Kentucky Senator Rand Paul’s 12-hour filibuster of John Brennan’s nomination yesterday was so outstanding because brought people representing the entire spectrum of political belief together to defend constitutional due process rules.
As a Palin Democrat, I would like to make an observation.
As I conduct much of my media outreach on Facebook, I noted many of my Libertarian and conservative friends are gleefully acknowledging the awesome awesomeness of Paul’s filibuster.
Now, I would like to shine the light on another, Oregon’s Senator Ron Wyden:
Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-Ky.) filibuster is now officially bipartisan.Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a libertarian-minded Democrat who has also expressed reservations about the Obama administration’s drone policy, shortly before 4 p.m. became the fifth senator and first Democrat to join Paul’s filibuster.“It’s my view that the senator from Kentucky has made a number of important points today,” Wyden said.“I want it understood that I have great respect for this effort to really ask these kinds of questions,” Wyden said. “And Sen. Paul has certainly been digging into these issues in great detail.”
I will concede that Wyden is no grand champion of conservative causes. However, this act merits at least as much respect, if not more, than Paul’s.
Why?
Because Democrats are known to stomp down hard on anyone who strays from the progressive orthodoxy (remember Joe Lieberman). So, by issuing statements such as the following, Wyden has firmly placed himself in the arena:
On Wednesday, Wyden said he would “pull out all the stops to get the actual legal analysis, because without it, in effect, the administration is, in effect, practicing secret law,” a comment that came as scrutiny mounted over the use of drones to target U.S. citizens abroad. Later Wednesday, President Barack Obama decided to provide classified Justice Department information to congressional intelligence committees on that issue. It’s a move that comes as John Brennan — who was intimately involved in drones-related decisions as Obama’s counterterrorism adviser — prepares to appear before a Senate panel for his confirmation hearings.
The eye-opening experience that this has been for the people of my party cannot be over-stated. Here ares some thoughts from one of Wyden’s constituents, Blue Oregon:
The fact that the Obama Administration is actually trying to make a legal argument that it’s okay to kill US citizens on US soil without due process, even if it’s meant only for extraordinary circumstances, is appalling. And yes, I voted for Obama. But this is just flat wrong and frankly, antithetical to what it means to be an American as far as I’m concerned.
So, I would like to encourage my conservative friends to take a little time out from the Paul-a-palooza and show a little love for the sassy Senator from Oregon, perhaps thanking him for having some backbone. His contact information:
Senator Ron Wyden’s Website: http://www.wyden.senate.gov/
Contact Wyden email page: http://www.wyden.senate.gov/contact
Washington, DC Office: 221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg., Washington, D.C., 20510
tel: (202) 224-5244
fax: (202) 228-2717
It’s a two-fer: You’ll encourage more Democrats to “rebel” and annoy Obama!
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