Hiding behind the Military and Getting shrill over Cornyn's Amendment
By John Amato Wednesday Sep 19, 2007 2:40pm
Today's vote on the Cornyn amendment is unconscionable. Warner stabs Webb in the back as the Republicans torpedo his amendment that supports the troops, but then Democrats cower and vote for this repulsive amendment. They took another step at destroying our freedom of speech.
Bush hid behind Gen. Petraeus' skirt as he did with Colin Powell. How quickly we and the media forget about his speech to the UN that brought us into this immoral war. He admitted it was the low point of his career. Here's the Barbara Walters interview from the wondrous C&L archives:
Powell: I will forever be known as the one who made the case for war.
Download (2899) | Play (1751) 
Download (1305) | Play (1202)
Dodd speaks out:
"It is a sad day in the Senate when we spend hours debating an ad while our young people are dying in Iraq. Now that the Senate has twice voted on this ad, it is time to move on and vote to end the war." - Chris Dodd
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Tell me again about all the great work the Democrats are doing?
Who forced them to go along with this sham?
Hey John, do you have footage from the "Values Voter Debate?" We put together a highlight reel from the YouTube clips available, but i haven't been able to find the whole thing.
We're now governed by ONE PARTY -- Demopublicans!
I'm disgusted.
The President hides behind women, his daddy, his family cronies. Everyone. The man has never taken responsibility for anything.
He is the prenultimate Idiot Son.
This "amendment" is a worthless scrap of paper but it certainly tells us that the Democratic party is absolutely afraid about taking any risk, no matter how small. Sorry people but risk is part of the game. You can't have everything---and by refusing to take a stand for honorable principles you stand for nothing.
I was surprised to see Leahy's name among those supporting this idiotic measure. Makes me want to quote Dick Cheney ...
So what I want to know is, who the hell can I vote for in the next election? This shameless grandstanding should have been met with one reaction by the Democrats: They should have walked out of the chamber.
All the little Liebermans...
The GOP-introduced resolution condemning MoveOn just passed by a huge margin, 72-25. Roughly half the Democrats in the Senate supported it.”
http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/09/reso_condemning_moveon_passes_over...
There’s the list of the Dems who voted for it: Dems voting for the reso: Baucus, Bayh, Cardin, Carper, Casey, Conrad, Dorgan, Feinstein, Johnson, Klobuchar, Kohl, Landrieu, Leahy, Lieberman, Lincoln, McCaskill, Mikulski, Bill Nelson, Ben Nelson, Pryor, Salazar, Tester, Webb. Webb & Lieberman agree! *huuurl*
What a bunch of cowards in the Congress! It's appalling and very disturbing.
Great comment at TPMElectionCentral:
Kevin wrote on September 20, 2007 1:13 PM:
Great. Now can we get them to condemn those Enzyte ads (I Hate Bob!!) and maybe that stupid E-Harmony thing? I'm more offended by those than by MoveOn.
Peter Feldstein @ 6:
You, sir, are absolutely correct! They should have walked out en masse and that's it! Where the hell is their collective backbone?
Liberal AND Proud @ 4:
Penultimate nothing... He is the ultimate Idiot Son! What a total pathetic disgrace he is.
These kinds of idiotic votes will continue to take place as long as we operate in our archaic electoral system. Each individual representative is constantly desperate to keep the favor of 50%+ of his constituency. They check the pulse of their individual constituencies to see if this is precisely the kind of non-issue that would hurt them in a mudslinging contest for the next campaign, and they do what they can to keep up appearances.
I'm not defending them. But we must revamp our electoral system.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah...I mean really!
as a democrat myself, i believe it's time to clean house completely.
no more pac supported senators or representatives. all those dems who
are supporting the president and the gop agenda-HAVE TO GO.
from an earlier post on C & L
"Everyone should all make a sign with the words
‘WHEN INJUSTICE BECOMES LAW, RESISTANCE BECOMES DUTY' ".
Ok...why doesn't some Dem now send a Ted Nugent bill to the floor and have the wing nuts condemn that....
To think a party thats supposed to be all about free speech had 25 members fall for this scam of a bill is terrifying.
well at least my two home states (OH, MI) have senators with spines!
hanshiro @ 7:
It's very disappointing that Democrats worked so hard to get some of these people elected in 2006: McCaskill, Tester and Webb.
