Confidence Men
Just some quick thoughts on two developments today, both ostensibly involving confidence.
The first regards the no-confidence vote against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Cut to the chase, the vote failed. Well, the vote itself didn't fail rather the vote to vote on the bill failed but the message is nonetheless the same. This has both good and bad connotations for the Democrats. For starters, it is just goes to show that no matter how much they may piss and moan about how they've lost confidence in Gonzo, when it comes time to to put their votes where their rhetoric is, most of the GOPers in Congress will always side with Dubya. The downside for the Dems is that after a slew of votes seen acquiescing to the Bush administration in several areas, this vote will only mean more disenfranchised Americans who see a legislature increasingly behind the times. Regardless of the fact that the only way Gonzo will ever be removed from office is at the behest of Bush and this vote would have been yet another non-binding resolution he would undoubtedly have ignored, the impact will be the same for those already at odds with the Dem leadership.
But while Congress may have failed to pass a vote of no-confidence against Gonzo, the judiciary issued a clear rebuke of one of this amnesic AG's most controversial legacies. Today an appeals court ruled that the administration did not have standing to hold a Qatari man as an "enemy combatant", the only one known to be held under that status inside the US. Many are analyzing what implications this ruling may have but I for one am thankful that not all of the branches of government have been co-opted by the ideological drive to further entrench some of the more egregious affronts to the rule of law.
Meme roundups on Gonzo here and the ruling here.
Update:
(Filed at State of the Day and Blognonymous)
The first regards the no-confidence vote against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Cut to the chase, the vote failed. Well, the vote itself didn't fail rather the vote to vote on the bill failed but the message is nonetheless the same. This has both good and bad connotations for the Democrats. For starters, it is just goes to show that no matter how much they may piss and moan about how they've lost confidence in Gonzo, when it comes time to to put their votes where their rhetoric is, most of the GOPers in Congress will always side with Dubya. The downside for the Dems is that after a slew of votes seen acquiescing to the Bush administration in several areas, this vote will only mean more disenfranchised Americans who see a legislature increasingly behind the times. Regardless of the fact that the only way Gonzo will ever be removed from office is at the behest of Bush and this vote would have been yet another non-binding resolution he would undoubtedly have ignored, the impact will be the same for those already at odds with the Dem leadership.
But while Congress may have failed to pass a vote of no-confidence against Gonzo, the judiciary issued a clear rebuke of one of this amnesic AG's most controversial legacies. Today an appeals court ruled that the administration did not have standing to hold a Qatari man as an "enemy combatant", the only one known to be held under that status inside the US. Many are analyzing what implications this ruling may have but I for one am thankful that not all of the branches of government have been co-opted by the ideological drive to further entrench some of the more egregious affronts to the rule of law.
Meme roundups on Gonzo here and the ruling here.
Update:
(Filed at State of the Day and Blognonymous)
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