What the Bastards are Up To Today

Cynthia McKinney (D-Georgia) gave a wonderful speech on the House floor yesterday afternoon. She talked about war and about war profiteering. She read, or tried to read, an article about the money made by people like Cheney, Wolfawitz, and Rumsfeld on cold war arms production.

In the middle of her speech, the Speaker of the House started receiving directions by some man. The Speaker then told McKinney to "desist," stop speaking. He then scolded her saying that she was not allowed to use the name of the Vice President on the floor of the House.

McKinney tried to ignore the rude interruption, and continued speaking. The hum, hum, of the voice of the unidentified man kept going while she was speaking, obviously telling the Speaker of the House what to say to her

Then, McKinney was interrupted once again and told that she could not make "personal" remarks about the Vice President.

McKinney responded that she was not making "personal" remarks.

After McKinney finished her excellent speech, the Republicans had one of their little puppy dogs (another congressman from Georgia) get up and lament Ms. McKinney’s speech, the Democrats and their "anger."

This is the new talking point line from the Republicans who are trotted out in front of the media these days to talk about how "angry" the Democrats are (Hillary Clinton has been the most recent target of this). This anger is presented as inexplicable by the Republican talking heads. Oh, isn’t is deplorable that the Democrats are so "angry." How terrible. Aren’t they crazy? We just can’t understand what they are so "angry" about.

Well, I’ll tell you what I think. I think somebody better get angry and I think the Democrats should take the criticism and run with it.

Angry? I’ll say we’re angry.

We have
...been dragged into a murderous and costly war based on fabricated evidence and propaganda
...seen Halliburton and other buddy corporate interests of the Republicans profit off that war in a criminal way
...seen how little this administration is able to meet the basic needs of the people in an emergency (Katrina)
...seen Halliburton, et. Al. Continue to profit off that disaster
...seen the country gutted to the extent that we have deficits that we may never recover from
...seen our economy mortgaged to the Chinese
...seen tax cuts for the very wealthy
...seen attempts to privatize social services in order to make money for a few corporations
...seen the Bush administration take extraordinary executive power, expand executive power to a dangerous limit
etc., etc., etc.,

Angry? You bet? If you aren’t angry you’re either making money off this administration that serves as a management board for corporate interests or you’re a fool. The problem is that these Republicans aren’t angry.

And another thing...

The Senate Abdicates Supervisory Role

The Senate Committee that was to vote today about whether to conduct an investigation of the NSA spying program, just abdicated their supervisory power further by refusing to vote on the issue. Senate Republicans came out of the closed meeting in which a vote was supposed to be taken, saying that they had agreed only to delay the vote. They announced that the administration had appeared to be ready to allow some kind of compromise about the spying program that has been so controversial recently. What a crock.

Pat Roberts, the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said that he had worked out an agreement with the White House to get more information about the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance program.

Roberts said that the agreement provided a "fix" to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and would ensure more briefings to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

The committee was to vote today about whether to open an investigation into the NSA program. Roberts maintained that the deal might eliminate the need for such an inquiry. Right.
The Bush administration, however, continues to maintain that they don’t need Congressional approval for the program.

On a Lighter Note

Bill Maher will be on again tomorrow night.