Is Boxer on crack?

[ronnykmarshall]

Why the hell did my senator vote FOR the renewal of the Nazi-Act?


Why Babs, why???

[Davis_X_Machina]

1. Two words:

Max Cleland.

[ronnykmarshall]

2. She's not up for re-election.

She's safe until 2010. So what's the deal?

Dianne is running this year and I'm not suprised she voted for it anyway election or not.

SO. Why did Boxer vote for this?

Sorry but this is bullshit.

[electropop]

3. I am so disappointed.

Will I have to stop my incessant harping for a Conyers/Boxer ticket in '08?

[ronnykmarshall]

4. I more than disappointed ....

I'm fucking PISSED!!!

[Jeffersons Ghost]

30. try Russ

He'll never let you down when it comes to dismantling the USA Patriot Act.

[MadMaddie]

5. Hunh? What does Cleland have to do with Boxer?

I don't get it? Not being snarky...

[ronnykmarshall]

6. Same here.

While threads slamming Hillary or Dianne Feinstien pop up right and left. I have not seen ONE thread about Boxer turning her back on "us".

While I knew that this piece of crap was going to be renewed, I never in a 1000 years thought Barbara Boxer would vote for this shit.

[electropop]

8. She's afraid they'll attack her like they attacked Cleland,

I guess is what the OP is saying.

Maybe Frist called up and told her he was preparing another round of Anthrax, just like he used to pass the PieceOShit Act in the first place.

[EST]

7. They got some limits and oversight powers put into it

and figured they'd better grab what they could get. I saw part of the argument but missed a lot.

[file83]

9. Time to wake up people: It's ALL a system of control.

Left Right. Liberal Conservative. Democrat Republican.

Two sides of the same coin: They are all just actors pretending to make you think someone is looking after your interests. If they didn't do this, there would be a revolution.

It's all bullshit. We are slaves. We are not being represented. Taxation without representation=slavery.

[Higans]

16. hey, your right

[wiley]

25. Second

[FormerDittoHead]

29. Boxer voting no wouldn't have changed the outcome...

The Democrats could have "let" it pass while making it *seem* they were against it...

Hell, they could have ABSTAINED from voting! But they voted FOR it...

Obviously this was 'sold' to them somehow, but we haven't seen the talking points yet...

[Mz Pip]

10. Gee, maybe

Cindy should run against Barbara next time. :sarcasm:

If there is anything in the Patriot Act that provides funding for our troops Boxer will support it. She will not vote against helping out troops.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Kadie]

11. Here is Sen. Boxer's statement from her website...

Statement by Senator Barbara Boxer on the Reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act



March 3, 2006

I voted for the conference report because on balance I believe it is necessary legislation to give our law enforcement officials the tools they need protect the American people from terrorist attacks. Before the Patriot Act, various law enforcement agencies did not have the ability to share information and work together, and this was a vulnerability that needed to be fixed after 9/11.

But this was a difficult decision. The bill had flaws, and two in particular concern me the most – the so-called “sneak and peek” and library search provisions. Given my concerns about these provisions, I voted for every opportunity to make further improvements to the bill.

But ultimately I believe that by voting for the conference report I will be in a stronger position to help improve the Patriot Act in the future, working with Judiciary Committee Chairman Specter, Ranking Member Leahy and Senators Feingold and Sununu.

I also wanted to show my support for Senator Dianne Feinstein’s anti-methamphetamine bill, which was included in the conference report. Meth has become a terrible scourge across our country and Sen. Feinstein’s bill will go a long way to combat the spread of the drug by restricting access to the ingredients used to make meth.

http://boxer.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=252144

[KyndCulture]

12. horseshit... sorry that doesn't wash with me...

she sold out the progressives.... what does meth have to do with the war on terror????

sigh.

[The Magistrate]

15. The 'Conference Report', Ma'am

Is the reconciliation of differing bills under the same general heading paseed by the different houses of the Congress. The text of a bill must be identical in both houses for it to become law. In the conference process, differences are reconciled between the different legislations, and an identical form sent to both houses for ratification. There is a good deal of skullduggery and log-rolling in the process; often the bills that emerge from a conference bear little relation to what originally passed the floor of either house. It is quite common to lump unrelated matters together at this stage to secure a majority for a leading element. That seems to have happened here. It is sharp practice, but nothing particularly unusual or even particularly new.

[radio4progressives]

18. There was a bit of a scuttlebutt with Sensenbrenner over at the House

at the last minute, while the bill was in the Senate.. it was being suggested in the media that suddenly Sensenbrenner had seen Damascus or something and no longer supported it .. (?)

but then there was no follow up on that, that story fell into a black hole
i'd really like to know what really was going on there.

so the bill is back at the House, or at least that's where it went after the Senate just passed it through. I haven't seen any press reports on what if any changes they made again to it.

have you?

