It’s time to face the fact that the main reason why politicians in Washington are writing blank checks to “fight the war on terrorism” is not because America is facing some new and enormous threat. The reason is because politicians in Washington realize that *they personally* are on the front lines of the battlefield. If a nuclear bomb or a bio-weapon ever explodes in America, it won’t likely be in Memphis or Seattle or Houston; it will most likely be in Washington, and ground zero will most likely be the U.S. Capitol. That’s why so many Congressional politicians have thrown common sense out the window to wage war on every imagined “terrorist” threat on the planet, and will probably continue to do so. They might be unwilling to spend public money to support retirees, veterans or welfare mothers, but they are more than willing to spend unlimited public money to protect their own hides. What’s “new” about the threat of terrorism isn’t that terrorism is a new type of threat; it’s that terrorists have never hit so close to home against the people with the power to spend public money.

What we need is a national debate about what is essential to maintain that quantum of justice which we call the United States of America. Instead of bitter partisanship and 15 second soundbites comparing the other side to Saddam or Osama, let’s us look instead towards distinguishing a possible new future for us and our children in the post Cold War era.

If we strive to empower those which are powerless or oppressed, seek to protect the gifts of our children and our world, and find it within ourselves to make a choice to include all in participating in the critical decisions of our time, we will not yield to calls for an immoral vision of politics. We must make a stand for these, and for ourselves, lest we lose our way.

What is perhaps most disturbing about Republicans is how much time they waste on legislation they know will never pass, merely for the sake of political maneuvering. Democrats do it, too, of course, but nowhere near as much as Republicans. While the country suffers with serious problems — like border security, immigration, health care, Iraq, etc. — Republicans occupy themselves with worthless bills to ban flag burning and same-sex marriage. And need we even mention their truly outrageous grandstanding over Terri Schiavo?

In fact, the entire impeachment effort against Clinton was another fine example of Republican bloviation. The impeachment outcome hinged on whether or not Clinton had committed perjury when he lied under oath about his relationship with Lewinsky: no perjury, no valid grounds for impeachment. However, before Congressional Republicans even began their impeachment effort, the federal judge in the case in which Clinton lied under oath had *already ruled* that Clinton had not committed perjury. Thus, Republicans went into the impeachment hearings knowing the whole thing was a sham. It was orchestrated solely to make Clinton (and, by extension, Democrats) look bad, so Repulicans would do better in the next election (which, of course, they did).

But here’s the key question: should we shame Republicans for doing it or should we shame the American public for not paying enough attention to their government to see this garbage for what it is?

Good point about the Ninth Amendment. I had to look up the text; it’s not often discussed in the case law. But it’s right there in the Constitution. For brief discussion, see here.

The text of the Ninth Amendment: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

Seems to me the Ninth Amendment permits for exactly that.