The End of the Constitution

I want you to read the following exchange among United States Senators, and then ask yourself:

Does this sound like "protecting and defending the Constitution"?

Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky, son of presidential candidate Ron Paul, voiced concerns over the bill on the Senate floor on Wednesday. "Under the provisions, wouldn't it be possible, then, that an American citizen could be declared an enemy combatant and sent to Guantanamo Bay and detained indefinitely?"

John McCain, who had helped write out the relevant provision in the bill, responded: "I think that as long as that individual, no matter who they are, if they pose a threat to the security of the United States of America, should not be allowed to continue that threat."

Senator Lindsay Graham, a supporter of NDAA, explained that it "basically say[s] in law for the first time that the homeland is part of the battlefield" and anyone can be detained, "American citizen or not."

What they are discussing is the new National Defense Authorization Act, the annual bill that funds our military spending. This year's bill contains new language allowing the military to arrest and detain anyone, anywhere, simply on suspicion of terrorism, and to hold them without trial at any facility in the world, or even to transfer them to be held by other countries. In addition, they can do this on American soil, to American citizens -- and there is nothing you can do about it.

That Senators of the United States would not only VOTE for such a monstrosity, but actually stand on the floor of the Senate and DEFEND it, just boggles the mind.

Let's go over that one more time, shall we?

• Based only on their suspicion,
• A member of the military can show up at the door of your personal residence,
• Arrest you,
• Take you to any facility in the world,
• And hold you there forever,
• Without charges,
• And without access to a lawyer,
• Access to the courts,
• Or access to your family.
• And, if they choose, they can send you abroad to be held by another nation,
• And probably tortured.

Obviously, in today's US-of-A the military budget is next to God, and voting against it is a risky act for elected officials. Nevertheless, here are the seven (only seven!) Senators who stood up for the Constitional rights we used to have:

• Tom Coburn (R, Oklahoma)
• Tom Harkin (D, Iowa)
• Mike Lee (R, Utah)
• Jeff Merkley (D, Oregon)
• Rand Paul (R, Kentucky)
• Bernie Sanders (I, Vermont)
• Ron Wyden (D, Oregon)

The Obama White House has threatened a veto, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm saving that for the coming waterboarding.