Post in Minnesota U.S. Senate Race

Jun 23 17:50 UTC

So, I noted that the Democratically controlled House has provided
retroactive immunity to the telcoms who broke the law on the request
of the president and helped the administration spy on Americans
without the necessary court orders.  The Democratically controlled
Senate is expected to support the bill as well.

I also noted that the Democratically controlled congress is voting to
expand the administrations capability to do this legally in the
future.

While the Democratically controlled congress is responsible for
passing this through to Bush, I certainly don't let the Republicans
off the hook.  All but one of them voted for this bill and Bush is
reputed to be quite pleased.

Does anyone know if Franken has commented on the bill and if he's
stated how he would vote on it if he were in the Senate?  Does anyone
know if Coleman plans to vote for it?  I'd be amazed but pleased if he
voted against it, but its worth asking.

I guess the Republicans didn't need to win congress last time around,
they're getting anything they want anyway.

My guess is that the Democrats are thinking about November and think
that being Republican-lite will win the independent voters and who
else are the progressives going to vote for anyway?

This is why we need some strong third/fourth/fifth parties in this
state.  If for no other reason than to keep politicians paying
attention to their alleged values in order to keep their base.

This independent voter is seriously considering using political party
as a litmus test**. If it says "Democrat" or "Republican" next to a
candidate's name, they don't get my vote.  If the Dems win the White
House and the Congress this time around, and don't do some real good
with the power they've been handed, I just can't see even being able
to hold my nose and vote for them again.

...

Retroactive Amnesty. Let your mind wander the implications of that a bit.

I wasn't going to say that the implication is that now we have no
rights and now  on the order of the president, anyone can be spied on,
arrested, tortured, or held without charges regardless of laws or due
process and anyone assisting in this action may well be held
unaccountable.  I wasn't going to say it because I thought it was
hyperbolic.

Then, I reflected a bit on recent history and recalled that we've been
seeing that for a while now.   This vote was just a step to legitimize
it a bit more.

- phaedrus, minneapolis

(** I won't ever REALLY use it as a litmus test as some good
candidates keep ending up in that party, but "Democrat" may well start
ending being a strike against a candidate where it used to be my
default vote.  In the last eight years, the party as a whole has shown
itself to either be spineless, soulless, or both.)