Durbin Poison
IOZ has some words for the Senator. I would add that, my belief is that the immunity that Representatives and Senators enjoy for statements made from the floor of Congress in session probably extends to any charges the Administration might have tried to bring.
Comment by Mona —
April 28, 2007 @ 8:51 pm
Zounds! Jim, IOZ seems to have definitively decided not to worry about Henleyesque concerns with adopting “pussy,” “faggot” and other, you know, language like that.
It was actually a bracing read. I think I approve, I really do. But then IOZ gives me someone to point to and say, “See, I’m not the absolutely MOST shrill…”
Comment by Thoreau —
April 28, 2007 @ 10:51 pm
You know, I understand people who refuse to take personal risks because they don’t think it will actually accomplish anything. But he could have changed things. Or at least he stood a real chance.
I know that my screen name comes from a famous dissident and prisoner. To be honest, I chose it on a whim one day, and while I do respect him I’m not the stickler that he was on points of civil disobedience. If somebody would rather concentrate on the good things that he can do, within the context of his own life, job, community, family, and friends, rather than going to jail for a symbolic gesture, I totally respect that.
But if the list of things that you can do includes “Prevent a 6 digit body count and disaster with international repercussions for decades”, and you don’t?
That’s not forgiveable.
Besides, in addition to Jim’s point about immunity for speeches on the Senate floor, there’s also the fact that if they prosecute him for disclosing the contents of the briefings then they are implicitly supporting whatever the Senator says. If the Senator says “I’ve been given classified information saying that X, Y, and Z” and they say “Hey, X, Y, and Z are classified info that we gave him!”, they’re just admitting that they also believe X, Y, and Z. And if they believe X, Y, and Z, then the case for war collapses.
Of course, if he had spoken out, they could have been devious and dismissed what he said without prosecuting him. In which case he accomplishes nothing, but he also isn’t hurt.
Comment by Donald Johnson —
April 29, 2007 @ 1:11 pm
Having just started reading Silber recently, I suspect he would have a thing or two to say about IOZ’s particular choice of insulting words. Durbin deserves all the insults IOZ wants to give him, but IOZ shouldn’t use insults that might inflict collateral damage on others.
Comment by von Laue —
April 29, 2007 @ 4:41 pm
Don Johnson, IOZ is a gay man, if that helps.
Comment by Dave Trowbridge —
April 29, 2007 @ 4:44 pm
“…my belief is that the immunity that Representatives and Senators enjoy for statements made from the floor of Congress in session probably extends to any charges the Administration might have tried to bring.”
It did when Senator Mike Gravel read 4100 pages of the Pentagon Papers into the Senate record. He even published them through Beacon Press, and although the Supremes eventually ruled against him, he incurred, I think, no penalty.
Comment by Jim Henley —
April 29, 2007 @ 4:47 pm
@ 3 and 4: Indeed, Arthur may have something to say to IOZ, though that’s Arthur’s lookout. I admire them both, though I don’t agree with absolutely everything either of them writes.
@Dave: Oh, you’ve got me on the history there – good show! Can you provide a bit more detail on the Supremes “ruling against him?” Or, this being the internet, a link would do, so I can educate myself.
Comment by IOZ —
April 29, 2007 @ 5:32 pm
You go to war with the epithets you have . . .
Comment by Vern Morrison —
April 30, 2007 @ 8:32 am
Just to let you know that at least one of your readers picked up on the GP reference, Jim.
Comment by Jim Henley —
April 30, 2007 @ 8:47 am
Oh thank God, Vern!
Comment by Donald Johnson —
April 30, 2007 @ 11:56 am
If IOZ is gay, that shuts me up. Don’t know if Arthur will object.
Comment by Jim Henley —
April 30, 2007 @ 12:17 pm
IOZ is, in the immortal words of Edward Albee, “Queer, queer, queer, with bells ringing and banners snapping in the wind!”
Or at least he talks a good game.