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It's weird to see the ACLU and the senate Republicans teaming up to block this against the senate Democrats. Positions on executive power completely switch with

It's weird to see the ACLU and the senate Republicans teaming up to block this against the senate Democrats. Positions on executive power completely switch with the party of the Presidency.

deveac 14y ago
Yes they do. It's a sobering truth to reflect on.
roc 14y ago
I think it's wrong to see the Republicans as being on the citizenry's/the ACLU's "side" in this. Every indication is that this is just their standard-for-the-session move to filibuster anything they can as part of their election strategy.
- at-fates-hands 14y ago
  I would hasten to categorize this as a Republican thing. Both parties filibuster to try and create opportunity to chastise the other party during election time. It makes me sad to think all of the third party people can't get their stuff together and give us an alternative to the two party system we currently have.
  - crag 14y ago
    "It makes me sad to think all of the third party people can't get their stuff together and give us an alternative to the two party system we currently have." It hard. Because our (the US) system is *really designed for 2 parties. Granted, it sure didn't start out that way. But it's morphed into that. Both parties protect their ground. And both parties use the courts (and local governments) to make it VERY hard for any 3rd party to gain ground.
- brown9-2 14y ago
  This is correct. If you take McConnell at his word, then the objection on their side was in the process alone, not the content: The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said that “no one doubts the need to strengthen our cyberdefenses.” “We all recognize the problem, that’s really not the issue here,” Mr. McConnell said. “It’s the matter that the majority leader has tried to steamroll a bill,” he said referring to Senator Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/us/politics/cybersecurity-bill-blocked-by-gop-filibuster.html?hp http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/us/politics/cybersecurity-...
tytso 14y ago
It's weird. I normally am very much more sympathetic to the policy positions of the Democrats (i.e., in terms of gay marriage, taxes, health care, etc.). However, the Democrats have allied themselves far too deeply with Hollywood, and since they are in power, they are obviously carrying water for the FBI and NSA --- which explains the SOPA and Cybersecurity laws. So for those issues, for me it's "Go Republicans!" I do worry what might happen if long run the Tea Party with its populist message becomes the anti-SOPA, anti-Hollywood, maybe even anti-Wall Street Banks party, and the Democrats feel that they need to get their campaign $$$ from Hollywood and Wall Street. One of the downsides of a two-party system, I suppose...
- aaronblohowiak 14y ago
  Tea Party is not populist.
  - Steko 14y ago
    It's a little more complicated than that. The original movement was plodded and pushed by astroturfers but most people would agree that it developed into a bona fide grassroots movement. In the sense that populism can be defined as concerned with the interests of the great masses obviously it's always failed that test.
  - jacoblyles 14y ago
    My liberal friends have picked up the idea that the Tea Party is a conservative front organization, "astroturf" designed to fool the media into thinking that right-wing ideas have a popular following. But this narrative is straight-up BS. Dozens of GOP candidates with establishment backing, endorsements, and money have been defeated by Tea Party insurgents in primary races as high up as the senate. It's a bona-fide populist movement that traces its roots to a Ron Paul "Tea Party" moneybomb in 2007. Tea Party activists contributed to the historic landslide in the 2010 elections. And it is still alive and kicking. A GOP insider candidate for the Senate in Texas, endorsed by Rick Perry no less, was defeated by a Tea Partier a few days ago. There is chaos in the GOP because the people are revolting and not voting like they're told, and it is the tea party that is doing it. Maybe you don't know any Tea Partiers where you live, but they are a true grass-roots force.

It's weird to see the ACLU and the senate Republicans teaming up to block this against the senate Democrats. Positions on executive power completely switch with the party of the Presidency.

deveac 14y ago

Yes they do. It's a sobering truth to reflect on.

roc 14y ago

I think it's wrong to see the Republicans as being on the citizenry's/the ACLU's "side" in this. Every indication is that this is just their standard-for-the-session move to filibuster anything they can as part of their election strategy.

at-fates-hands 14y ago
I would hasten to categorize this as a Republican thing. Both parties filibuster to try and create opportunity to chastise the other party during election time. It makes me sad to think all of the third party people can't get their stuff together and give us an alternative to the two party system we currently have.
- crag 14y ago
  "It makes me sad to think all of the third party people can't get their stuff together and give us an alternative to the two party system we currently have." It hard. Because our (the US) system is *really designed for 2 parties. Granted, it sure didn't start out that way. But it's morphed into that. Both parties protect their ground. And both parties use the courts (and local governments) to make it VERY hard for any 3rd party to gain ground.
brown9-2 14y ago
This is correct. If you take McConnell at his word, then the objection on their side was in the process alone, not the content: The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said that “no one doubts the need to strengthen our cyberdefenses.” “We all recognize the problem, that’s really not the issue here,” Mr. McConnell said. “It’s the matter that the majority leader has tried to steamroll a bill,” he said referring to Senator Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/us/politics/cybersecurity-bill-blocked-by-gop-filibuster.html?hp http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/03/us/politics/cybersecurity-...

tytso 14y ago

It's weird. I normally am very much more sympathetic to the policy positions of the Democrats (i.e., in terms of gay marriage, taxes, health care, etc.). However, the Democrats have allied themselves far too deeply with Hollywood, and since they are in power, they are obviously carrying water for the FBI and NSA --- which explains the SOPA and Cybersecurity laws. So for those issues, for me it's "Go Republicans!" I do worry what might happen if long run the Tea Party with its populist message becomes the anti-SOPA, anti-Hollywood, maybe even anti-Wall Street Banks party, and the Democrats feel that they need to get their campaign $$$ from Hollywood and Wall Street. One of the downsides of a two-party system, I suppose...

aaronblohowiak 14y ago
Tea Party is not populist.
- Steko 14y ago
  It's a little more complicated than that. The original movement was plodded and pushed by astroturfers but most people would agree that it developed into a bona fide grassroots movement. In the sense that populism can be defined as concerned with the interests of the great masses obviously it's always failed that test.
- jacoblyles 14y ago
  My liberal friends have picked up the idea that the Tea Party is a conservative front organization, "astroturf" designed to fool the media into thinking that right-wing ideas have a popular following. But this narrative is straight-up BS. Dozens of GOP candidates with establishment backing, endorsements, and money have been defeated by Tea Party insurgents in primary races as high up as the senate. It's a bona-fide populist movement that traces its roots to a Ron Paul "Tea Party" moneybomb in 2007. Tea Party activists contributed to the historic landslide in the 2010 elections. And it is still alive and kicking. A GOP insider candidate for the Senate in Texas, endorsed by Rick Perry no less, was defeated by a Tea Partier a few days ago. There is chaos in the GOP because the people are revolting and not voting like they're told, and it is the tea party that is doing it. Maybe you don't know any Tea Partiers where you live, but they are a true grass-roots force.