Saturday, March 19, 2005
Goodnight, moon
God, why doesn't somebody cut the Pentagon's feeding tube? And big oil and MBNA's, while we're at it? Oh, you think people aren't dying for those reasons? You don't think that? Why on earth not? Puh-leeze.
Steroids weren't enough of a distraction, so now Terry Schiavo. Utterly shameless and disgusting. Delay's kinda like a drunken stranger showing up at a funeral, making a loud speech, and then vomiting into the cold cuts before collapsing into a corner. Anyone in the family know who that guy is? No, didn't think do.
Of course, from a purely political standpoint, you've gotta give the Partei credit. They have an eye for the main chance like no political machine in the history of thhe world. Most Americans don't know who Delay is, and this is how he's going to introduce himself to them. As a defender of "life."
"Culture of life," my sweet Aunt Fanny. Tell that to the 250 death row inmates Bush had killed with sloppy memos written by Alberto Gonzales. Tell that to the 3000 WTC dead who might be alive today if Condi had read the 200 memos Clarke sent her on Al Qaeda. Tell that to the 1500 American dead in Iraq. Tell that to the 100,000 Iraqi civilians. Tell that to the working poor, the sick, the old, the homeless who are going to die, with no Good Samaritan to defend them, while the money that could prolong their days and give them dignity gets pissed away in tax cuts for those who already have so much they don't know what to do with it.
And for some reason, the Dems—the gutless, feckless Beltway Dems—they're letting Delay use them as a shovel to dig himself out of a jam. Worse, they're letting Delay use the living corpse of a braindead woman to dig himself out of a jam.
Fine, politically this is all brutal: An unstoppable train. Do the Dems actually have to get on board? Do they have to ask the engineer if they can sit in his lap, wear his hat for a minute, and maybe blow the whistle once? WTF?
I'm not asking for Harry Reid to speak out; I'm just asking him to be silent, and be smart enough to have a surrogate say something like: "I'm sure Congressman Delay's recent legal and ethical troubles have nothing to do with this." Or "I'm sure the collapse of Bush's plans to phase out Social Security would never lead him to change the subject in this way." Or "The Constitution, if Congressman Delay will study it for a moment, forbids making laws directed at individuals." Et cetera. Or maybe, just maybe, talk about life as it should be. Eh?
Yet the gutless, feckless, craven, enabling—oh, I'm sorry, "responsible"—Beltway Dems bend over once again, and ask the Republicans "Please sir, may I have some more?"
All when 80% of Americans, were they in Terry Schiavo's position, a living corpse, would to die with dignity, a dignity Delay has grossly, obscenely violated, all for a momentary bump in the polls.
Good lord almighty. Have they no decency? At long last, have they no decency?
UPDATE
Gee, Sunday. Well, at least they had the decency not to wait 'til Easter Sunday. I guess that would have been too much, even for these guys.
Good for Wexler. Does Reid have his back? Surely you jest:
"Please sir, may I some more?" Again, if it's unstoppable, fine. But be silent! Don't let the enemy pat you on the head! Like Harkin, for example:
Right down that yellow streak in the middle of the road. Because you know one thing that makes "life" here in the US good? The Constitution. Which, of course, the Republicans have no respect for, indeed no knowledge of. Think that's over the top?
Right, doesn't set a precedent... What does that remind me of? Wait a minute... Oh, Bush v. Gore! But it's worse. What Sensenbrenner doesn't understand is that it's exactly the bill's narrow drawing that makes it a bill of attainder—a law in which the legislature usurps the judicial function by targeting a single individual.
Why is that bad? Well, let's do a little thought experiment. We all remember this heartwarming story about Senator Santorum:
So, look. The Republicans, no matter what they say, have just set a precedent where laws can be passed targetting individuals; again, that's a bill of attainder, forbidden by the Constitution.
So, could Congress pass a law putting the Santorums, personally, in jail for abusing a corpse? Yes, they could. In fact, when you think about it, that's exactly what the Republicans are doing to Terry Schiavo right now.
And, could Congress pass a law targetting you because you didn't bring your dead child home for your living children to touch? Sure. That's the precedent they've set.
All dignity, all honesty, all pretence at fairness or decency, all gone. The Constitution, gone. All so Tom Delay doesn't get indicted, Santorum holds his seat, and Bush gets a bump in the polls, and maybe gets to gut Social Security after all.
Unbelievable. Maybe if half the country had any representation in Washington... Oh, but I dream, don't I. Night, all.
Steroids weren't enough of a distraction, so now Terry Schiavo. Utterly shameless and disgusting. Delay's kinda like a drunken stranger showing up at a funeral, making a loud speech, and then vomiting into the cold cuts before collapsing into a corner. Anyone in the family know who that guy is? No, didn't think do.
