Make Them Work

I'm not necessarily disappointed in the confirmation of Gen. Michael Hayden to be the new CIA Director, but the relative ease with which it was done. Democrats in the Senate don't seem to be willing to put up a fight on anything even tangentially related to national security. The public is eminently willing to support those who stand up for the Constitution. If you can't oppose the President when he's this unpoopular you simply never will. This is not a call for knee-jerk opposition on whatever issue. But when opposition intersects with the core values of democracy, there is no political downside. People don't want to be under constant surveillance by the government. We certainly know that Congressmen don't like it. But if the public is not made aware of how dangerous warrantless wiretapping and massive data mining truly is, they one hear one side of the argument. And that makes it impossible to win it.

Again, Feingold was practically alone on this one, and it seems that ony he among the caucus gets that we can't go running for the foxhole every time there's an uncomfortable discussion about national security or foreign policy. It perpetuates the myth of the weak Democrat (which, after seeing this for the better part of a decade now, may not be a myth). Ultimately I'm optimistic because I don't think the people will like their representatives get away with being so meek forever. But it's very troubling that nobody even bothers to question the appointment of a guy who spearheaded an effort to collect research (yes, that's what it is, oppo research) on every American. And it's disgusting that they don't even use the confirmation process to articulate why that should not be allowed.

UPDATE: They're confirming Brett Kavanaugh too? Wasn't he one of the main judges tables in the "nuclear option" roil of last year?

I need to go lie down.