A competing bill passed last month by the intelligence committee would broaden the government's powers by allowing the Federal Bureau of Investigation to demand records in terrorism investigations without a judge's order and to have sole discretion in monitoring the mail of some terrorism suspects. That proposal has the strong backing of the Bush administration.
Seems to me to be a blatant 4th Amendment violation, but they obviously don't care about such petty things as the Constitution. I have not read the BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU ACT, but I know about many of it's worst provisions, it sounds as though many of them remain in the bill. This is a bill that even people in the most conservative State in the Country hate, Idaho. Both Idaho Congressmen now oppose the BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU ACT, as do both Idaho's Senators, Craig and Crapo. All but Butch Otter voted for it the first time and now oppose it. This is a winning issue for Democrats, we should vote against it, and use it to underscore the basic fact that Democrats believe in Privacy while Republicans don't. Nonetheless, 43 Democratic Congressmen voted in favor of re-authorization. Without further ado, here is the updated list of those Democrats who deserve a primary challenge, cross checked with the previous list of those who voted to undermine the 1st Amendment. Those who voted for the flag burning amendment will be in bold.
Robert Andrews (NJ-1)
Joe Baca (CA-43)
John Barrow (GA-12)
Mellissa Bean (IL-8)
Sanford Bishop (GA-2)
Dan Boren (OK-2)
Leonard Boswell (IA-3)
G.K. Butterfield (NC-1)
Benjamin Cardin (MD-3)
Russ Carnahan (MO-3)
Ed Case (HI-2)
Ben Chandler (KY-6)
James Clybern (SC-6)
Jim Cooper (TN-5)
Bud Cramer (AL-5)
Jim Davis (FL-11)
Lincoln Davis (TN-4)
Artur Davis (AL-7)
Chet Edwards (TX-17)
Rham Emanuel (IL-5)
Bob Etheridge (NC-2)
Bart Gordon (TN-6)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Jane Harman (CA-36)
Stephanie Herseth (SD-1)
Brian Higgins (NY-27)
Tim Holden (PA-17)
Steny Hoyer (MD-5)---PARTY WHIP-WTF?
Daniel Lipinski (IL-3)
Jim Marshall (GA-3)
Mike Mcintyre (NC-7)
Charlie Melancon (LA-3)
Bob Menendez (NJ-13)
Brad Miller (NC-13)
Soloman Ortiz (TX-27)
Earle Pomeroy (ND-1)
Silvestre Reyes (TX-16)
Mike Ross (AR-4)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-2)
Allysun Schwartz (PA-13)
David Scott (GA-13)
Ike Skelton (MO-4)
John Spratt (SC-5)
After comparing my two lists with the list of 31 losers, and adding the "Class Action Fairness Act," a pretty clear line can be drawn as to who is really not a Democrat, if you can't resemble a Democrat then let the voters choose between a real Democrat or a
Mellissa Bean (IL-8)
Dan Boren (OK-2)
Ben Chandler (KY-6)
Bud Cramer (AL-5)
Chet Edwards (TX-17)
Bart Gordon (TN-6)
Charlie Melancon (LA-3)
David Scott (GA-13)
There is simply no excuse to have party loyalty that miserable. Those in bold on the list of 8 are members of the Blue Dog Coalition. 5 major bills in which a majority of Democrats have opposed a majority of Republicans that these 8 have voted the Republican Party line. If you have a voting record that bad you have no business representing the Democratic Party in Congress. These people have no disginguishing characteristics to separate them from your average Republican.
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2 comments:
In a time of war it becomes ever more important to avoid becoming our enemies, to defend the basic values that America stands for. Lincoln and FDR made great mistakes, but they had dynamic Presidencies worthy of remembering, their triumphs were greater than their failures. There is nothing to suggest that FDR gave any real thought to Japanese internment, he was presented with an executive order and asked to sign it. I'm sure some thought went into its signing, but there are few statements to suggest that beyond that FDR put any real thought into it. It was his great mistake within an otherwise great Presidency. We are a party of moderates and liberals, there is no room for such staunch conservatives as the 8 I have singled out, they are DINOs, and have so little Party loyalty that nothing separates them from the right wing of the Republican Party. I support moderates like Wu as well as liberals like Kucinich, they all Represent different approaches to core Democratic values, David Scott or Mellissa Bean don't represent those values at all, they flee from the Party ranks consistently, many on my two lists are gutless, those 8 however, oppose equity, liberty, and fairness, basic American values that Democrats must defend, without those values what separates the greatness of America from the horror of the Taliban or the Iranian Mullahs, or the Saudi Royal family?
Abe,
The Democratic Party of the 60's was much more conservative in a lot of ways. In the 60's, the South was still completely Democratic and hence sent a lot of Democrats to Congress who still favored segregation. However, the Democratic party has lost a lot of its former base in the South because of "moral issues". It's important to win back the South, and opposing moderate-to conservative Dems in the primaries will only hurt the party.
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