Because Democrats are Cowards…
More than two and a half years after the disclosure of President’s Bush’s domestic eavesdropping program set off a furious national debate, the Senate gave final approval on Wednesday afternoon to broadening the government’s spy powers and providing legal immunity for the phone companies that took part in the wiretapping program.
Barack Obama voted FOR the bill even though while he campaigned for the Democratic nomination he repeatedly said that he would not support a bill that gave retroactive immunity to the telephone companies.
And I was just about to send him some money… I recently read this comment in an Ostertag column on The Huffington Post : “Senator Obama, you can tap my phone or my wallet, but not both.” Couldn’t have said it better.
Back to the story:
“The law itself is a massive intrusion into the due process rights of all of the phone subscribers who would be a part of the suit,” said Bruce Afran, a New Jersey lawyer who represents several hundred plaintiffs in one lawsuit against Verizon and other companies. “It is a violation of the separation of powers. It’s presidential election-year cowardice. The Democrats are afraid of looking weak on national security.”
So instead of appearing weak on national security (in whose eyes?) the Democrats appear weak on Freedom and Liberty. Way to go Dems! Way to stand up for the Constitution and everything our country USED to stand for.
Makes me sick…
I came across the poster at the top of this post in another NYT article about a collecitve work by sixty artists that produced giant posters for an exhibition titled “Thoughts on Democracy,” a modern day response to Norman Rockwell’s “Four Freedoms” series based on Franklin Roosevelt’s 1941 speech to congress.
Our freedoms and liberties have been stolen from us at an alarming pace since 9-11, and today’s captitulation by Obama and his party to the fear-mongering Bush Republicans seems to me like a capper on the whole sickening process.
It’s a perfect day to publish a story about the “Thoughts on Democracy” artwork, because our democracy is failing, and people should stop and think about it. But will they?
It is Sunday afternoon at the Aventura Mall in South Florida, and I’ve come to gauge the impact of a handful of images displayed in 14-foot-high posters near Nordstrom.
…
In the mall at least, the artists’ instincts seemed to be borne out. In an hour and a half, more than 100 people walked by the exhibit. Only 8 stopped to look.
“People don’t care anymore,” said David Babich, 31, one of the few who lingered, gazing at the prints. “They aren’t as affected by stuff that happens.”