Liberman is not a Democrat.
This whole thing is just more noise candy for the Teevee. They can cover this just to make it look like they cover politics in this country. I'm pretty disgusted by the whole thing.
I saw Australian PM Howard on Fox and thought for a second that perhaps they were going to cover something of at least modest international importance. Instead, the guy was talking about some 14-year-old model from Australia that there is some controversy about. I'm glad that I don't have T.V. and only get subjected to it in hotel rooms.
I actually feel sorry for Powell. A man who was simply being a good, loyal soldier. He took one for the team....as he's been trained. The Bush Adminstration clearly understands this...and takes MAJOR advantage of it.
Sad.
Kinda hard to say voting Democrat is good for American when they act like and/or placate Republicans. I'll give Republicans credit, they're wrong on almost all issues but they at least the have the fortitude to stand by their convictions and work like hell to accomplish their goals using any tactic they can muster. Democrats are just showing to be a bunch of politically inept cowards. People keep talking about the demise of Republicans but watch them quickly regroup and take back Congress. They may not win the White House but gaining back Congress is all they need to control the agenda. Pathetic.
Jon Tester and Claire McCaskill won their senate seats with my financial help. I'm sickened to the core.
Now they can both go f*** themselves. That goes double for Leahy.
I guess they (the dems) voted for it so as not to offend the military families, I don't know. The silly assed thing should have never been put to a vote.
I'm offended by those damned Head On commercials, can we do something about them?
It is time to start thinking of a new party.........
The Democrats are not the opposition party, they are the complicit party. How obvious does it have to get before even Americans get it?
George @ 19:
He barely qualifies as an American. He's born here, but he certainly doesnt' give a rat's ass about THIS country.
What a sad day
I felt sorry for the Dems when they were powerless minority. Now, as the spineless majority, they disgust me.
Funny how no one points out that Petraeus' testimony was full of deceptions and half truths. Someone needs to give a report card on this Petraeus' testimony before he testifies again next spring. Let's see how much of what he said actually turns out to be true.
Aw, come on! If you don't support the Democrats, you won't accomplish anything! Who are you going to caucus with? If you even think about not supporting the Democrats, you're just giving power to the Republicans!
You have no choice.
You are duty and honorbound to blindly continue supporting the Democratic party no matter what they do, unless and until they're actually worse than the Republicans.
You are owned. Your vote is owned. You will not bolt, lest we make fun of you.
pissed off patricia @ 23:
The nickname "Betray Us" originated within the troops, it wasn't made up by MoveOn.
I donated to MoveOn today in protest of this vote, and I called Senator Wyden (D-Oregon) to thank him for his recent votes: yes to habeas restoration, yes to troops having rest time, no to condemnation of MoveOn.
Webb's vote against MoveOn, he's military, I'll give him a pass. But Tester of Montana? He's the one who said he wanted to get rid of the *gag cough gag* Patriot Act. So much for standing up for our freedoms, eh?
Condemning an advocacy group's political speech. The very fucking thing the First Amendment protects. 75 ignorant assholes.
The vote here is just stupid political theatre. This is all just noise to distract us. Frankly, I don't really care how anybody voted on this one. Obama took the right approach by ignoring it.
I saw we get the democrats a "fillabuster proof" majority,
(not that they ever make those bastards carry through)
then if they demonstrate complicity with the plutocrats.
REVOLUTION
The Truth Hurts @ 20:
Yeah, but that "I wuz just following orders" defense didn't work at Nuremberg...plus Powell got a Jag from Bandar after he left:
"A few nights after he resigned his post as secretary of state two years ago, Colin Powell answered a ring at his front door. Standing outside was Bandar, then Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United States, with a 1995 Jaguar."
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070429/news_1n29saudi.html
Consolation prize for selling out your country I guess...
[Powell] admitted it was the low point of his career.
Powell wasn't ashamed to lie to the whole world and lie the US into a hugely destructive and immoral war. Powell is ashamed he got caught lying and now his public image is shot. Powell is dog shit. He has been for quite a long while, only he's been very good at hiding that fact.
One Party System.
Straight Shooter @ 31:
Webb voted to give Bush a blank check AND voted to expand Bush's illegal NSA spying. Pass nuthin!' I intend to help give him a swift kick off Capitol Hill!
When the Senate Dems were in the minority they were a collective nonentity. Sadly, that situation persists.
