From TPM
Some things, like the DeLay Rule, are outrageous but not that surprising.
But what I'm about to describe is outrageous and almost literally unbelievable.
As you've probably heard, the congress is pushing through a big omnibus spending bill this weekend. And at the last minute, Republican leaders tried to slip in a provision that would give certain committee chairman and their staffers unlimited access to any American's tax return, with none of the standard privacy protections applying.
2 comments:
One might suggest that the entire process of crafting legislation took at least a significant hit from the day Bush entered the white house.
We know the patriot act was passed without being read. we know the medicare drug changes were 1/3 over budget on the day it was passed.
You cannot have goverment without policy and plainly and simply, this government has no policy: it has political ambitions.
Voluminous bills are presented with the intention that there be no time to read them, must less discuss or object. And those who beat the odds and do read and find fault pay dearly.
However, there is a common thread: if you have done nothing wrong, well then you have nothing to hide from your government. Any claim to privacy from your own government is grounds for suspicion, and likely covers guilt.
Martha Stewart is in jail not for breaking any law: she is in jail for giving false information in response to a question she was not obligated by law to even answer. But, what the fuck: it's Marta Stewart, so why not screw that smart ass?
(honest) John McCain was on Meet the Press today. He calmly noted that the document presented to congress in the morning was 1160 pages, more or less, and they had to vote on it that day.
Had to vote on it? That day? He did not mention whether the documents are marked up for changes in any way, so that one could at least skim for changes... maybe that's too sophisiticated, but voting on something you don't know what you're voting on? Is that what congress does?
Well, they might just as well make me a congressman since I can sign something I haven't read with the best of them.
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