Monday's memo

I laughed -- literally -- upon reading the first five words of yesterday's New York Times coverage of the Democrats' shameless collaboration in further suspending the Constitution: "Under pressure from President Bush...."

Under pressure from whom?

But I imagine "whom" laughed harder than I. Because "whom" had hornswoggled and bamboozled them again. "Whom" had pulled off another good one. "Whom" still has the decisive victors of the last election believing they lost. "Whom" is down to a political base of his wife, his dog, a few Bundist Christians and a scattering of Skinheads -- yet he could bend Democrats to his will, just by shouting "Boo!"

And the burlesque didn't stop there.

"Civil liberties and privacy advocates and a majority of Democrats said the [approved changes in the terrorist surveillance program] could allow the monitoring of virtually any calls, e-mails or other communications going overseas that originate in the United States, without a [warrant], if the government deems the recipient to be the target of a U.S. probe."

Sounds frighteningly intrusive, doesn't it? Downright unconstitutional? Utterly offensive to those historic and familiar words, "The right of the people to be secure ... against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause ..."?

Well, not to worry, since "Under the administration's version of the bill, the director of national intelligence and the attorney general can authorize the surveillance...."

Butch Cassidy-like, for a minute there we thought we were in trouble. But, given Alberto Gonzales' unbesmirched veracity and virtue, and given Congress' outspoken confidence in his abilities and judgment, our peace of mind is intact. The Republic is safe, for Alberto is in, and still in charge.

Let us not even ponder the slippery-sloped ramifications -- for instance, that we started with a "secret court" approving warrants on citizens, yet now, even star chambers are too fastidiously quaint. We've matured. Now, the simple stroke of a pen by a known and bumbling felon -- a wannabe dictator's puppeteered jackal -- can put you under a federal microscope. But please know it's for your own good, your safety, your protection from those who hate your theoretical freedoms.

So let us ponder that not. It's too depressing. Let us, rather, return to the burlesque -- a show that never seems to close and always seems to feature an entertaining cast of cowering Democrats.

True, less than 20 percent of House Dems voted along with the Senate to white-out the Fourth Amendment. But it was the leadership's all too typical, after-the-fact, "Boy, are we going to get tough now" attitude that made the entire party look so foolish.

The TSP changes are slated to expire in six months, but, sternly admonished the House Democratic Caucus chairman, Rahm Emanuel, "There is no way we are ever going to wait six months." What he omitted was, "But we've got this dang summer vacation we simply must take, and its urgency takes precedence over the Constitution."

Also omitted was any acknowledgement that six months from now will be six months nearer to the next terrorizing election -- a season when "Boo!" will come with an even more powerful kick, and, likely, an even more cowardly reception.

Comments

[Dan]

A handy guide to those who voted "yes" and their home pages:

http://pruningshears.squarespace.com/pruning-shears/2007/8/5/house-fisa-yes-votes.html

[Mike5000]

The Dims have given six months Gonzales to authorize spying on Dims, and the authorizations last a year. So Rove gets to spy on the Dims throughout the '08 elections.

Why does the DLC keep pushing Dim surrender monkeys on us? Pick any neighborhood in the country and you could find three hundred smarter and more honorable Democrats.

[beamer]

absolutely!...bettr to chose our reps. by lottery then this sorry lot..it's an idea i've floated for years-also pick police like jury's & a mandatory draft with no exclusions.....we have created an unmerited society and i believe it ALL stems from inherited wealth..Let's tax the worthless greedheads out of existence! George Bush is the poster boy for the dangers of inherited wealth.......

[DH]

Look. it is hard to fathem what is required to not give the repugs a voice to stand on, but maybe we sacrifice now to reap our gains in the future. Although i know, centrist demogogs stink up the real party's base.

[Jim C]

Beamer , you absolutely nailed it . The core of conservativism is the unspoken belief that a large ( or any ) middle class that can inhibit or challange the will and or power of birthright and wealth is an abomination . Many of these old money families see themselves as aristocrats who are simply better than the commoners and are preordained to rule over them . This democracy thing is only tolerable as long as the lower classes stay in their place and serve the needs of the ruling class . Our would be rulers realize their would be serfs might not agree to this setup if given a choice . Thus they need useful idiots who can be duped into following their program without realizing what it really is . Religious wingnuts , libertarians , social conservatives provide the unthinking manpower . Free market nonsense ( as long as they control it ) , rugged individualism ( neither they or their pampered prissy offspring included ) , social issues ( oppression of personal freedom ) , jingoism ( always a favorite of tyrants and dictators ) and fundamentalist religion ( lemmings who can be sold their worldview as " gods will " and rallied inmasse with phoney issues ) .

[Otto King]

Good post. Another black mark - on us - for allowing the loss of another freedom. Beginning to think there can be no other alternative to an armed
insurrection.