Of course, from a purely political standpoint, you've gotta give the Partei credit. They have an eye for the main chance like no political machine in the history of thhe world. Most Americans don't know who Delay is, and this is how he's going to introduce himself to them. As a defender of "life."
"Culture of life," my sweet Aunt Fanny. Tell that to the 250 death row inmates Bush had killed with sloppy memos written by Alberto Gonzales. Tell that to the 3000 WTC dead who might be alive today if Condi had read the 200 memos Clarke sent her on Al Qaeda. Tell that to the 1500 American dead in Iraq. Tell that to the 100,000 Iraqi civilians. Tell that to the working poor, the sick, the old, the homeless who are going to die, with no Good Samaritan to defend them, while the money that could prolong their days and give them dignity gets pissed away in tax cuts for those who already have so much they don't know what to do with it.
And for some reason, the Dems—the gutless, feckless Beltway Dems—they're letting Delay use them as a shovel to dig himself out of a jam. Worse, they're letting Delay use the living corpse of a braindead woman to dig himself out of a jam.
Fine, politically this is all brutal: An unstoppable train. Do the Dems actually have to get on board? Do they have to ask the engineer if they can sit in his lap, wear his hat for a minute, and maybe blow the whistle once? WTF?
I'm not asking for Harry Reid to speak out; I'm just asking him to be silent, and be smart enough to have a surrogate say something like: "I'm sure Congressman Delay's recent legal and ethical troubles have nothing to do with this." Or "I'm sure the collapse of Bush's plans to phase out Social Security would never lead him to change the subject in this way." Or "The Constitution, if Congressman Delay will study it for a moment, forbids making laws directed at individuals." Et cetera. Or maybe, just maybe, talk about life as it should be. Eh?
Yet the gutless, feckless, craven, enabling—oh, I'm sorry, "responsible"—Beltway Dems bend over once again, and ask the Republicans "Please sir, may I have some more?"
All when 80% of Americans, were they in Terry Schiavo's position, a living corpse, would to die with dignity, a dignity Delay has grossly, obscenely violated, all for a momentary bump in the polls.
Good lord almighty. Have they no decency? At long last, have they no decency?
UPDATE
The Senate session Saturday evening was convened to formally give necessary permission for the House to meet Sunday, when it otherwise would be in recess under a previously passed Easter recess resolution.
The plan is for the House to act on the two-page bill Sunday, or just after midnight Monday morning if someone objects to the bill being taken up on an expedited basis Sunday.
Gee, Sunday. Well, at least they had the decency not to wait 'til Easter Sunday. I guess that would have been too much, even for these guys.
Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., issued a statement late Saturday saying he will object to the unanimous consent request.
(ABC
Good for Wexler. Does Reid have his back? Surely you jest:
At a news conference after the Senate session Saturday, Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, thanked the Democratic leadership for cooperating on an expedited procedure to consider the legislation. He singled out Democratic Sens. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Carl Levin of Michigan as two who had reservations about the bill, but agreed not to use Senate rules or traditions to block its consideration.
"Please sir, may I some more?" Again, if it's unstoppable, fine. But be silent! Don't let the enemy pat you on the head! Like Harkin, for example:
Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, appeared at the news conference with Santorum and others in support of the compromise.
Right down that yellow streak in the middle of the road. Because you know one thing that makes "life" here in the US good? The Constitution. Which, of course, the Republicans have no respect for, indeed no knowledge of. Think that's over the top?
GOP Rep. James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said the measure was "narrowly targeted" and did not set a precedent.
Right, doesn't set a precedent... What does that remind me of? Wait a minute... Oh, Bush v. Gore! But it's worse. What Sensenbrenner doesn't understand is that it's exactly the bill's narrow drawing that makes it a bill of attainder—a law in which the legislature usurps the judicial function by targeting a single individual.
Why is that bad? Well, let's do a little thought experiment. We all remember this heartwarming story about Senator Santorum:
Their fourth baby died ... two hours after an emergency delivery. The [Santorums] took [the] body home to let their three young children see and hold the [dead] baby before burying him, according to Karen Santorum’s book of the ordeal, "Letters to Gabriel."
So, look. The Republicans, no matter what they say, have just set a precedent where laws can be passed targetting individuals; again, that's a bill of attainder, forbidden by the Constitution.
So, could Congress pass a law putting the Santorums, personally, in jail for abusing a corpse? Yes, they could. In fact, when you think about it, that's exactly what the Republicans are doing to Terry Schiavo right now.
And, could Congress pass a law targetting you because you didn't bring your dead child home for your living children to touch? Sure. That's the precedent they've set.
All dignity, all honesty, all pretence at fairness or decency, all gone. The Constitution, gone. All so Tom Delay doesn't get indicted, Santorum holds his seat, and Bush gets a bump in the polls, and maybe gets to gut Social Security after all.
Unbelievable. Maybe if half the country had any representation in Washington... Oh, but I dream, don't I. Night, all.
