Congress Capitulates: Ridiculous Condemnation of MoveOn.org

Congress has an approval rating lower than the President, something that should not be possible given the man who occupies that office. The actions taken by Congress in the last week cannot do anything but make that number go down.

Congress was unable to preserve Habeus Corpus. They also were unable to make sure that military service members receive as much time away from combat as they spend in combat. What could they pass? A meaningless condemnation of a newspaper ad.

I have already written and excerpted several posts on the faux outrage over this ad, and I still believe that's all it is. The ad itself (outside of a play on words: Petraeus/Betray Us) contains nothing but legitimate disagreement and questioning of the so-called "Patraeus Report." It is not "disgusting" as the President claims, nor any of the other colorful adjectives used by politicians and pundits.

It is dissenting political speech. One of the ideas this nation was founded on, and supposedly holds to be one of our fundamental rights. The Senate's condemnation of political speech is in my view fundamentally un-American.

After so many posts addressing this ad, I had no further intent to write about it. Due to today's decision, I had no choice. The behavior of this Congress, with its constant capitulation to the President's whim has seriously angered this Democrat. They behave as though Bush still has a 90% approval rating, and that confronting him would do them irreparable harm.

But this President is not popular. No one from his administration is running for President. The Democratic voter base is swelling to the point where success for a Democratic candidate ought to be assured. Instead, they keep rolling over.

Where is the response to the White House's constant refusal to abide by Congressional subpoenas? Where is the response to the White House's failure to deliver requested documents? Where is the response to the other innumerable transgressions the administration has committed--transgressions that would have put any other President in peril of impeachment?

And finally, where is the actual effort to end the war? Democrats are themselves in peril of so angering and frustrating their voters that they lose elections they should be winning by default.

Grow a spine. Grow some balls. Do what you were elected to do. End of rant.

For another take on this story, with some key facts behind the vote, go here:

Democrats fail to prevent Senate condemnation of MoveOn ad at RawStory.com

and here:

Do the Democrats even know who votes for them anymore? at DailyKos.com