By Their Fruits Shall Ye Know Them: NSA Funding Edition

The Amash amendment to the latest House spending bill sought to limit the NSA’s data collection to targets already under investigation, rather than all citizens, apparently under the novel theory that we are all presumed innocent until proven (or at least suspected of being) guilty. What a refreshing concept!

The amendment was defeated 205-217.

Among the aye votes were the bipartisan set of sponsors, Justin Amash (R-MI), John Conyers (D-MI), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Mick Mulvaney (R-SC) and Jared Polis (D-CO), as well as 91 other Republicans and 111 other Democrats. 134 Republicans and 83 Democrats voted against the amendment.

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Fifty-eight percent of Reds and forty-one percent of Blues opposed the amendment.

I find it interesting that the "small-government" party support of the NSA's invasion of privacy was substantially greater than that of the "nanny-state" party. Perhaps this is an indication of a return of at least a portion of the blue team to their civil liberties roots.

Opposition was also bipartisan.

Those voting against the Amash amendment included Speaker Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, Michele Bachmann and Darrel Issa. The White House urged a no vote earlier today.

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Little surprise there, with the entrenched power-mongers showing strong support for maintaining the status quo.

The whole roll call is available here.

Something to keep in mind when election time rolls around again.

Johncs said:

Ah yes, the vote. The political equivalent to the immaculate conception. Keep the faith (it's your right). But I'm not holding my breath.

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George Carlin also said:

"I have solved this political dilemma in a very direct way: I don't vote. On Election Day, I stay home. I firmly believe that if you vote, you have no right to complain. Now, some people like to twist that around. They say, 'If you don't vote, you have no right to complain,' but where's the logic in that? If you vote, and you elect dishonest, incompetent politicians, and they get into office and screw everything up, you are responsible for what they have done. You voted them in. You caused the problem. You have no right to complain. I, on the other hand, who did not vote -- who did not even leave the house on Election Day -- am in no way responsible for that these politicians have done and have every right to complain about the mess that you created."

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One of my favorite quotes of his, actually.

And as Emma Goldman said:

If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal.

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Hang around a while; you'll find that anytime I mention voting to solve some important political issue, it's said firmly with my tongue in cheek.

clintl said:

At least Boehner let it be voted on. That's some progress.

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How benevolent of him. I obviously had him completely wrong.

clintl said:

At least Boehner let it be voted on. That's some progress.

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Yeah, but apparently his feet were held to the fire. Even though he allowed the vote, "Boehner was so deeply opposed to the amendment he took the rare step of voting against it. (By tradition, the speaker doesn't usually vote.)"

Here's a story on the NSA fight.

clintl said:

Maybe we need to have a barbecue pit installed in the House chambers so this happens more often.

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See, we do occasionally agree on something!