Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Gingrich gets...

scarier. For a guy that has gone after orphans in his time, he really had to search long and hard for a way to creep fans of the First Amendment. Makes me think back to Judge Bork. How could he go lower than when he did Nixon's dirty work in the 70's? (ANSWER: Attack the power of the court, and suggest and push for the crippling of the Supreme Court.)

In New Hampshire, getting an early start on the presidential bid. While in Manchester, he suggested that a "'different set of rules' may be needed to reduce terrorists' ability to use the Internet and free speech to recruit and get out their message."

He went on to bring up "We need to get ahead of the curve before we actually lose a city..." Nice of him to bring the fear to the party.

Now this gets back to other larger issues, including Net Neutrality. Look it up.

Free Speech is in the way. It is inconvenient for people to have web sites and blogs, to espouse unpopular ideas, to...disagree. And, in truth, it is necessary, on rare occasions, to install limits. But this is the troubling thing. The War on Terror. How does that end? As Jonathan Alter, on MSNBC's Countdown, pointed out, when Roosevelt curtailed various rights (the internment was just plain wrong) in WWII, and Lincoln curtailed Habeas Corpus during the Civil War, the defeat of the Axis forces, the defeat of the Confederate Army led to the resumption of full rights. How does this end?

Terrorism? Bush isn't going to end it. Islamic extremist? Nope. And they know it. The Patriot Act is not a short term law, it is meant to irrevocably rewrite this nation, a power grab long yearned for in many corners. And if they want to cut away further from Bill of Rights, it will mean more than a short year or two inconvenienced. This will mean redefining what we feel America and the Republic are at their core.

It is time for the people to start remembering the value of saying NO. Republicans? Try it out. You used to be so good at it.

Gingrich's idea? NO!
Gingrich for president? NO!
Not bothering with securing the country in useful and fruitful ways? NO!!!
Voting Republican? ...I lost the Republicans, didn't I?

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