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The Spectacle Blog
Last night offered an interesting test of the Friedersdorf thesis. The Senate voted on a resolution to revoke congressional authorization of the Iraq war and an amendment to strip the indefinite detention powers from the defense authorization bill. Both measures failed, but brougth together interesting coalitions on both sides.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), who was elected in last year’s Tea Party tidal wave, was a leader in both fights. On the Iraq resolution, he was joined by fellow Tea Party favorites Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Dean Heller of Nevada, as well as moderate Olympia Snow of Maine. Liberals split, with Barbara Boxer and Al Franken voting yes while Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer voted no. Tea Partier Mike Lee of Utah, who voted with Paul on the Patriot Act and the Libya war, was conspicuously a no vote.
On the matter of indefinite detention for terrorism suspects, the only Republican to join Paul was moderate Mark Kirk of Illinois. The other Tea Party-backed conservatives voted with John McCain and Carl Levin to keep those powers in the defense bill. Liberals again split, with 16 Democrats and Joe Lieberman voting against the amendment. (Some Republicans may object to the specific wording of the amendment, offered by Democratic Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado, since there was reportedly a “spirited discussion” about indefinite detention at a Senate Republican meeting attended by former Vice President Dick Cheney.)
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More Blog Posts by W. James Antle, III
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/11/30/senate-tackles-iraq-war-powers
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somnolence| 11.30.11 @ 11:04AM
Sorry, this is another swipe at American freedom. Thank goodness for Paula and Kirk. This is definitely a factor also in my voting for President since NONE of the candidates, save RON PAUL voiced opposition to this abomination. "Indefinite detention" you say. This goes way beyond this, like suspension of habeas corpus, and redefining treason, such as derogatory remarks against a Commander In Chief. Judge Napolitano agrees with me as he is the only one on Fox News to have the courage to speak out on this. The writer of this article has a ho-hum, even favoring article here. So sad that our freedoms are slowly diminishing, no matter how you cut it.
Jack in Wi| 11.30.11 @ 11:57AM
The elites are terrified that the people in this country are going to actually revolt and take out their rightous anger on them. This vote shows how far off the Constitution theRepublicans are. This sap who I voted for in Wi, Ron Johnson, voted for this crime. Even filthy old Russ Feingold would have voted against this treason. Gingrich and his endlesss wars and his endless attacks on civil liberties will be a perfect candidate for this crowd. Obama gets to veto this mess and look like a true civil libertarian. Of course he is really a Hugo Chavez clone but McCain and his pals have given him a golden opportunity.
Narf| 11.30.11 @ 2:00PM
The elites are terrified that the people in this country are going to actually revolt and take out their rightous anger on them.
Terrified? What evidence do you see that they're terrified? From their actions it's obvious that they aren't giving it a second thought.
somnolence| 11.30.11 @ 11:07AM
Should have said "Paul and Kirk", but I'm P.O.'d by complacency and idiocy on the part of multitudes of my American citizens who would sit idly by and just put up with this. We really weren't even informed prior to this vote yesterday, and really, aside from folks like Rand Paul, there are damned few up there in either party we can trust.
Sean| 11.30.11 @ 11:30AM
Let me tell these chickenhawks something. Americans have fought and died for our freedoms. Real Americans do not just freely give them up because they are scared.
DRed| 11.30.11 @ 11:34AM
It's mind boggling to me how many conservatives, who apparently think Obama is the anti-christ, are only too happy to grant him the power to indefinitely detain or kill any Americans he wants, as long as he tells us it's to keep us safe.
somnolence| 11.30.11 @ 11:41AM
I'm glad there are at least two others on this page that would fight to the death along with me in the final reckoning. Where are the MILLIONS of the rest of America? God, please help us.
DRed| 11.30.11 @ 11:57AM
They're too busy worrying about the oppressive jackboot of slightly higher marginal tax rates for the wealthy.
Mike| 11.30.11 @ 12:03PM
They are too busy getting their guns ready to post on here.
9thID| 11.30.11 @ 12:22PM
I'm in no way a member of Ron Paul's Liber-tarian revisionist cult, but it was "interesting" to note that within one hour of Drudge Report and others reporting on military detentions inside the U.S. that ALL those headlines mysteriously vanished...
Jeremy Harford | 12.4.11 @ 7:27PM
Veterans, please join me in a reaffirmation of our Oath of Enlistment and a statement in defense of our Constitution.
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/!/petition/reaffirmation-oath-enlistment-and-statement/9RCB1HTZ