Democrats enable Republican abuse
The Republicans wiped out half the Bill of Rights, and the Democrats didn’t even attempt a filibuster. They just stood by, like an enabling mother who lets her husband abuse the kids. This national dysfunction must end. Make that emergency call and Vote Green November 7. Below is a press release I wrote for the Cavlan campaign:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
The Committee to Elect Michael Cavlan
Contact: Michael Cavlan (612) 327-6902 or Dori Ullman (612) 414-9528
GREEN PARTY U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE MICHAEL CAVLAN CONDEMNS MILITARY COMMISSIONS ACT
Minneapolis, MN ** Michael Cavlan, Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate in Minnesota, has condemned the Military Commissions Act of 2006 as unconstitutional and un-American. In a statement issued Tuesday, October 17, the day President Bush signed the Act, Cavlan blasted Senate Democrats for not attempting a filibuster.
"In a long list of cowardly acts by those who are supposed to serve us and defend the constitution, this one is the most stunning. If ever there was a time to mount an organized filibuster, this was it. Our represented leaders from both parties failed the American people and should be ashamed of themselves."
The bill authorizes the permanent detention of anyone "determined to be an unlawful enemy combatant" by a tribunal "established under the authority of the President or the Secretary of Defense." It states that "the President has the authority for the United States to interpret the meaning and application of the Geneva Conventions" regarding prisoner treatment, and that "No court, justice, or judge shall have jurisdiction to hear or consider an application for a writ of habeas corpus" for non-U.S. citizens. Habeas corpus, the right to challenge one’s detention in court, has origins in the Magna Carta of 1215, the main document which led to the rule of constitutional law.
Constitutional violations by the Military Commissions Act include Amendments Four through Eight. The amendments cover the right of the people to be secure in their persons and houses, the right to due process of law, the right to a speedy and public trial, the right to a jury, and protection against cruel and unusual punishment.
For more information on the Cavlan for U.S. Senate Campaign, see: www.cavlan.org.
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posted by Tom Cleland @ 10/20/2006 06:51:00 PM
12 comments
12 Comments:
Pretty sad when the Green's idea of self promotion is purely to attack other elements of the left. Is there another strategy? Or is that as creative as the Green party gets?
Why didn't the Democrats mount an organized filibuster?
I didn't notice any attack on the left.
A positive approach would be to say when the Greens are in power and the republicans do X, they will lead a filibuster. The negative approach is to whine--why didn't the Democrats have a filibuster?
The positive approach is to title your post--"What the Greens will do in power". The negative approach is to title it "Democrats Enable Republican Abuse."
And until the Greens start focusing on what they will do, as opposed to whining about what other parties aren't doing, they will run the same obstacles that keep preventing a lot of Democrats from winning their races. Cause no one votes for whiners.
Our state party platform: http://www.mngreens.org/platform.php.
We’re also for the Bill of Rights, but to be for it, we have to be against wiping it out.
Since no one has answered my question yet, maybe I can help by sharing what I heard on Thom Hartmann. Apparently, the Democrats agreed not to filibuster, and in return the Republicans allowed them to offer five amendments, all of which were voted down.
The Democrats had to know they were going to lose either way. Why deal with the Devil? Did they need excuses to take back to their home states? This new law will make it nearly impossible to impeach and imprison Bush if the Dems take power. What dynamics are at play that they would let him off the hook like that? And to make matters worse, today Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi pledged that "impeachment is off the table."
An organized filibuster takes 41 votes. The Democrats hold 44 seats. They claim they could only get 34 votes. Something is wrong. Democracy is at stake here, folks. What kind of party would let 10 of its members walk away from Democracy? Did they want to get back to campaigning? If that’s how the game is played, whose fault is that?
Please ask your heroes and get back to me.
It is so critical to eliminate the Republican majority in Congress that NO ONE should consider voting Green.
Why didn't the Democrats organize a filibuster?
Why didn't the Green Party block the entrances to the Capitol Building?
Your throwing firebombs into a burning boarding house Tom.
When we've got pussies like you paint the Democrats to be in Congress - then you can get something done and call for change without being arrested without warrant and move forward as a Partiot.
Not with a Republican Majority though and you are enableing the continued Republican rape of America with you divisive tactics.
If the boarding house is burning, it’s both Republicans and Democrats that are doing it. Say you win. Pelosi herself said she won’t bring Bush to justice. How can you trust your heroes? A filibuster probably would have gotten more media attention than us risking arrest outside the capitol building. I still haven’t heard a satisfactory answer why the Dems didn’t filibuster.
I’ve got a bucket of water. If we all throw a bucket of water on the fire, we can put it out. You may think you’ve quelled it for a while with the Dems, but you’re still going to have smoldering embers, destroying the foundation and ready to ignite.
Until we reform the election laws and institute proportional representation and instant-runoff voting or some other modern system, splitting the vote enables Republicans. So get off your hypocritical high horse and work toward something effective, not just symbolic.
Why didn't the Democrats mount an organized filibuster?
"Why didn't the Democrats mount an organized filibuster?"
Tom, You're a bright guy I believe that you can figure that one out if you apply yourself to the entirety of what was going on.
I really think you can, I think that you don't want to.
That's ok, we managed to a third of the government without you.
We won't forget how little you cared. Green has become just another word for "I want to bitch".
Because unless you align with someone else, you're never going to have the power to effect even the smallest of your goals.
Why didn't the Green Party block the entrances to the Capitol Building?
Like I said above, we would be risking arrest, whereas the filibuster is the appropriate lawful procedure to resist tyranny. Plus the dems have a lot more people, money, and power. And guess what? We do attempt civil disobedience in various ways. See my post "Crashing the Debate." One of the things I yelled was "Habeas Corpus" -- this very issue!
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