I think it's the Democrats hiding behind the Republicans. They don't want to end this war. They just want to be seen by the public as opposing it. If the Democrats really want to stop this madness, all that will be necessary is to draw the purse strings. The Democrats don't wan't it to end. There's too much money involved.
Forgive me for going off topic for a second, but has anyone seen any coverage of Jena La. today on any channel besides CNN?
Bush said today that he found the MoveOn ad "disgusting". Did he find the purple heart band aids disgusting? Did he find the pics of Cleland along side bin Laden disgusting? Did he find what his campaign said about McCain during the 2000 elections disgusting?
they'll vote to condemn an f-ing ad but not to end this war... unreal!!!
Andy @ 16:
This really is a freedom of speech issue.
U.S. Congress Or U.S. Betray Us?
Here’s what John Cornyn said when Dick Durbin asked him if he would amend his little resolution to include the Swift Boat Liars - funded by Texans Bob Perry and T. Boone Pickens:
“I am not willing to amend my resolution … He [Durbin] keeps emphasizing that this [Swift Boat Veterans] is a Texas based group… I have no idea whether it is or it is not …”
Lies. John Cornyn knows exactly who Bob Perry is. In fact, he took $5900.00 in campaign donations from old Bob just this last March.
PROOF
This vote against moveon.org was the final straw for me. I am done with the Democratic Party. I will be changing my registration to Independent.
Let's try that again:
Andy @ 16:
Because, for some reason, the only Democrats that make it to Congress are bipartisan, diplomatic, even-handed, don’t-want-to-rock-the-boat consensus types, while the Republicans that make it to Congress are partisan, nasty, hypocritical, my-way-or-the-highway take-no-prisoners types.
The Democrats are, I believe, trying to put country before party.
But that only works if the other side does, too!
I don’t know what to say at this point. Could it be any more obvious that our government is fucking BROKEN?!?
hanshiro @ 8:
I want to scream in their faces: condemn the fucking Swift Boaters for christ's sake, b/c they fucking LIED!
Every day you can be confused about what's happening in America. Why did the Democrats cave? etc. etc. etc. Why do they keep caving? There is no Democrat Party! There is no Republican Party! There is just the War Party. And THE WAR PARTY CONTROLS ALL. It's really very simple. Look behind the curtain! Stop looking at the Media Spectacle they're trying to divert you with. All you're going to see is more war, from now on. That's it! Kucinich will NEVER be President. He's not in the War Party. Ron Paul will NEVER be President. He's not in the War Party. Your next President will be Clinton, Kerry, Ghouliani, or Thompson. They're in the War Party.
Rufus Xavier Sasparilla @ 40:
Not sure what they think they are accomplishing, but I have to agree -- it's pretty clear that getting out of Iraq is not a priority.
We and anyone breathing know that Powell lied about the reasons to go to war, so why is it such a stretch that we would question someone about the progess of the war and their opinion?
That questioning of Petraeus is not a slap to the entire military, as bush said today. The logic is false. That's like saying if someone questions Nancy Pelosi, they are questioning everyone in the House of Representatives.
THIS bill makes it to the floor for a vote while Webb's bill gets filibustered?????
The entire legislative body known as Congress knows no shame.
It's time to clean house alright!!!!!!!
The Democrats voted for this because they don't have the 60 votes necessary to end the war, right?
pissed off patricia @ 51:
Not to mention the number times wingnuts have slapped around generals who dared to disagree with The Decider.
To anyone who defends Powell; why do you think he's anything but a partisan asshole? The only reason you even know his name is he did the narration for the warmonger porn from the first Iraq War; he'd stand by the television monitor and point out the things we were blowing up, that wasn't it such a great thing all the death and destruction we were inflcting.
What did this good soldier do after the first Bush lost fair and square and he'd have to take orders from a Democratic President? He quit.
Powell wasn't under orders to join Bush in 2000, helping Bush to win/steal that election. Powell wasn't under orders to lie out his ass to the UN to help make possible the current Iraq war and occupation. Powell had worked with these people before under Reagan, he knew what they were and what they planned on doing.
Man for a party that loves war and such, they sure are easily offended by a damned ad in a newspaper. Kinda tender skinned if you ask me.
