Strange bedfellows
Curious and curiouser. I've been meaning to post about the upcoming extension of certain Patriot Act provisions but time got away from me and it came up for a vote. It seems Dennis Kucinich challenged the new Tea Party Republicans to put their Constitutional love where their votes are and shockingly they voted it down.
A measure to extend key provisions of the Patriot Act counterterrorism surveillance law through December failed the House Tuesday night, with more than two-dozen Republicans bucking their party to oppose the measure.It seems Boehner's procedural trick that required a two-thirds majority backfired on him. But I fear the celebration will be short. It no doubt will come to a vote under a different rule that only requires a simple majority. Still, doubt the establishment Villagers will be celebrating, but bi-partisanship baby!
The House measure, which was sponsored by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and required a two-thirds majority for passage, failed on a 277-to-148 vote. Twenty-six Republicans voted with 122 Democrats to oppose the measure, while 67 Democrats voted with 210 Republicans to back it. Ten members did not vote.
Labels: Civil Rights, Congress
posted by Libby Spencer at 8:10 AM
3 Comments:
do rightwingers really care about civil liberties? I don't think they do since they seem to have a problem with the ACLU. I asked one why they hated the civil liberties so much but couldn't really understand the answer. I tend to tune out incoherent arguments.
The only coherent argument I've listened to from my Republican neighbors is that the ACLU is trying to keep churches from asserting the primacy of Christianity among religions and deny it it's 'rightful' place as a legal authority.
Coincidentally, that's just the reason I'm a member.
News to me that Tea Party types are against the Patriot Act abuses, but I'll take allies on that wherever I can find them. The thing to do now is blitz the establishment Dems and tell them to vote it down on the simple majority too. Of course, my Congresslizard is Foxx so I expect it's a futile effort for me.
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