Today's action by the Republicans, to force an obstructionist vote in the middle of the Capitol memorial service for the late Tom Lantos, was truly reprehensible, but not surprising. Look what radio talker Michael Savage had to say about Lantos this week:
Discussing the recent death of Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA), Michael Savage stated during the February 11 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, "You're not supposed to talk badly about the dead. I generally wouldn't do it. But in the case of Tom Lantos, I'll make an exception. I think he was one of the most -- he was a scoundrel. And I'll tell you why I detested Tom Lantos. The man survived the Holocaust of World War II and used it as a weapon the rest of his life."
Of all the people to detest - Tom Lantos, who did nothing but seek to protect and defend human rights as long as he lived. What creepy people who think that being thrown into a prison camp and left to rot could ever be a "weapon". Your modern conservative movement, ladies and gentlemen.
Meanwhile, the Republican who called for the vote was Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), and this could be a major part of his re-election campaign. He has a legitimate challenger - Raul Martinez, the mayor of Hialeah and part of a new generation of Cubans who aren't as knee-jerk Republican as they have been in the past. I don't know if there's any kind of Jewish population in this district, but I'm quite sure they won't like the fact that their Congressman interrupted the memorial service for the only Holocaust survivor ever to serve in Congress. The Florida Democratic Party is all over this:
"Everyone from the Israeli Foreign Minister to Condoleezza Rice to Bono took time out to mourn the loss of this respected Holocaust survivor and Congressman, but apparently, even a memorial service can't stop Lincoln Diaz-Balart from playing politics," Florida Democratic Party spokesman Alejandro Miyar said. "This is simply shameful."
"The disrespect that has been shown by a Republican member of Congress in calling a political procedural motion during the memorial service for the late Chairman Tom Lantos is incomprehensible," Stacey Bernards, a spokeswoman for House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, told Politico. "It is unjustifiable, and Republican leaders should restrict their members from further such action."
Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor to ever serve in the U.S. Congress, represented California's 12th District for almost 28 years. He died of esophageal cancer Monday at the age of 80.
I think this could be the final indignation that sets off the Democratic leadership, but I've been thinking that for a while now, so they could of course start cowering again as soon as tomorrow. However, today has a "peeked behind the curtain and saw that the Wizard of Oz was all hype" kind of feel to it. George Bush huffed and he puffed and the Democrats didn't fall over. Must feel good, don't you think?
Here's some good stuff from Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY), one of my favorite freshman lawmakers:
In November of 2006, the American people decided to give the Democrats control of the House of Representatives and the Congress. I was fortunate enough to be elected as one of the 43 new Democrats in that class. And many people said in examining that election, "Oh, we were elected because of the War in Iraq." But that's not what I heard. What I heard when I was campaigning in 2006 and I think most of my colleagues in this class would say the same thing is, we want to return to the tenets of the Constitution. We want to restore the checks and balances that the Founding Fathers prescribed. We want to make sure that this President and every President is held accountable, is not above the law.
I find it a little disorienting to say that I'm proud to be a Democrat today, except for the dismissal of the need to end the war and all that.
Mr. Conyers: "And so Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that we put into the record at this point CNN.com news, 'Phone Companies Cut FBI Wiretaps Due to Unpaid Bills.' A lot's been said about what some call 'patriotic phone companies.' Are these the same companies that cut off the FBI FISA wiretaps because the FBI hadn't paid its phone bill? This is breaking news. I ask unanimous consent that we examine this issue and that we include it in the ones in the 21-day period."
I don't know if it was Al Wynn's loss or what, but Democrats are off the mat and fighting today. Even Steny Hoyer had some good things to say. And I think Digby is ghostwriting now for Intelligence Committee Chair Silverstre Reyes.
Maybe the Democrats will discover that walking around without sand perpetually kicked in their face is kind of liberating.
We will not fear any longer. We will not fear the international terrorists -- we will thwart them. We will not fear the recognition of the manipulation of our yearning for safety. We will not fear calling out the vulgar hypocrites in our government. We will not fear George W. Bush, nor fear because George W. Bush wants us to fear.