Life in a Cocoon

Sen. Arlen Specter is getting increasingly frustrated with the Bushies refusal to turn over information about their illegal spying activities on American citizens. It's very hard to tell if he is actually getting upset over the existence of this abusive program – or whether he just doesn't like being ignored and made to look like a fool.

New expressions of frustration over how little information the administration has shared about the National Security Agency's warrantless eavesdropping on Americans flared yesterday in the Senate, one day after House Republicans barred amendments that would have expanded oversight of the controversial program.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) said yesterday that he will file an amendment to block the NSA program's funding -- but said he will not seek a vote on it at this time -- in hope of stirring greater debate on the warrantless surveillance, part of the agency's monitoring of alleged terrorists.

"Where is the outrage?" asked Specter, who has chaired hearings that questioned the NSA program's constitutionality

Obviously, his reluctance to call for a vote is because he's afraid not enough Rethuglicans on his committee and in the US Senate will agree with him. The extremely sad thing about this whole situation is the amoral lack of willingness for other Senators and Americans of conscience to stand up and voice disapproval. Bush needs to be slapped very hard on this and everyone knows it. This failure to take Chimpie on means that future generations will be condemned to the same type of fascist illegalities – precedents have been set. Dishonoring our ancestors who fought and died to provide 'freedom' to this nation is bad enough, but sitting idly and watching the erosion of liberty for your children is just despicable.

Where is the outrage? Senator, you would really help the country if you took the partisan blinders off, there's plenty of it out here – away from Washington. Maybe, just maybe, you could join with Democrats and the millions of grass roots citizens who are extremely concerned about this issue. We are patriotic too – Republicans don't own the flag.
Posted on The Human Stain