Once again, double headlines about Dems "caving" on one more issue -- and then another.
President Obama caved in and abandoned his threat to veto the Defense Appropriations bill because it contained language that would permanently enshrine the president's right to order indefinite retention of American citizens suspected of terrorism.
That's right: American citizens, arrested in the United States -- not in a war zone -- and held without trial . . forever, if the president so chooses. Since he threatened to veto it, Obama is not likely to use it, but what if Newt is elected president -- or any other one of the Republicans?
Our basic human rights (habeas corpus) should not be vulnerable to an unscrupulous, or panicked, human being, even if he was elected president. Look at the prospects the GOP is putting up right now !!!
And then, right on the heels of that cave-in came the announcement that the Senate Dems had caved in on the surtax on millionaires that was to balance the extension of the payroll tax extension.
WHY? WHY? WHY?
Because the Republicans did what they always do -- they just say no, and no again, and they just keep saying NO -- knowing the Dems will cave. It's blackmail, pure and simple.
In the case of the indefinite retention: no appropriations bill by Friday, and the government shuts down. Leave in the millionaires tax, that bill doesn't pass, and payroll taxes go up on working class people by $1000 next year.
But caving only increases the strength of the blackmailers the next time. I say: bite the bullet. Let the Republicans pay next November.
Ralph
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Reportedly they made some adjustments to the bill about detention of citizens that satisfied Obama -- so they're trying to spin it that he didn't cave; they changed the bill.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it still gives the president the power of indefinite detention of American citizens, without being brought to trial, if they are in any way involved in supporting Al Qaeda activities.