Monday, October 02, 2006

Michael Arcuri Supported Torture Law Without Reading It

More news on Michael Arcuri's decision to abandon the Democratic Party mainstream and join George W. Bush and the Republicans on HR 6166:

Yesterday, Mike Arcuri admitted to an audience of Democrats that he didn't bother to read the pro-torture law before he announced that he supports it.

Yes, you're reading that correctly. Michael Arcuri told everybody last week that he supports HR 6166, the Republican law that will...

  • Revoke habeas corpus
  • Legalize torture
  • Allow George W. Bush to declare anyone an "enemy" and then throw those people into prison for the rest of their lives, without ever charging them with any criminal charge
  • Set up kangaroo courts in which trials can begin even before an investigation into the alleged crime has been conducted...

    ... but when Michael Arcuri made that announcement at last week's debate, he hadn't even bothered to read the bill!

    What's more, a week has gone by now since the text of the legislation was available, and Michael Arcuri still hasn't read it!

    You want a congressman who doesn't bother reading a law before he votes on it? Then Michael Arcuri is your man.

    Michael Arcuri came to that meeting and promised that he would not be a rubber stamp for George W. Bush. But what's the reality?

    The reality is that Michael Arcuri was told to support HR 6166, and he did what he was told, without asking questions, without reading what he was being asked to sign onto.

    That's the definition of a rubber stamp.

    The worst thing of all: If elected to Congress, Michael Arcuri won't be a rubber stamp for the Democrats. Michael Arcuri will be a rubber stamp for George W. Bush and the Republican Party.

    Why doesn't Michael Arcuri just cut to the chase and switch his party affiliation to Republican now, and be honest about it?
  • 4 comments:

    Anonymous said...

    Jon - if we have a Democratic House, legislation like this doesn't make it to the floor period. Rubber stamp or not, there is no vote. Give us Arcuri simply to get Democratic leadership of the House and stop this assinine legislation from even coming to a vote.

    Leave us Republican leadership and you'll get even more of it which Meier will joyfully vote for even after he's read it.

    Anonymous said...

    Arcuri is supposedly a prosecutor. Prosecutors are supposed to have an idea of what lines you really shouldn't cross before you lose the case.

    Knowing all that, Arcuri has repeatedly voiced his support for 6166, without even reading it.

    It's time to give up on him - there's really not a goddamn thing there. This proves even his resume is meaningless.

    And no, I wouldn't count on Arcuri's just being there to keep this kind of thing from coming to a vote.

    Anonymous said...

    Well 3:03 - I know you don't want to hear this because you're a Bush supporter, but this is all about Bush and not about Arcuri. We need to get rid of this stinking Republican "leadership" in Congress, neutralize Bush and do the country a favor for the next two years.

    We don't need Meier and the only way to block him from reelecting the Republican leadership is to put Arcuri in there.

    Anonymous said...

    3:23 -

    Bush supporter?

    Wow. I've been called lots of crazy things before, but never that.

    I'll hold my nose and vote for the empty-suit-prosecutor over the much smarter but way too conservative Meier, but Arcuri's gone way too far into wingnut land with this one, and I can't call myself a supporter any more.

    At times like this it's too bad that we can't simply run a 'generic Democrat' - they do better in polls anyway...