From Politico, a description of the Tom Lantos memorial disruption…

While I appreciate that the Democrats finally stuck together, I would have preferred that they do so because their position was right and just, or failing that, because they were flooded by angry phone calls.

It is not encouraging that only internal Congressional umbrage is sufficient to foster a sense of unity and purpose among the Democrats.

I agree.

We’ve been watching the John Adams mini-series on HBO and our current Congress sounds an awful lot like the representatives that wanted to appease the King rather than declare independence. How in the world did we end up with so many non-patriots in Congress? I’m sure our founding fathers and mothers are spinning in their graves.

Re the download of the JFC Iraq perspectives Project report:

Either the jfc.mil site has monstrous server overload or they’re intentionally dishing it out from the slowest platform on the planet.

cobernicus March 20th, 2008 at 10:15 am
9 In response to RonD @ 2

The Republicans called for a quorum call in the middle of the Lantos memorial service, forcing several Representatives to leave.

(Sigh.) I guess shredding the Constitution isn’t enough of an affront to get their attention. Well, a bit of backbone from any source is welcome, I guess, but their priorities upset me.

My congressperson, Neil Abercrombie (D, HI-01) was in a rage on the House floor recently about the new ethics body, arguing with great passion that it was an affront to the Constitution, etc. etc. Oh, Rep. Abercrombie, I am so thrilled that you’re worried about the Constitution! Now, I have a few dozen points in that regard to discuss with you regarding VP Cheney, Preznit Bush, and a few other folks… And I do hope your passion about the Constitution will remain strong!

Bob in HI

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truly one of the tackiest things ever done.

so, boehner did this? i can’t wait to pass this around his home district…….very republican district, but i don’t think they’d look too kindly on something like this. of course, i don’t think the dems there can find a democrat to run against him, such a repuclican area, dems can’t hold many offices to get to the level of running for the house. but i’ll pass it on anyway.

There is an awful lot of pressure to do the “wrong” thing, which is why we’re in this mess in the first place, and nobody wants to be targeted by those Ari Fleischer ads in their own district. So what turned the blue dogs around? Because something did. And as much as I’d like to believe it was the progressive caucus, I don’t think that was it.

Basically, it was her sense that they were so pissed of at what the Republicans did during the Tom Lantos memorial that it gave them both the motivation and the cohesiveness to do what they wanted to do anyway …

Sadly, this rings true, Jane. Congress’ sense of entitlement does seem to be stronger than its sense of right and wrong.