Democrats: Oops
The New York Times reports that the Democrats are now worried about the bill they recently supported, which gave the administration more power to spy on people:
Broad new surveillance powers approved by Congress this month could allow the Bush administration to conduct spy operations that go well beyond wiretapping to include — without court approval — certain types of physical searches on American soil and the collection of Americans’ business records, Democratic Congressional officials and other experts said.
Administration officials acknowledged that they had heard such concerns from Democrats in Congress recently, and that there was a continuing debate over the meaning of the legislative language. But they said the Democrats were simply raising theoretical questions based on a harsh interpretation of the legislation.
They also emphasized that there would be strict rules in place to minimize the extent to which Americans would be caught up in the surveillance.
The dispute illustrates how lawmakers, in a frenetic, end-of-session scramble, passed legislation they may not have fully understood and may have given the administration more surveillance powers than it sought.
Rather late, isn’t it? I find this to be typical Democratic behavior. First they vote for a bill Bush wants them to vote for and then, when it is too late, then and only then, they seem to take the time to think about it and about how it can be interpreted as well. The Democrats should know by now that Bush and Cheney (and Gonzales) are determined to give more power to the executive. They believe that the executive should have virtually unlimited power(s). One need not be a rocket scientist to understand this. Somehow, however, the Democratic leadership seems to refuse to accept this and, then, complains and nags when it is too late. They first voted in favor of the war (without reading the NIE report), then they voted in favor of this bill (without understanding it and thinking it through). A little later they act as if they are greatly surprised and if not they, no only the Republicans are to blame.
Nonsense of course.
Read more at The Gazette.
4 Responses to “Democrats: Oops”
Two words: Spine deficit.
I’ve long been a democrat leaning independent, but even the pre-06 dem rhetoric seemed too restrained to me. And now they are in a position of at least some power, they seem to be, with a few exceptions, willing to mostly acquiesce to the same low and dangerous standards we’ve seen so much of this century.
Maybe it isn’t a spine deficit, maybe it’s a history deficit, maybe it’s an intellect deficit, maybe all three. Maybe there is this great fear of frightening potential voters by actually taking off the gloves (even though they should have been taken off long ago). Maybe they no longer know HOW to take off the gloves. Maybe their namby pambyness will keep them in a minority status even when the 08 election is theirs to lose.
Hey, I’m not ragging on them cuz I don’t like them, as I said, I’ve been a dem more often than not; I just get tired of having to continue lowering my expectations. If ever there was a time for avenging political angels and inspired leadership, this is it!
I don’t see anything on the horizon yet…
A culture of dictatorship?…
A number of blogs (both rightish, leftish and centrish) seem to be wising up to something that ought to concern everyone. The Democrats are either going along with or giving dictatorial powers the very Republicans they claim should not have……
They are rather nervous nellies aren’t they? I was disgusted by this, but at least it was only authorized for 6 months. They seem to still be terrified by the WH’s power to cast them as weak on national defense and terrorist enablers.
they need to Read the Fine Print…