Editorial: Filibusters needed to keep forces balanced
By Daily Bruin Staff
May 19, 2005 9:00 p.m.
Two battles of epic proportions are being fought this week
““ one on screen with Stormtroopers and Jedis and the other on
the floor of the United States Senate.
It may seem coincidental that the release of the newest
“Star Wars” movie coincides with the struggle between
Republicans and Democrats over filibuster rules, but this
week’s battles are eerily parallel tales of abuses of power
and the spread of the dark side.
Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Chancellor Palpatine. The light side of the
Force vs. the dark. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid
vs. Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.
In each there is a struggle for power, attempts at the erosion
of constitutions, the destruction of representative legislatures
and fears of tyranny.
And like all six “Star Wars” movies, in each due
“Left Hand of Darkness,” we cheer for the good guys
““ if the Death Star is destroyed, if the rebels and Ewoks
turn back the encroaching empire and if Senate Democrats get to
continue using their own light sabers ““ filibusters ““
to block President Bush’s horrific judicial nominations.
In a galaxy close, close to home but just as alien, Bush is
using his narrow victory in November to nominate controversial
judges and push a conservative agenda that could give Republicans
unprecedented control.
Thus far, Democrats have used the force of filibusters to block
votes on 10 of Bush’s 45 federal judicial appointees. But
Democrats’ real fear is that without a filibuster, they will
be unable to stop the appointment of radically conservative Supreme
Court justices.
Examples of the nominated justices include Defense Department
lawyer William J. Haynes II, who was the Pentagon’s chief
lawyer in creating policies for post-Sept. 11 detainees at
Guantanamo Bay. Haynes also led a group of lawyers responsible for
a memo saying the president may not have to follow anti-torture
laws.
The institutional tradition of filibustering is important and
should remain untouched. It’s not that the Democrats are
right and the Republicans wrong, it’s about checks and
balances and the right to fight the tyranny of the majority ““
now and in the future.
In Bush’s empire, he has slowly eroded the civil liberties
and the rights of citizens while consolidating power for himself.
And it’s difficult not to see the shadow of Jabba the Hutt
lurking behind the power ““ and money-hungry Dick Cheney.
Senate Democrats and Republicans must work to hedge Sen.
Frist’s attack on the constitution.
The filibusters should continue. And to keep the mood
interesting, senators should develop a thoughtful reading list.
For example, the scripts of all six “Star Wars”
movies are a nice reminder that, as Yoda says, “Fear is the
path to the dark side.”
George Orwell’s “1984,” Ursula K. Le
Guin’s “Left Hand of Darkness,” Ray
Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451″ and Isaac
Asimov’s “Foundation” series, among other science
fiction novels, may show the Bush administration the consequences
of abusing power.
Next, Democrats should read the entirety of the Patriot Act
(since no one seemed to the first time). A couple readings of the
Constitution wouldn’t hurt, either.
Unlike Lucas’ movies, this short-sighted attack on the
Constitution is hardly entertaining.
