Democrats

Double The Pleasure

This entry was posted in Democrats on by

You all know the good news. Beginning in January there will no longer be a republican congressional rubber stamp. The bad news is that the democrats will have a majority in congress.

With this situation the pleasure of political opining will be doubled. For the past 6 years the republicans have been sitting ducks. There have been daily opportunities to point out their stupidities, foibles and immoral behavior. To be honest they are getting a bit boring. While we will still have the daily disaster of bush we will get the added pleasure of fresh meat in congress.

Gosh, they aren’t even waiting until January. At least one senior democrat wants to bring back the draft:

U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, the incoming chairman of the House of Representatives’ tax-writing committee, said he would introduce legislation to reinstate the draft as soon as the new, Democratic-controlled Congress convenes in January.

Asked on CBS’ “Face the Nation” if he was still serious about the proposal for a universal draft he raised a couple of years ago, he said, “You bet your life. Underscore serious.”

“If we’re going to challenge Iran and challenge North Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can’t do that without a draft,” he said.

Rangel, who opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, also said he did not think the United States would have invaded Iraq if the children of members of Congress were sent to fight. He has said the U.S. fighting force is comprised disproportionately of people from low-income families and minorities.It is a bit ironic that the party, or at least one if its current leaders, that brought us the Vietnam war and riots on the street in opposition to the draft now wants to bring the draft back.

rangel’s proposal may be nothing more than a ploy to try to reinvigorate antiwar sentiment by tying it back together with the draft. Unfortunately he might get what he asks for not what he may be wishing for and is there any doubt bush would sign such legislation? What a treat for him. No more worry about recruitment rates getting in the way of a supply of bodies and he can blame the dems.

rangel also argues:

“I don’t see how anyone can support the war and not support the draft. I think to do so is hypocritical,” he said.

Supporting the war and not supporting a draft is not hypocritical. The latter, in fact, is a position all those who believe in freedom should support.

In the case of war supporters, well, they should all be automatically noted as volunteers for military service. No draft needed.

Also curious is why a black congress person would argue to bring back slavery…

The Republican Way

This entry was posted in Democrats Domestic Terrorism Drug Laws Republicans on by

John Cole’s description is pretty accurate:

The right wing of the Republican party has sold the libertarian/centrist wing of the party a bill of goods, and the modern ‘conservatives’ are clearly nothing more than statists who, rather than redistributing wealth like their brethern on the left, instead have decided that the state must have excessive rights in order to ‘protect’ us all from whatever the imagined fear du jour might be. Meanwhile, no one is left protecting us from the religionists and the the state itself.
In the new Republican era, only fetuses , tax shelters, and ‘traditional’ marriage deserve protection. According to the actions of the current Republican party, the rest of us need to be wiretapped, monitored, have our homes inspected for whatever reason without warrants, and are incapable of making decisions on our own.

He does give the left more of a break than deserved as they would like to control and protect us from every imagined ill that repugs haven’t latched on to and, sadly, both are strongly vested in many areas.

For example, the drug war. The case which kicked off John’s post was a 4th amendment case, Georgia V Randolph, in which the Georgia Supreme Court had ruled that the seizure of some cocaine was unconstitutional. Lawyers and pundits have spending many words over the privacy and search issues involved in the case. In a free country, one not proctored by the above mentioned dems and reps, this case would never happen. Unless, say, Randolph stole his cocaine. Otherwise there is no legitmate crime here.

The dems Dig Their Own Grave

This entry was posted in Democrats Politics on by

It would be great if these responses to Hackett’s announcement from Ohio are but the start of a tidal wave.
The only thing better for the US than the dissolution of the political parties would be the dissolution of the federal governement. As long as we are burdened by it we might as well move ahead to a time when our congressional critters represent the people who elect them and not a state party clique or crooked national level fund raisers.

Independent or not at all!

Will abramoff rollover?

This entry was posted in Campaign Finance Constitution Democracy Democrats Domestic Terrorism Economics Federal Government Government on by

There appears to be a good chance that abramoff will rollover on his former associates:

Jack Abramoff, the Republican lobbyist under criminal investigation, has been discussing with prosecutors a deal that would grant him a reduced sentence in exchange for testimony against former political and business associates, people with detailed knowledge of the case say.
Mr. Abramoff is believed to have extensive knowledge of what prosecutors suspect is a wider pattern of corruption among lawmakers and Congressional staff members. One participant in the case who insisted on anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations described him as a “unique resource.”
Other people involved in the case or who have been officially briefed on it said the talks had reached a tense phase, with each side mindful of the date Jan. 9, when Mr. Abramoff is scheduled to stand trial in Miami in a separate prosecution.
What began as a limited inquiry into $82 million of Indian casino lobbying by Mr. Abramoff and his closest partner, Michael Scanlon, has broadened into a far-reaching corruption investigation of mainly Republican lawmakers and aides suspected of accepting favors in exchange for legislative work.

It would be a good thing if this snares some dems as well. Perhaps people will begin understanding the kind of culture that evolves when you create a mob wealth transfer machine the size of the us federal government and that the smaller wealth transfer operations at the city, county and state level are simply breeding grounds for the scumsects at the federal level.
Via Raw Story.

Party Time

This entry was posted in Constitution Democrats Federal Government Government Libertarianism on by

That is Tea Party Time!
Don’t like the way the gov’mnt is spending your money? Will write a real letter to a congress critter (senate and house) letting them know your thoughts and include a tea bag (I’m thinking used tea bags will be most appropriate).
While it is unlikely that any of these folks will listen to you instead of their k street or texas masters it will be a bit of fun to jab away at the republocrats.
Oh, and no reason to exclude your state and local folks.
Via Carnival of Liberty.