They want to protect the military from mean old ads but at the same time they will send their military asses over to Iraq over and over and over without enough rest inbetween. I have a feeling the soldiers are more offended by that than they are about an ad in a newspaper. As I recall no one was ever killed by an ad that asked a question.
Remember all the times the Senate Dems forced the Republican majority to vote on measures that would divide their members?
Yeah, me neither.
Cowards
You're right joementum, I should have added that too.
Dood @ 49:
Well, Dude. Check this out: neither does Kucinich get to be heard. And none of the other candidates put up the slightest protest.
http://counterpunch.org/mokhiber09202007.html
Bush is disgusted by the moveon ad. We're disgusted by his war and seeing our wounded and dead soldiers coming home every day with no end in sight.
Let's all have a hearty laugh at all those people who thought that Rove's Permanent Majority strategy was always about a Republican majority. If the results are the same, what does it matter which party does the voting? You all got fleeced. Welcome to the new bi-partisan permanent war majority.
What THE hell is the Senate doing voting for that piece of crap.
The majority of the sheeple in this country are SO oblivious to what's been happening under their noses. It still amazes me how many college-educated people have no clue (or interest) in the current state of affairs.
Their all consumed with their day-to-day affairs to be "bothered" to be informed citizens.
whoops -- i mean "they're"
This is a truly disgusting display. I don't even know why Reid let this get to the floor.
The douchebag Harry Reid has got to be replaced.
"a little piece of me, a little piece of you will die.... this is not america".
pat metheny & david bowie (falcon and the snowman)
different context than the song the movie was writen for, but the words are running through my head after reading about what our leaders are allowing to happen.
JasonS @ 1:
No cash, no foul. It didn't fund anything, and it didn't strip anyone of their rights. This wasn't the alternative to the Webb Amendment.
This was nothin' but an expression of the "sense" of the Senate. So the Dems who voted "Yea" on this shouldn't expect no "sense" of support from MoveOn.org or the progressive net-roots.
BTW- both of my Senators voted (Levin & Stabenow) "Nay".
I'm just tooooo disgusted to even put down in writing my thoughts as to what
"our" U.S. Senate did today...my comments would be soooooo negative and
slanderous and vulgar that the Sitemonitor would be required to delete them.
Paul @ 67:
Reid vote "Nay".
willie @ 68:
This one popped into my mind, watching the minister get beaten during the Petraeus hearing:
"Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away"
~Buffalo Springfield - For What It's Worth
re: the Powell interview:
I find it amazing that Powell expresses contempt for those in the lower tiers within the CIA who he claims knew the WMD claims were malarkey 'and they didn't speak up."
"I was enormously disappointed." -Powell
....meanwhile, he hears assertions within the Bush cabal of an Al Qieda/Hussein link which he knew to be equally phony from his 5 day sit-down with Tenet,.....and did just that!
Same exact interview! How does this guy sleep?
No words for the crap that went down in the Senate today. It is truly an embarrassment.
This country is so in need of real leadership. We have none.
Does anyone know WHY Obama didn't vote?
I'm so disappointed that Diane Feinstein votes "yea." At least Boxer took a stand.
Sluggirl @ 75:
How come that douchebag Ted Stevens can block any bill with just his little ole' vote yet shit like the Patreaus Worship Amendment can pass in one day?
Patreaus deserved what he got and more. He is a lying Tool who figuratively went down on his knees for a promotion.
Capabilty Jones @ 77:
Oh, but have you not been reading/hearing..."the Surge is working"...only 50 US troops
killed thus far in Iraq this month.
I called my dem senator's office today hoping to be calm and collected about his voting with the repugs yet again and against my right to dissent. Forget it, I lost it. I gave the poor bobble-head secretary both barrels.
I have run out of patience with these spineless dirtbags who are beholden to their special interests and talk out of both sides of thier mouths.
To make me feel better I went to Move-on's site and donated more money.
Let's look at the Dems(or those who caucus with the Dems) who voted fer this amendment:
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Johnson (D-SD)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Leahy (D-VT)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)
Salazar (D-CO)
Tester (D-MT)
Webb (D-VA)
-------------------------------------
Now, which Dems voted "Nay"?
Akaka (D-HI)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Clinton (D-NY)
Dodd (D-CT)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Levin (D-MI)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Murray (D-WA)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)
--------------------------------
And the three who didn't vote:
Biden (D-DE)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Obama (D-IL)
---------------------------------
Outside of Leahy, none of the "Yea" votes surprises me much. And I'm pleasantly surprised that Clinton, Byrd and Rockefeller voted "Nay".
