Fri May 26 2006 6:14 pm
The United States Senate voted 78-15 to confirm General Michael Hayden as the new CIA Director. 25 Democrats joined 52 Republicans and 1 Independent in voting to confirm General Hayden. In doing so, the Democrats gave Karl Rove and the Bush Administration the headline they were hoping for when they nominated General Hayden.
The Washington Post website obligingly served up the following as its top news story:
Senate vote gives broad bipartisan endorsement to the architect of NSA’s domestic spying program.
The cowering Democratic response to the Hayden nomination has just needlessly inoculated the Republicans from the charge of violating Americans’ civil liberties by conducting warrantless domestic spying. This is a defeat for the American people and may result in defeat at the polls in November for the Democrats.
The Democrats now have 6 months in which they must grow a backbone. However, if today’s vote is any indication they are steadily digging themselves into the same safe yet futile hole that John Kerry climbed into during the 2004 Presidential elections. Republicans in the Congress and the White House must be doing cartwheels watching the latest act of Democratic Hara-kiri.
central intelligence agency
civil liberties hara kiri john kerry karl rove michael hayden national security agency united states senate 8 Responses to “Karl Rove Gets His Headline”
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May 26th, 2006 at 8:43 pm
I was speechless when I saw the news. As Cenk of The Young Turks sarcastically wrote today on an (un)related story: Democrats agree to confirm Beelzebub (http://www.theyoungturks.com/story/2006/5/26/15243/0891).
:((
May 26th, 2006 at 10:04 pm
Alfredo, the Cenk post just about sums up the position of the Democrats. I can see ‘06 slipping away. This was a huge strategic mistake on the part of the Dems. l-)
May 27th, 2006 at 2:30 am
I couldn’t believe Hayden was confirmed by the Senate…then I forgot why I’m not a Democrat anymore.
I think this graphic sums up my feelings
May 27th, 2006 at 2:31 am
Oops! :d
My Double Bull of the Week
May 27th, 2006 at 4:01 pm
all i can say is this: the american people are f***ed… as in cluster.. many many clusters… sometimes it is good not to be a citizen, and be temporarily domiciled for a finite period.
when they start spying on senators and persecuting them for unpatriotic behaviour or crimes against nationhood, or when they simply dont care and simply show up to work wearing hoods and swastikas, the senators will then see the light.. maybe..
if these people get back for the 3rd time, all of you reasonable folks need to join the peace corp and move to the developing world, somewhere nobody has heard of, and who have nothign to offer anyone, like seychelles, or mauritious, or cape verde (just take your water).
mash, i am sure you know they are having a similar thing about gov. spying on citizenry in your place of origin.
May 27th, 2006 at 4:43 pm
Though the silver lining is the people who voted ‘no’ includes Feingold, Kerry, Obama, Kennedy and Clinton. so there is still hope.
Specter has done well saying ‘no’ on principle.
May 27th, 2006 at 5:00 pm
two quotes I posted on crooks and liars :
“I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.”
– James Madison
“Of course the people don’t want war. But after all, it’s the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it’s always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it’s a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger.”
– Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials
perhaps an indication of things to come.
May 28th, 2006 at 4:07 am
dude, yes I am aware of the police state developing in Bangladesh. “The War on Terror” has come in handy in the Third World for consolidating power and persecuting people.
By way of agreeing with Bharath, I will requote him from comment #7 because it bears repeating:
Bharath, it was nice to see Feingold, Kerry and Obama in the ‘no’ column. I think Bill Clinton’s third way got trampled to death this week.