http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071227/COMMENTARY02/6202 57774/1012/COMMENTARY

Good grief!

We clearly are gonna have to continue to learn the hard way, it seems. We have protected speech for good reason. Said speech might not always be pretty, but it's valid, if we are to continue to be free people.

OK. The first paragraph says to the effect "Congress and Bush didn't learn"

But look who wrote and sponsored the bill DEMOCRATS.

Copied from the next paragraph in the article: Sponsored by Rep. Jane Harman, California Democrat, the bill passed the House of Representatives on Oct. 23 by a 404-6 vote under a rule suspension that curtailed debate. To borrow from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, the First Amendment should not distract Congress from doing important business.

Typical leftist media, trying to blame it on Bush, of course it is The Washington Post, so you have to take it for what it's worth.

Actually, my point was the direction in general.

Yep, we've got some stupid Dems, who have bought into the whole fear deal. They didn't learn anything from the McCarthy era, it seems.

Say what you want, it's the GOP running on fear, not the Dems.

Setting that aside, really the question is this the right thing to do?

I say no, and as a people, we've got this issue to lick. Way too many of us are willing to do most anything for the mere perception of greater safety!

The idea of a bill like this even being considered, should worry anybody, and that's the point I was trying to highlight.

As for the lame Democrats... by percentage in the party, it's a lot better scene than we currently see in the GOP. And, we've got a political tool to use on them as well.

For a long time, I've been somewhat annoyed at the idea of having to bring accountability at the party level. That's not voing GOP, and I'm still gonna do that. No real reason not to.

However, the sheer number of regular incumbants, in the House of Reps, is a big part of this problem, and it's exactly why we get to see crap like this --from either party.

Ideology wise, the Dems are still the winner hands down. But some culling is needed all around.

What to do?

Post up some new Dems and run strong primaries.

Incumbents then will come to change, or lose out, and we can see greater change as a result. So, local politics matter, and they are gonna matter a lot more in the coming years, for just this reason.

Anybody feeling slighted at all the negativity surrounding the GOP is perfectly free to go and do exactly the same thing. I encourage that, and will be right there next to you helping it all on.

Not all perfect on the Dem side of things, but it's not anything like we've seen outta the rubber stamp GOP. Sorry man, this does not balance things out to: both parties are bad, so just stick with GOP.

Missing, your statement the idea of a bill like this even being considered should worry anybody, and that's the point I was trying to highlight., is right on. However, I'd change the word "anybody" to "everybody" and I suspect that was your actual meaning!

One more reason that I strongly believe that there should be no such thing as a career politician. 2 terms with a reasonable salary, benefits equivalent to the private sector and no special perks then its back to civilian life for them.

Part of your other statement is true too; both parties are bad. I say fire (or shoot) them ALL and start fresh.

It looks to me that this bill might be little more than a toothless, symbolic bill that all Congresspeople can claim to have supported in an election year, to make them look tough on terrorism. Does anyone really believe there aren't more than four Congresspeople in the House who would be up in arms about something really drastic in the way that scares Bruce Fein? You know people like Kucinich and Feingold on the left would be throwing a fit if this were whas Fein claims it to be.

Andrew

This article contains an oft-repeated fallacy:

"Since September 11, 2001, no American has died from homegrown terrorism, while about 120,000 have been murdered."

The anthrax attacks in the fall of 2001 killed five people.

Technically we don't know that the Antrax deal was indeed domestic terrorism, since the terrorist(s) were never caught. Most Americans have long since forgotten about 2001's Antrax attack, even though it ought to bother people that the US government doesn't even seem to know who did it.

Andrew

I think the statement is meant to address the Americans dying from terrorist attacks overseas since 9/11, vs. people dying of terrorism on American soil.

But as an aside, I served on jury duty about a month ago with a gentleman who did medical work for the government. He was involved with helping track down the source of the anthrax spores. All the evidence lead to a military base on the east coast, but when they asked for permission to continue the investigation inside the base, the military flatly refused, and refuses to this day. This seems to indicate that the perpetrator had military security clearance-type access to domestic anthrax strains. This also shows why the killer has never been caught; a branch of our own government refuses to cooperate with the investigation.

Skybill, what are you smoking.

After your attack on the D sponsors there is this graph

The Senate companion bill (S. 1959), sponsored by Susan Collins, Maine Republican, has encountered little opposition.

and it is the Washington Times -- the right-wing Moonie paper, not the left-wing Washington Post.