Stepping Out of Line
Salon's Walter Shapiro profiles John Sununu of New Hampshire, one of four Republican senators to break with the president on the Patriot Act. At the end of the article, Shapiro observes a fact that isn't acknowledged as often as it should be among civil libertarians of the left:
It is tempting to use party labels (augmented by descriptive adjectives like "moderate" and "maverick") as a shorthand for the white hats and black hats of American politics. But the divisions over the Patriot Act illustrate the limitations of such a lazy typology. The Republican senators loudly opposing a no-questions-asked extension of the Patriot Act are not celebrated naysayers like John McCain nor the always-on-the-fence New England moderates (Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins and Lincoln Chafee). Instead, it is Sununu and the libertarians on the right who are standing firm.
And speaking of civil liberties and internecine warfare: There's a fascinating piece in the current Newsweek about the battles within the bureaucracy over Bush's efforts to extend presidential powers. I wish I knew more about where the details of the story came from, but even with that caveat I highly recommend the article.
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It seems to me that we give a little ground by referring to it as the “Patriot Act” instead of the “U.S.A.P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act.” The latter comes across (to me, at least) as a little more draconian and a little more fitting.
Instead, it is Sununu and the libertarians on the right who are standing firm.
Wow. He said “libertarian” like it’s not a dirty word!!
G-d bless Larry Craig — who surely must have a 110 percent approval rating from the American Conservative Union — on this issue.
If you are really interested in seeing what a fraud Sununu is, take a look at his Social Security ‘fixes’.
Dishonest for a politician. Frankly, I would prefer the Bob Smith to Sununu.
Remember that New Hampshire voted to elect John Kerry, and just elected a Democratic governor.
If you are really interested in seeing what a fraud Sununu is, take a look at his Social Security ‘fixes’.
Considering how fraudulent Social Security is to begin with it is likely hard to come up with a “fix” that is not similarly fraudulent.
Wasn’t Sununu the chief of staff for Bush 1?
Wasn’t Sununu the chief of staff for Bush 1?
That was the father.
Sununu was partially responsible for the most recent defeat of the broadcast flag. He doesn’t sound too bad from that (I haven’t seen his SS proposals though). Maybe there’s something to this free state project.
At the end of the article, Shapiro observes a fact that isn’t acknowledged as often as it should be among civil libertarians of the left:
Well, I see myself politically as a civil libertarian first and foremost, not so much a fiscal one, and I as well as those I’ve spoken to with similar views readily acknowledge positive contributions of right-leaning libertarians, and certainly that American politics can’t accurately be reduced to white and black and shades of grey. I wonder, when Mr. Walker uses the term “civil libertarians of the left”, is he really just talking about lefties in general? Either way, he seems to be subscribing to the same sort of generalization he’s condemning.
Maybe there’s something to this free state project.
Its doomed by immigration from its liberal neighbors (think Massachusetts).
Its doomed by immigration from its liberal neighbors (think Massachusetts).
Wrong, dipshit. Choice quote from an interesting article on this subject:
Exit poll data from the election raise more questions than answers. New Hampshire natives were split between Kerry and Bush, while those born in Massachusetts narrowly went for Bush — possibly bolstering arguments for Massachusetts tax refugees.
I wonder, when Mr. Walker uses the term “civil libertarians of the left”, is he really just talking about lefties in general? Either way, he seems to be subscribing to the same sort of generalization he’s condemning.
When I read a phrase like “isn’t acknowledged as often as it should be,” “generalization” is not the first word that pops into my head. It isn’t the second word either.