This is how it happens, folks. Persons unnamed (as I try to keep the profanity to a minimum), have tacked the bill about drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge onto the defense appropriations bill currently on the floor. Next election, anyone who fights that bill now, is going to be pegged as “unpatriotic” because they didn’t vote for money for our troops. Not one word will be said about the OTHER provisions of the bill.
Remember Senator Kerry? This is how he was portrayed as “flip-flopping” and a decorated Vietnam vet lost to a–well, we won’t go there. But this is how it happened. He voted one way on something, they changed the bill to mean something else, and he voted the other way. Flip-flop? No. Careful reading. Any Congressman whose voting record doesn’t look like that, hasn’t been doing his/her job.
This is why you have to get off your butts and actually look at the voting record. Because the name on the bill isn’t what they’re wrangling about, more than half the time. Look at the Patriot Act. If you only look at the name…
People of conscience need to stop taking the easy way out and read beyond the headlines. Hell, it would be nice if they read at all. (Obviously anyone reading this far is not who I’m ranting about…)
In Congress they can tack ANYTHING onto ANYTHING, just about. I believe there are a few restrictions, but obviously not enough. So if we want to fund our troops–and you’re damn right we do, it’s not THEIR fault their commander-in-chief is a moron–what do we do? What choices do the politicians who actually have hearts and consciences (come on, they see things differently, for the most part, but they are still human) have? They can fight the bill–and risk losing their next election to a finger-pointing know-nothing who can yell louder–or they can just let it slide by, and hope to God someone else manages to stop it.
Well? Who is that “someone else?” I emailed Senator McCain and told him I know what’s going on, and I hope he stands for what is right. He has the courage–and the record–to stand against whatever the hell that–person–throws at him. Except for not b*tch-slapping that toad (which I’ll admit is against the law) I’ve always admired the fact that he does what he believes is right.
Once I point out that contact information for your representatives is behind the link to the left–under “Keep an eye on them!”–What are you going to do?