They've gone and done it:
The Senate today -- led by Jay Rockefeller, enabled by Harry Reid, and with the active support of at least 12 (and probably more) Democrats, in conjunction with an as-always lockstep GOP caucus -- will vote to legalize warrantless spying on the telephone calls and emails of Americans, and will also provide full retroactive amnesty to lawbreaking telecoms, thus forever putting an end to any efforts to investigate and obtain a judicial ruling regarding the Bush administration's years-long illegal spying programs aimed at Americans. The long, hard efforts by AT&T, Verizon and their all-star, bipartisan cast of lobbyists to grease the wheels of the Senate -- led by former Bush 41 Attorney General William Barr and former Clinton Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick -- are about to pay huge dividends, as such noble efforts invariably do with our political establishment.
Amnesty Day for Bush and lawbreaking telecoms
If you aren't completely revolted by your government today, then you're operating without a clue. These people have sold us out for a few lousy campaign dollars, and the chance to make the laughable claim that they've made us safer.
For failing to remember their oaths as officers of the U.S. government, and selling out our freedoms so they didn't have to explain to the public that we wouldn't be any safer if the government was able to listen in on our private conversations when they don't know who the terrorists are in the first place, these members of our "deliberative body" have earned the least-coveted award this blog awards, the Beggie:
- All Republican Senators. Yes, we don't really expect any better of you, but you're not off the hook this time. You've rolled over and begged every time the Bush Administration has told you to do it. You guys are supposed to be the ones who are getting government off our backs. Instead, you've managed to chain them to us.
- Majority non-Leader Harry Reid, for allowing this vote to happen over the objections of his own party, and
- These Democratic Senators, who all voted for cloture. They're the other ones who let this bill pass:
- Max Baucus (D-MT)
- Evan Bayh (D-IN)
- Thomas Carper (D-DE)
- Robert Casey (D-PA)
- Kent Conrad (D-ND)
- Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
- Daniel Inouye (D-HI)
- Tim Johnson (D-SD)
- Herb Kohl (D-WI)
- Joe (Short Ride) Lieberman (ID-CT)
- Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
- Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
- Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
- Bill Nelson (D-FL)
- Ben Nelson (D-NE)
- Mark Pryor (D-AR)
- Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
- Ken Salazar (D-CO)
- James Webb (D-VA)
- Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Many of these folks are repeat winners of this award, including Harry Reid. I'm ashamed to admit I helped support James Webb, thinking him a better alternative to the reprobate George Allen. Never again. This vote is unforgivable.
As you're no doubt aware, the "Roll Over And Beg" award, is awarded at random times to politicians whose pandering to absurd constituencies really honks me off. Winners of the award are entitled to an extra large dog biscuit, procurement of and payment for which is the responsibility of the awardee.
Enjoy your biscuits, ladies and gentlemen.
UPDATE: A couple hours after this article was posted, it received a couple of visits from the U.S. Senate that were within a minute of each other. Presumably, a couple of Senators' staffs thought this article quite amusing.
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