When you go to the polls this November, it’s important to realize that the Republican stranglehold on Congress is just as bad as their hold on the White House.
They’ve hijacked the legislative process by bending — and breaking — the rules over and over. For example:
The Republican-led House bowed to a White House veto threat Thursday and stood by the USA Patriot Act, defeating an effort to block the part of the anti-terrorism law that helps the government investigate people’s reading habits.
The effort to defy Bush and bridle the law’s powers lost by 210-210, with a majority needed to prevail. The amendment appeared on its way to victory as the roll call’s normal 15-minute time limit expired, but GOP leaders kept the vote open for 23 more minutes as they persuaded about 10 Republicans who initially supported the provision to change their votes.
“Shame, shame, shame,” Democrats chanted as the minutes passed and votes were switched. The tactic was reminiscent of last year’s House passage of the Medicare overhaul measure, when GOP leaders held the vote open for an extra three hours until they got the votes they needed.
It’s time to get these people out of power. If, in fact, that’s even possible now that they’ve rewritten all the parliamentary rules and redrawn districts.
Perhaps this vote on the PATRIOT Act explains the strange announcement from Homeland Security today — Tom Ridge was hoping to scare Congress into allowing him to rape our civil liberties in this formerly free country.
Critics of the Patriot Act argued that even without it, investigators can get book store and other records simply by obtaining subpoenas or search warrants. Those traditional investigative tools are harder to get from grand juries or courts than orders issued under the Patriot Act, which do not require authorities to show probable cause.
