November 20, 2006, A break in the clouds?
Mahablog's Barbara sends us this discussion of legislation about to be introduced by Connecticut's Democratic Senator (Chris Dodd... the Democrat who isn't being cagey about his party affiliation)... to amend the Military Commissions Act to make it more in conformance with the legal and moral traditions of this nation... and civilization in general.
Good luck to Senator Dodd, as certainly, regular readers know what an abomination I personally consider our detention and purported adjudication policies. I would like this to be one of the four or five pillar pieces of legislation that the new Democratic led Congress immediately introduce, the others being an immediate tying of the minimum wage to Social Security cost of living increases (i.e., each will rise by the same percentage each year automatically), tying the "kick-out" wage rate of Social Security to automatically increase by the same amount, mandating paper back-ups in all federal elections, and perhaps expanding Medicare to all Americans under 18 (the last one will be... a little harder!) Also, the American people want immediate action on global warming. That will be a lot of new legislation, to be sure, not to mention mandating enforcement of our existing legislation, a lot of which is already very progressive and helpful.
Bipartisanship to get these things done would be wonderful; bipartisanship for its own sake is stupid, counterproductive, and indeed, it has been called just another word for date rape.
I didn't comment on the Steny Hoyer/John Murtha thing, but I'm glad it came down that way. Steny is more liberal; I remember him from my short stay at the then General Accounting Office-- he was taking it to the Reagan Administration, and I think he'll be the guy to take it to the Bush Administration. No, he's not perfect, but on net, he's damned effective-- and that's what our guys were elected to do: get things done. Gridlock, if it checks extremism, is an absolute good. If we get good things done as well, we can consider it a bonus.
Among those things not to get done are reinstating a draft... at least, not at this stage of the game.
Comments
Did someone try to introduce you to the Mile High Club and you were arrested?
Did someone try to take a ride down your hershey highway without your consent?
Did someone leave you with a pustule-littered reminder of a brief time together?
Hi, I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce myself to the Talking Dog community. I'm Peter Zwelleng, and I'm a new advertiser of this blog. I'm an attorney specializing in sexual negligence.
Please call me at 800-PARTS69.
In VA Gina Hertz, 401-233-7878.
Posted by Peter Zwelleng at November 20, 2006 6:32 PM
Hey Ladies and Germs:
I hope you can all make it out to Slappy's Laugh Palace this Saturday Night. I'll be opening for Michael Richards. I'm telling you. That Cracker's so stupid, he should be in Iraq. Helloooooo? Is this thing on? How could someone be dumb enough to blow his career over a bad standup act? I mean, I never use the N word in public. At least not since we got all this Mexican help around the house. (Wait for laughter) But seriously, folks. Try to see us this weekend, or next week at the Governor's Comedy Club in Tikrit. Shout out to my N people.
Posted by John "Schecky" Kerry at November 20, 2006 7:21 PM