To frame Republican actions as weak is a good exercise at a theoretical level, but this week’s news should make every progressive among us much more adept at labeling the GOP as the party of weakness. Lord knows they’ll try to hang that label on Democrats from now until November 2006. We’ve already heard from Mean Jean Schmidt about “cutting and running,” and from Mr. SEC probe Frist about “retreat and defeat.” Wait a minute! What did this week, and many many previous weeks, teach us about the President and the Republican leadership in Congress? (below the fold)
First, we learned that the President was so fearful of making his case against terrorists that he felt compelled to allow searches without warrants. Warrantless searches that he could have made perfectly legal in a heartbeat by going to the FISA court. With all the power and resources of the Federal Government at his disposal he was still too timid to go to the special court for a quick warrant.
Is the President so afraid of bin Laden that he’s willing to tear up the Bill of Rights and resort to illegalwarrantless searches of American citizens? Note please that the President doesn’t use that phrase often, American Citizens, he calls us the “American People.” Maybe the word “citizen” implies we have some rights he doesn’t have to respect.
Second, we learned that the President is so insecure about the support for his war that he has the Pentagon spy on Florida Quakers. Now there’s a group to be afraid of? Yes sir, you have to watch those members of the Society of Friends because they just might rise up and do something completely nonviolent. We learned that the Pentagon has 400 pages of these types: pacifists, Quakers, anti-war types. All that non-violence must just scare him to death.
Third, we learned that when the Republican Leadership in Congress is so uncertain and squeamish about their legislative agenda they try to hide it in must pass bills. Nifty tactic that: slapping an amendment gutting the campaign reform act onto the Defense Appropriation Act. After the conference report was already signed. The act that increases health care benefits for National Guard troops, the act that provides for jammers and vests for the young men and women serving this country–that act may get stalled because the Republicans were too childish and fearful of defeat if they tried to let their agenda see the light of day. And wasn’t this just like the cute stunt they pulled regarding drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve?
Fourth: Oh yes, Senator John Ensign of Nevada was supposed to have scheduled hearings in his Armed Services subcommittee about profiteering by Halliburton and others in December. Doesn’t look like that promise to Senator Dorgan is going to be kept. What’s the Senator so afraid of, that something unpleasant might be learned?
Fifth: On the same general note–wasn’t there supposed to be some investigation of Phase II? How the administration sliced and diced the intelligence leading up to the Iraq War? Now, where might that investigation be? Pigeon-holed up in some Republican controlled committee too fainthearted to really go after the truth?
Sixth: Seen all those ads on television for umpteen million prescription benefit plans that Senior Citizens are supposed to wade through? Is the current mess a product of an administration so thoroughly cowed by the pharmaceutical manufacturers that it couldn’t even bargain for lower prices?
BRING IT ON ye members of the GOP, call me a coward for “defeat and retreat” just explain why you couldn’t let a Defense Appropriations bill through without playing games with it. BRING IT ON, and call me a defeatist but then kindly explain what a victory looks like and just when you might decide to provide adequate health care for our veterans.
BRING IT ON call me “old tax and spend” but then I’d certainly appreciate an explanation of why the costs of rebuilding the Gulf Coast have to be born on the backs of working people.
BRING IT ON: call me cringing if you want, but I’m not the one who’s so afraid of the Osama Bin Forgotten Boys that I’m willing to tear up the Constitution and hide shaking in my boots ready to give up my rights as a Citizen for just a little tiny bit of security.