Once again, using 9/11 to drive Americans apart

September 14, 2006

Of all the things for Congress to fight over, a resolution commemorating the 5th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks seems like it should be an easy one. House Republican leaders, true to form, had other ideas.

First, Dems wanted to vote on the resolution on Monday, so it would coincide with the actual anniversary. GOP leaders balked and pushed it off until Wednesday, so lawmakers would have time to vote on a number of apparently more important measures, including the “Lake Mattamuskeet Lodge Preservation Act.”

More importantly, House Dems wanted to model the resolution after last year’s statement, which played it straight. Once again, the Republican leadership refused and packed this year’s resolution with partisan rhetoric, including praise for the Patriot Act and the dubious claim that “the nation is safer than it was back in Sept. 11, 2001.” The strategy seemed pretty obvious: the GOP wanted to make an offensive resolution in the hopes Dems would vote against it, and the whole thing could be exploited before the election.

Indeed, Republicans decided they wouldn’t talk to Dems about improving the resolution, and instead just pushed the measure onto the floor.

The House of Representatives, despite objections by Democrats, yesterday approved a resolution recognizing those killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks and praising the USA Patriot Act and other Republican-crafted security measures implemented since. […]

Democratic leaders complained that references to the Patriot Act and the tough 2005 border-security bill did not belong in such a resolution.

Democrats supported previous resolutions since September 11 that affirm Congress will “take whatever actions necessary to identify, intercept and disrupt terrorists and their activities.” Those resolutions, passed overwhelmingly in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, and didn’t mention any of the nine measures included in this election-year version.

Left with little choice, most Dems voted for the resolution, but it wasn’t unanimous. The final vote was 395-22, with 21 Democrats and Republican Rep. Ron Paul of Texas voting against it.

The Senate’s 9/11 resolution, by the way, passed unanimously on Monday. It praised September 11 heroes and “condemns in the strongest possible terms the attacks, the terrorists who perpetrated them and their sponsors” — and didn’t include any of the partisan claims House leaders insisted upon.

As for the House “debate,” there were plenty of over-the-top comments, but my personal favorite came from the Speaker’s office.

“Democrats seem to care more about the November elections and risk offending the memories of those who were murdered on Sept. 11 than work with us in a bipartisan way,” Hastert spokesman Ron Bonjean said.

Up is down, black is white….

… war is peace.

And now they’ll bring up this vote whenever a Democrat criticises the Patriot Act. “But you voted to praise the Patriot Act in the 9/11 resolution of 2006! I think we’re all sick and tired of all of this flip-flopping …”.

As long as Democrats freeze and then cringe whenever someone says “security”, they’ll let things like this happen. Republicans play to win, Democrats play to tie.

  • The Dems should respond in a manner that not only contradicts the GOP message, but in a manner that also challenges its strengths. Point out that every decision the GOP has made and is making is clouded by fear (and laziness, I guess), and that this is what has led directly to the mistakes of: leaving bin laden escape in Tora Bora and why he remains at large today; every aspect of the Iraq war; torture; misguided efforts on wiretapping; failure to try, after 5 years, those behind 9/11 who are actually in our custody. Point out that every statement made by the administration and the GOP (especially recently) shows their fear, on which the enemy terrorists thrive. Point out that the only way to make progress is to get control of this fear, set it aside, and proceed to truly make our country safe (pointing out Dem ideas) and reestablish America as the positive example to the world that it once was, not so long ago. We didn’t help win WWI, WWII or the Cold War by reacting in, or to, fear. And we are obviously not winning this “war” in large part because the GOP has acted as fearful, cowardly bullies.

    But they won’t.

  • Man, I came in to spoof, but how the hell can anyone compete with this stuff? I bow down to Ron Bonjean, a true master.

  • Left with little choice, most Dems voted for the resolution… -CB

    There’s always a choice, but the Democrats in Congress simply lack the will to make it.

    In a situation where no choice is a good choice they should let principle be their guide. Instead, they bow to fear and the terr…um, I mean GOP wins.

  • What I find sickening isn’t just that the Republicant’s continue to live in Bizzaro World — it’s that their soundbites always make it on before anyone from the left, thus painting every Dem as on the defensive.

    It’s an interesting strategy — repeating utter crap over and over and over and over and over … I just hope most Americans see through it. Not sure they do, though.

  • Believe me, the Republican’ts have enough bad legislating that we don’t need to worry about attacking the USA PATRIOT act.

    Slam them hard and often, and laugh at their responses.

  • It must be fun being Congress. The Democrats seem willing to do anything, anything at all, to stay there. Even though their presence is (has been) pointless.

  • Why don;t the Dems just not vote? A resolution that passes with 100% GOP votes and nothing else at all makes people ask why no vote from Dems. In campaign mode they can accuse Dems of not voting for blah blah but the rebuttal is that “I didn’t vote at all because it was not about 9/11 it was about GOP politics blah blah”.

    By being too chicken shit to abtatin from voting the GOP can now point to overwhelming support. 395-22 is much different than 188-0.

  • When will Republicans, the media and DLC Democrats catch up with the public? When will they again speak to our best hopes and ideals, instead of making cynical pitches to our reptile brains? Until they do, we as a country are the losers and the terrorists are the winners. They’ve succeeded in making us morph into a reflection of their image.

    And that image looks a lot like the hedgehog on hallucinogens. who gave his recruiting speech for the Forever War Monday night and came out strongly against radical dictators with nuclear weapons unless their name is Musharraf and they recently cut a deal with the Taliban which he approved. (Thanks to Billmon and apologies to Isaiah Berlin.)

  • I agree with the above that this “left with no choice” thing is complete BS. What, they’re afraid the Republican’ts will brand them as unpatriotic, as terrorist sympathizers, as using 9/11 for partisan politics?? Uhh, excuse me, that’s happening already. When asked why they didn’t vote for it, they should say, “you’re damn right I didn’t vote for it – calling it the 9/11 Resolution doesn’t make it right.” Every time some republican runs an ad, run a responsive one calling them on their BS.

    As doubtful #5 above suggested, sometimes you need to stick to your principles (-pals?). Dems can be overly-politically expedient on these issues which I believe causes paralysis of analysis. If it doesn’t seem right to vote for it, then don’t friggin’ vote for it. Demonstrate the courage of your convictions. Make the public (and more importantly, each congressman’s constituents) understand why you didn’t vote for it.

    And then draft your own resolution….

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