On February 14 Silvestre Reyes, Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, crawled up in Dubya’s grille and dropped some righteous nard-stomping pro-democracy rhetoric on his punk ass. We were as happy as we were stunned to see a Democratic leader swinging an actual set of cojones in the face of Mr. President’s fragrantly anti-liberty pro-corporate full-monty assault on our freedoms.
House leaders spent the week floating their specific proposals for how they intend to comply in full, and yesterday, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes went on CNN with Wolf Blitzer, refused to criticize the President or the Senate FISA bill, and repeatedly and meekly expressed his willingness “this week” to give what he called full “blanket immunity” to telecoms (C&L has the video of Reyes’ astoundingly weak and incoherent answers in response to Blitzer’s Bush-mimicking questions). (More here.)
It’s like a bad courtroom drama – they must have gotten to Reyes. I don’t know – maybe some of the info Bush showed him made clear that the only way to safeguard democracy is to empower corporations to plunder our civil rights with impunity. If so, I trust him. I mean, he’s never lied to us before.
*Ahem*
So that’s one theory. There are others, and we’d do well to keep an eye on Silvestre’s bank account over the coming months, I suspect.
In any case we’re on the verge of a “compromise,” but the only things I see being compromised are our freedoms and the Democratic Party’s alleged integrity.
Remind me again why I was so happy about that Democratic sweep back in November?
Categories: Crime/Corruption, Freedom/Privacy, Politics/Law/Government, War/Security
Progressive Culture | Scholars & Rogues 
Silvestre Reyes represents the 16th Congressional District in Texas, which includes El Paso. The military, through Fort Bliss, is a major employer, as are defense contractors. Since Rep. Reyes arrived in Congress, defense contractors rank one, four, five, eight and nine among his top campaign contributors.
Hmmm.
Where are Verizon and AT&T?
If Mike Sheehan ever comes up with a viable 3rd party, I’ll gladly vote the bastards out – and no, Mike, this does not mean I approve of Nader’s candidacy. 😉
He owns too much Sun Microsystems stock….
Oh, well, Diebold – er, Premier Systems – will decide for us anyway, right?
Too bad “None of the Above” isn’t running.
Silvestre Reyes was named heir apparent to my hometown by none other than Tom Delay.
He, like most of repuglicratic demublicans out there is spineless as a jellyfish.
He is a corrupt, establishment hack.
A shill.
Why you were happy about the democratic sweep in 06?
You were told to be.
Think it’s ugly now?
Wait until everyone is too happy about our nation’s first “historic” president
(code for non-white male mind you), too punch drunk to notice these *and many
more to come* sleights of hand.
::How appropriate, the dems using the same racism and sexism
they claim to fight… divide et imperium?::
Combine the political capital of “first black” or “first female” with the
excuse “time of war,” and the product will be…. well, historic, and
i have little doubt about that.
Personally, Pres. Bush wore me out on “historic” moments, the way
they strung along a self-obsessed, self-righteous and vindictive
moral majority…. honey honey, poison. honey, honey, poison.
I knew the dems were going to be ugly and worthless just from
watching 07 ushered in as yet another “historic” “american”
“watershed” moment, as nancy pelosi was “ushered in” as
the “first female speaker of the house,” diving headfirst
into the business of screwing us. The media falling all over
itself.
Anyway, back on point.
Expect more from Reyes and his band of thugs and thieves in Washington D.C.
it’ll only get worse from here.
I am not suprised at Mr. Reyes doing what bush wants because he is a delay hand puppet to this day. He is the most disgusting human being in congress and the Dems need to get rid of this albatross. I sure hope he has someone step forward to challenge him next thime he runs, this jellyfish needs to go.
Every lawmaker who votes for telecom immunity is not fit to seve US. They should all be turned out. If we lived in a democracy , they would have to stand trial. Along with Nancy Pelosi. Enablers of a terroist govt.
Or, the telecom eavesdropping picked up on Reyes girlfriend/boyfriend; or, they have recordings of him taking a bribe; or…I mean, this whole damn thing REEKS of blackmail, extortion, etc. on a large scale. Worst of all, giving the telecoms immunity to spy on us is virtually the definition of fascism – government and corporations joined in governing the people.
Yeah, but if it is blackmail or extortion, none of the Dems have had the balls to simply resign… That gravy train’s too sweet to let go.
I believe the word you wanted was “flagrantly” not “fragrantly”…or maybe not ha,ha! I knew the first time I heard Reyes after he was chosen that we were doomed. He is military through and through and believes we all just have to suck it up to be “safe”. I am so sick of this new “homeland” safety.
No, I meant “fragrantly.” Because it stinks.
Bush probably showed him the naked pictures?