FISA: Delayed to tomorrow so Senators could spooge themselves

[solarbird]

The FISA kabuki has been delayed until tomorrow, primarily so Senators could go to the funeral of and honour the late Senator Jesse Helms, the racist queer-loathing dicktard SOB from North Carolina who spent his whole political career doing his best to make the lives of people unlike him as much worse as possible. Seems fitting, somehow. Sadly, none of them will be there to spit on his putrid, desiccating corpse.

Meanwhile, the New York Times, far too late, has been waking up to the disaster of this bill. And, of course, Glenn Greenwald has much more here, including a dissection of the Bush Administration's pledge to veto any bill that even delays immunity long enough for Congress to examine it. A new Strange Bedfellows ad targeting the political elite is out. And a huge Money Bomb is being set up for August 8^th, the anniversary of Richard Nixon's resignation in the face of impeachment. Pledge to support here:


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Comments

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

The FISA kabuki has been delayed until tomorrow, primarily so Senators could go to the funeral of and honour the late Senator Jessie Helms, the racist queer-loathing dicktard SOB from North Carolina who spent his whole political career doing his best to make the lives of people unlike him as much worse as possible. Seems fitting, somehow. Sadly, none of them will be there to spit on his putrid, desiccating corpse.

Don't you find your own hatred of a man who, despite his political differences with yourself, was nevertheless a fellow American who engaged in politics within the law, a bit repulsive? Would you consider it ok for Republicans to take the same attitude toward, say, Teddy Kennedy when he died? Or Jimmy Carter?

If it's not ok for them -- then it isn't for you, either.

[solarbird]

Would you consider it ok for Republicans to take the same attitude toward, say, Teddy Kennedy when he died? Or Jimmy Carter?
Hello, they do.

Aside from that, Jessie Helms hated me, as a person, individually, because of being a member of my class, and did everything in his political power to destroy me, and people like me. As far as he was concerned, I was not entitled to life, liberty, or happiness; I was innately criminal. He openly blamed queerfolk for AIDS and worked tirelessly to block research into the disease, including being personally responsible for the travel ban. He hated all queers, wanted us all to die, and did everything he could within his power to help make that happen.

I'm sick of all the bullshit. Helms adoration is bullshit, and I took a deliberatively provocative and public stand here in order to call that bullshit.

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

I don't "adore" Helms. He's part of the religous Right that has done more to damage the prospects of libertarianism than the Left ever could have done.

I'm just saying that he was an opponent, not a "monster."

[solarbird]

I don't "adore" Helms.
Didn't say you did. I was responding to the Congressional, Republican Party, and media hosannas being heaped upon him.

He's part of the religous Right that has done more to damage the prospects of libertarianism than the Left ever could have done.
Eegh. Don't get me started.

I'm just saying that he was an opponent
Sure, in exactly the same sense that anyone actively working towards my and my friends premature deaths is an opponent. Not quite an opponent to shoot on sight, since he's not aiming a weapon directly at me, but only about one step down from that.

For that matter

[solarbird]

The Republican Party under Mr. Bush declared itself the only valid Americans, and the only valid patriots, and its partisans - of whom I know many - routinely called for the arrest for treason and execution of any number of opposition, including sitting members of Congress. (Many of whom I also despise - Pelosi and Reed were favourite targets - but this is another matter.) That whole "fellow American" and "engaged in politics within the law" thing goes out the window once you start pulling that arrest-for-treason crap.

[elfs.livejournal.com]

They do. And yeah, it's OK for them to. A corallary I think Solarbird might enjoy: "The correct response to bad attitude is more attitude."

[solarbird]

That depends upon the circumstances. But in this case? Oh yeah.

[elfs.livejournal.com]

I had this running through my head all weekend: Why Won't Jesse Helms Just Hurry Up And Die? (http://www.mchawking.com/mp3_files/JesseHelms.mp3).

[westrider.livejournal.com]

Beat me to it ;) I've been playing that ever since I heard.

[llachglin.livejournal.com]

Jesse Helms openly hated gay people and ethnic minorities and actively worked to harm the interests of both, while attacking them verbally at every opportunity. None of the moderate to liberal Democrats that you mention harbored a hatred for any class of people. It's not about ideology, it's about bigotry.

Jesse Helms is in a class almost by himself. Strom Thurmond moderated his bigotry in his old age. George Wallace apologized for much of his race-baiting. Robert Byrd repudiated his past involvement in the KKK and has endorsed a black man for president of the United States. Helms remained to his death the most prominent elected racist--and homophobe--of his day. He deserves contempt.

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

None of the moderate to liberal Democrats that you mention harbored a hatred for any class of people.

Jimmy Carter, Jews. So would it be ok for Jewish people to celebrate his death, should he die?

[llachglin.livejournal.com]

Um, wrong. Jimmy Carter is not an anti-Semite. Now if you were talking about Richard Nixon, you'd have a point.

[hubbit.livejournal.com]

Jesse Helms is learning that God is a gay black woman. Seriously, all this shit that's come out about him the last few days...what a mean, petty, lowlife fucktard. And did you see Bush's eulogy? (I welcome you to go see my re-edit of it in my LJ. It only takes a few minutes to read and may amuse you.)

As I told another friend of mine yesterday in passing: Jesse Helms and I partially agree and partialy disagree on one thing. We agree that gays and blacks and women need to know their place; where we disagree is that their place is pissing into Helms' open casket.

On the one hand, I can't believe that Congress is masturwailing so much over the overdue death of this cretin. On the other hand...it's Congress, so I'm not a damn bit surprised.

[elfs.livejournal.com]

I understand that a few weeks from now groups of pagans were thinking about converging on the gravesite to conduct "respectful anti-zombie rituals."