three outrages
In this morning's news we can find three outrages that nicely summarize the state of America in summer 2008.
Outrage 1: Race Politics
Any thoughts that John McCain was "different" from the rest of the Republican Party - that McCain was "better" in any way, should be finally laid to rest by his absurd television commercials. And by their response. McCain's campaign links Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears - two white blondes of, ahem, questionable repute. And then McCain's campaign and McCain himself have the nerve to accuse Obama of playing the race card? In modern America, post-1964, only one party has played the race card in America - the Republican Party. The GOP, the party of Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond, of Patrick Buchanan and the "Southern Strategy" of wresting the loyalties of white racists from the Democrats. McCain accuses Obama of playing the race card? Blame the victim.
Outrage 2: The Monarchy I mean Imperial Presidency
A Federal district judge has ordered former White House counsel to appear before the House to answer questions about the Great US Attorney Massacre. The judge, John D. Bates, does not buy the de facto Bush Administration's maximalist position that the "unitary executive" means that NOBODY who works for the President in the executive branch (and that could be everybody, down to the lowliest clerk in the Veteran's Administration) can be held accountable by the legislative branch. Bates, by the way, was appointed by Bush. The key statement by Bates: "The Executive cannot be the judge of its own privilege and hence Ms. Miers is not entitled to absolute immunity from compelled congressional process."
Sorry, Bush-Cheney, but nobody else buys your theory that only the executive branch may judge the executive branch. We fought a war back in 1776 to get rid of the monarchy, we don't want an elected one to replace it. But it remains to be seen whether the Bushies obey the judicial and legislative branches' efforts to force them to tell them anything about anything. They've ignored decisions before, after all... and now only have 6 months left to delay before getting out of the White House scott-free.
Outrage 3: The New Police State
For the entire Bush Presidency, they have worked to expand police powers. Here is the latest example: the Customs and Border Protection people now have the right to take away from you any laptop, thumb-drive, documents, cellphones, ANYTHING they want when you enter at an airport. And they don't have to have any suspicions or any leads that you are a bad person, and they don't have to promise to keep your information private, and they don't have to commit to a specific time to give the stuff back to you. All to protect YOU from terrorism. And again, they need proof of nothing. If you look just look funny to the Customs agent, that's enough.
Frankly, I prefer the terrorists to the threat from an overweening police state of the sort the Bushes and Republicans are trying to set up. Don't we have any Constitutional protections any more? Apparently not.
Outrage 1: Race Politics
Any thoughts that John McCain was "different" from the rest of the Republican Party - that McCain was "better" in any way, should be finally laid to rest by his absurd television commercials. And by their response. McCain's campaign links Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears - two white blondes of, ahem, questionable repute. And then McCain's campaign and McCain himself have the nerve to accuse Obama of playing the race card? In modern America, post-1964, only one party has played the race card in America - the Republican Party. The GOP, the party of Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond, of Patrick Buchanan and the "Southern Strategy" of wresting the loyalties of white racists from the Democrats. McCain accuses Obama of playing the race card? Blame the victim.
Outrage 2: The Monarchy I mean Imperial Presidency
A Federal district judge has ordered former White House counsel to appear before the House to answer questions about the Great US Attorney Massacre. The judge, John D. Bates, does not buy the de facto Bush Administration's maximalist position that the "unitary executive" means that NOBODY who works for the President in the executive branch (and that could be everybody, down to the lowliest clerk in the Veteran's Administration) can be held accountable by the legislative branch. Bates, by the way, was appointed by Bush. The key statement by Bates: "The Executive cannot be the judge of its own privilege and hence Ms. Miers is not entitled to absolute immunity from compelled congressional process."
Sorry, Bush-Cheney, but nobody else buys your theory that only the executive branch may judge the executive branch. We fought a war back in 1776 to get rid of the monarchy, we don't want an elected one to replace it. But it remains to be seen whether the Bushies obey the judicial and legislative branches' efforts to force them to tell them anything about anything. They've ignored decisions before, after all... and now only have 6 months left to delay before getting out of the White House scott-free.
Outrage 3: The New Police State
For the entire Bush Presidency, they have worked to expand police powers. Here is the latest example: the Customs and Border Protection people now have the right to take away from you any laptop, thumb-drive, documents, cellphones, ANYTHING they want when you enter at an airport. And they don't have to have any suspicions or any leads that you are a bad person, and they don't have to promise to keep your information private, and they don't have to commit to a specific time to give the stuff back to you. All to protect YOU from terrorism. And again, they need proof of nothing. If you look just look funny to the Customs agent, that's enough.
Frankly, I prefer the terrorists to the threat from an overweening police state of the sort the Bushes and Republicans are trying to set up. Don't we have any Constitutional protections any more? Apparently not.
posted by Don Q Blogger at 12:39 PM
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