendment at the desk,” he said.
Yes he did: A proposal to protect the sale and display of the Confederate battle flag at national parks and cemeteries.
Democrats couldn’t believe what they were hearing: Just as South Carolina legislators were finally voting to remove the symbol of hatred from their statehouse grounds, Republicans in the U.S. Capitol were proposing to restore the flag. And they were scheduling the vote for July 9, the anniversary of the ratification of the 14th Amendment promising equal protection of the laws.
Kind of like when the Republicans blocked any effort the expand background checks for gun purchases in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre and, instead, went on a rampage nationally passing looser gun regulations in one legislature after another.
