Blogs of War

Here’s the spin (pdf) straight from from the White House communciations folks.

There are some good points in there. This proposal could, with substantial improvement, be transformed into something workable. However, I’m disgusted by the way our elected officials are trying to ram these incredibly significant and far-reaching changes though the system without exposing them to debate and careful consideration by the American people. Hugh Hewitt is calling it a “Jam Down“:

The idea that a secret bill of huge importance and around which there is extraordinary public interest, and one not yet even fully drafted, could be introduced on Monday and through the Senate in less than two weeks is repugnant to the idea of representative democracy. No matter where one finds themselves on the spectrum of views regarding the amnesty-lite bill, the process this year has been behind closed doors and without any opportunity for the public to see, read, debate and inform their representatives of their views. Of all the mistakes made in this process, the attempt to pull a jam down is the worst as it involves not merely some bad decisions and a lousy bill, but a repulsive attitude of contempt towards the voters who elected the senators. Can you imagine an Oregon border security activist ever voting for Gordon Smith if he or she isn’t even given the time of day by the senator? The same holds true for every other Republican up for re-election in 2008.

Senators aren’t even willing to go home to face their constituents before passing this cave-in on to the House.

It’s even more troubling, although hardly surprising, to find John McCain jumping out as the leading proponent of this strategy:

This is the first step. We can and must complete this legislation sooner rather than later. We all know that this issue can be caught up in extracurricular politics unless we move forward as quickly as possible.

Transparent and democratic processes are not “extracurricular politics” and it’s disconcerting to see such a statement from a man who has his sights set on the presidency. McCain and company could have sold this compromise if they’d honored our place in this democracy, conducted their work with a reasonable amount of transparency, and set a reasonable timeline for debate and improvements. Instead, they chose another route and they lost us. Is this really how you want the country led in 2008 and beyond?

Related posts:
Governor Mitt Romney Opposes The Senate Immigration Agreement
Mitt brings a little clarity and common sense to the whole affair. “I strongly oppose today’s bill going through the Senate. It is the wrong approach. Any legislation that allows...

White House to Debate Cutting Iraq Troops in Half for 2008
If the New York Times report is accurate then it appears that the move is purely political: Several administration officials said they hoped that if such a reduction were under...

Chuck Hagel Considering White House Run
Chuck Hagel’s arrogance and willingness to compromise America’s troops and national security in his pursuit of personal power is stunning: He said one possibility is forming a presidential exploratory committee...

Roundup: Is Rahm Emanuel Sick of the White House?
He’ll bail this year according to the Telegraph. Apparently, Obama’s patchouli-scented inner circle just isn’t Machiavellian enough to appreciate Rahmbo: Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, is expected...

ET Phones Home: Dennis Kucinich Abandons White House Bid
The sad things is the he outlasted Fred Thompson: Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich is abandoning his second bid for the White House. In an interview with the Cleveland Plain...

Support

Please show your support for the work done here, and on Twitter, with a PayPal contribution.