Kucinich Reads Again
I’m suggesting that Dennis Kucinich doles out the $8.99 over at talltall.com for a pair of shoe lift inserts. I’d even chip in for the S&H. Maybe if my favorite wee presidential contender were just a wee bit taller people would pay a wee bit more well-deserved attention to the guy.
I think he and Hillary pretty much see eye-to-eye, if only in the literal sense, but she certainly hasn’t had any problem garnering her fair share of attention. What’s up with that? Of course, she has breasts. If Dennis is averse to height-modifying contraptions, falsies might work just as well. Whatever it takes.
One of his shining moments at the last Democratic debate, when given the rare opportunity to speak, was when he said that, well, yeah, he was the only one of the gang on stage who voted against the Patriot Act … because he read it.
A statement which, if you recall, none of the other contestants even bothered to dispute. I guess there’s no arguing with the truth. Reading is fundamental, as we’ve all been taught, but apparently it’s also optional. BSAlert.com shows the clip of my vertically-challenged pick for Pres taking to task his fellow Commander-In-Chief hopefuls.
I guess his compatriots up there on Capitol Hill didn’t get the hint. Or maybe they simply opted to forego the refresher Reading 101 course in lieu of Advanced Ass-Kissing class. Either way, for whatever reason, the proposed Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act (H.R. 1955/S. 1959), was approved in the House with an overwhelming vote of 404 to 6. Dennis being one of the six because he, of course, reads.
Call this one Patriot Act Part Deux. Constitution? What Constitution?
Speaking last week in New York, Kucinich, when asked about his vote, said, “If you understand what this bill does, it really sets the stage for further criminalization of protest. This is the way our democracy little, by little, by little, is being stripped away from us. This bill, I believe, is a clear violation of the first amendment.â€? He referred to the bill as the “thought crime bill.”
Enter the Thought Police. Yet another Orwellian prophecy fulfilled. The bill would create a national commission to make legislative recommendations on how to prevent, disrupt and mitigate violent radicalization and homegrown terrorism. Fine. No one wants that kind of behavior, homegrown or otherwise!
However, just like Act I, this proposition is worded quite vaguely, so that those of us who may have radical or “extreme belief systems” might be monitored lest a criminal act should occur. Because I’m critical of the Bush administration, I am suspect. A homegrown terrorist just waiting to happen.
Because I have bad thoughts from time to time about the bastard and his bastardly bastard friends, I am a potential felon. If one actually reads the bill (following the example of Kucinich and his five literate homies), it is obvious that this is one of the most “blatant attacks against the Constitution yet”, to quote RogueGovernment.com.
Dennis reads a lot, apparently. As he pointed out at his little NYC get-together last week, this latest proposal is similar to another bill passed in 2006, the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (who knew?) which also criminalized dissent.
According to that bill, anyone who engages in any activity that would interfere or cause damage to businesses engaged in animal enterprises, could be charged with a felony. This includes acts that could cause a loss of profits to the business. Screw the animals, just don’t fuck with the profits. It’s all about the money, after all. Animal rights activists, beware. Protest = Terrorism.
Only six members of the House were present for that vote. Kucinich was the only one to oppose the bill. He noted that the bill was “written in such a way as to have a chilling effect on the exercise of the constitutional rights of protest.�
We’ll have to wait and see what happens to H.R. 1955 when it makes its way to the Senate, of course. But I’d wager that the results will be similar to last month’s House vote … which means next stop, Dubya’s desk. I guess I’ll just have to work harder at thinking only good thoughts. The Thought Police cometh.
dennis kucinich, patriot act, hr 1955, homegrown terrorism, terrorism, george bush, thought police
December 4th, 2007 at 4:33 am
Always style over substance. I’m perturbed that when political analysts discuss “electability” they too often focus on who looks presidential and not on who thinks clearly. MItt Romney’s or John Edward’s hair should be a campaign issue? What about the similarities between actor Fred Thompson and actor/president Ronald Reagan … stage presence … now that’s something to take into account before we vote, right? The television age has distorted the process. Howard Dean’s campaign was destroyed overnight by a television moment (a doctored war whoop … ridiculous to be sure, but hardly relevant). Our so-called presidential debates amount to who has the most charming way of avoiding straight answers. We have dumbed down ourselves and it shows. Who needs to read or think when we can have everything distilled for us into showy televisions moments? (Hey, remember Dukakis in that tank?)
December 4th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
I’m a DJ for a day..This goes out to you Doug, check out my blog.
December 4th, 2007 at 4:55 pm
Perfectly said, Doug. Kudos.
December 14th, 2007 at 2:44 am
[...] was pissed off, too, that both my diminutive Dem Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel were barred from the debate … because neither have a campaign office in the [...]
January 28th, 2008 at 2:51 am
[...] one candidate match was … you guessed it, give it up for my favorite little munchkin … Dennis Kucinich! Of course, not really a candidate anymore. He’s dead in the water now, thanks to the MSM [...]