Don't tar the whole Democratic Party with the same brush. Do ya really expect a Senator who is answerable to Nebraskans hold all of the same opinions as Senators who are answerable to New Yorkers? Do ya believe Democrats should march in lock-step just like Republicans do? And if so, why?
If ya live in a state that's represented by a Senator that voted differently than ya would have liked 'em to, vote the s.o.b.s out. But don't tell me mine are crooked, 'cause their Dems who voted the right way!
"Today’s vote on the Cornyn amendment is unconscionable. Warner stabs Webb in the back as the Republicans torpedo his amendment that supports the troops, but then Democrats cower and vote for this repulsive amendment."
Repulsive yes, but almost as repulsive as the notion that the democrats somehow "cowared" or "gave into" this bill.
Silly boy, the dems are FOR the bill. THAT's why they voted for it. They didn't cower, because they have free will. They BELIEVE the sames things the republicans do. Stop supporting one group or the other, it is starting to get really sad and boring to hear all the time.
How many years of this will it take for you to see the light? What if 50 years pass and the dems are still voting for these bills? What will it take for you to realize that the dems are just as evil as the republicans?
This whole victim-playing is getting super dumb and is such a waste of time...
goatsage @ 79:
I commend you for your actions. But, as Liberal and Proud said on another C&L thread
today dealing w/this issue,(paraphrasing) "Calling/writing/emailing our representatives in D.C. is not going to accomplish anything. Not until WE THE PEOPLE take to the streets in mass and let those assholes in Wash. know how we feel, and are serious, nothing is going to change." We can, and often do, complain; but only mass, civilian protests/marches/
demostrations will have some impact.
Our politicans spend far too much time on pointless symbolic bills. They didn't condemn MoveOn by name, just the criticism of his honor or whatever. They like to condemn a lot. These happen to be Hillary bills, there are lots of others
Condemning the conference denying that the Holocaust occured to be held by the Government of Iran
Condemning Hezbollah and Hamas and their state sponsors and supporting Israel's exercise of its right to self-defense.
Condemning violence and criminality by the Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland.
Condemning in the strongest terms the July 11, 2006, terrorist attacks in India
Expressing the sense of the Senate condemning the seizure by the Government of Iran of 15 British naval personnel
Condemning the Government of Iran for violating its international nuclear nonproliferation obligations
Unbelievable. Do they wonder why their approval is at 11%? After today it'll be down to 9%. Unfortunately our new senator, Senator Klobuchar, voted for it, too.
Get a some rope!
Billmon! What are you thinking?
I can't remember feeling this low since yesterday(habeas corpus and the Dwell amendment) with the passing of that resolution today against MoveON's ad. (Someone called it an amendment which is different from a resolution). I called Cornyn's office so I could vent against him through his aide. But I didn't feel any better. I feel hopeless and powerless and angry with the Dems, too. Then I thought I'd feel better if I just read the Rude Pundit and there he was telling MoveON to, well, play the game in order to become credible. Playing games and capitulating has not helped change anything one damn bit in this administration! I guess I do belong to another world because I found nothing offensive about that ad. I'm 62 years old, a retired teacher, and am proud of the young people who are part of the Move On's organization. Please do not shut up. Continue shouting out the truth.
This amendment was tabled for one reason only : to force the Dems against each and make them look weak heading into an election year . It worked beautifully because they are also insincere . Too many would rather cover their rich asses than vote their conscience . They should have walked out en masse with their middle fingers raised . It's time for a third party that represents the middle class and the constitution .
Petraeus - a lighter shade of Powell.
Dodd's been incredible the last few weeks. I hope everyone can give what they can to his campaign and check out his new book
George @ 83:
Yes they did criticize MoveOn by name. Try reading the actual amendment.
"A recent attack through a full-page advertisement in the New York Times by the liberal activist group, Moveon.org, impugns the honor and integrity of General Petraeus and all the members of the United States Armed Forces.
(b) Sense of Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate--
(1) to reaffirm its support for all the men and women of the United States Armed Forces, including General David H. Petraeus, Commanding General, Multi-National Force-Iraq;
(2) to strongly condemn any effort to attack the honor and integrity of Gen