[The Magistrate]

22. No, Ma'am

But my attentions have been elsewhere the last couple of days.

[radio4progressives]

14. Yeah, I have the same letter.. and I always knew it was about DiFi

but here's the thing: why the fvck did Difi put the meth issue in the Nazi-Act in the first place ? why is it there at all?

it makes no fvcking sense!

[Armstead]

31. Methamphetamine ? Boy they're really stretching it.

Gee I thought the Patriot Act was all about getting them terrorists.

So what the hell does meth have to do with it? Obviously that's serious problem, but ought to be addressed seperately.

[radio4progressives]

13. she's my senator too, and I'd love to know the answer ...

if you ever find out, please post that explanation here... :cry:

[Disturbed]

17. "Why the fvck did Difi put the meth issue in the Nazi-Act?"

Excellent question. I don't know. Anybody wanna guess?

[radio4progressives]

19. that was the weirdest damn thing that really got my goat .. it's like

it required the meth issue to be put in it, so that it would pass?

sheesh.

whatever happened to the Single Issue Legislation intiative?

[BlueIris]

20. I'm quite certain Senator Boxer remains crack-free.

But if you have concerns, you should give her a call. I wouldn't imply she's on crack, though, as that would be...really, really rude.

[ronnykmarshall]

21. Yeah. That's what I was implying ....

:eyes:

[politicasista]

23. Wow Boxer bashing, go figure n/t

[originalpckelly]

24. Just cool it, take some advice...

We need moral courage in these troubled times, and I am sad to see so many Dems go for the act. There may be a good reason though. If Democrats win the upcoming election, they may be able to dampen the extremely negative consequences of the act. Most moderate Americans don't fully understand the misuse of the act and just think "terrorism," and they'll be reeled in by the negative ads, "So and so didn't vote to protect your life". I can just hear it now. Just cool it, a little moderation now will mean success and protection of the Constitution in the future. Have faith. Yikes, listen to me I sound like a preacher man.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

26. The overwhelming Dem support leads me to only one conclusion:

It was a Party decision. Reasons:

1. Give political cover to each other.

2. Give political cover to each other.

3. Give political cover to each other.

4. Give political cover to each other.
5. Because this is what our constituents wanted! :rofl:

6. Don't rock the boat, don't tip the boat over, yeah.
7. We have a Master Plan. :rofl:

8. Shhh. Don't worry your pretty little head.

[MrPrax]

27. Mindsnapping really

Any number of scandals that the Bush Adminstration has faced would have either toppled it or weakened it any other government to such a point, that Opposition to something like this would have been a slam dunk.

Given the approval ratings of Bush, members of both parties should have huddled and used it as a slap in the face to this Administration and it's handling of a wide range of domestic issues.

Congress is really abrogating it's Constitutional responsibilies and making it riduclous to even think one corrupt branch has the legitmacy to impeach another branch.

Dark days...

[Hippo_Tron]

28. It's entirely internal senate politics

Boxer along with many other liberal senators (Kennedy, Leahy, Sarbanes, Mikulski, Levin, Murray Inouye, and Dayton to name a few) could have easily voted against this without facing reprocussions. But I think it was determined early on that they would just compromise with the Republicans on some of the previsions and the party would vote for it on the basis that it's a better bill. Once that determination was made, it didn't really matter whether Boxer or any of the other people listed above got in line to support Feingold in his fight against this legislation which is still an embarassment to everything that this country was founded on. Most of the party was voting with the Republicans so it was a done deal anyway. Those mentioned above decided to cut their losses and say that they helped negotiate a better bill and in Boxer's case, support Feinstein's meth bill.

I personally think that this is just another great example of the democrats' lack of spine. Right now Bush's approval is in the 30's and people were incredibly upset at his NSA spying bullshit and his arrogance about the matter entirely. If they had fillibustered the damn thing they could have gotten the library provisions and lots of the other bullshit removed. Sure, some of our more GOP sympathizing members (errgh Ben Nelson) would not have supported this but if Reid and Durbin can't whip 41 votes against cloture out of 45 democrats and several Republican moderates (one of whom is up for re-election in the most liberal state in the country) then they need to resign their leadership positions. They once again blew a perfectly good opportunity to show the voters that they are better than the Republicans.

And for those of us who have short memories, Newt Gingrich and Bob Dole didn't rise to power by compromising with Clinton on healthcare or caving on allowing gays in the military.

[Harald Ragnarsson]

32. Someone pointed out not long ago

That the Dems seem to be taking turns on these votes.

On one vote, they'll be the hard ass, working for US, then next one they'll cave on as someone else takes the media coverage as being the hardass, uncooperative Dem.

That's certainly the way it looks to me.

[ChipsAhoy]

33. When we can't even count on Boxer......................

We're screwed!!!