The Gist

Cowards!

The New York Times rightly lambastes craven Democrats who caved in to Bush on his warrantless spying program. And looking at the Senate list of the weak-kneed you can see among them some real disappointments, including Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Jim Webb of Virginia. Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski voted for the plan too, even though you'd think she of all people in the Senate would want to keep the government out of her business, let alone trample the Bill of Rights.

Dianne Feinstein of California also backed the Bush plan, two days after she allowed an antigay Bush judicial nominee to go to the full Senate for a vote. Judge Leslie Southwick has been a force for the coporate interests and against equality and fighting discrimination, allowing an 8-year-old girl to be taken away from her lesbian mother and reinstating an employee who made a racial slur against another.

Just two weeks ago Feinstein attacked Bush on Alito and Roberts and what they've done to the Supreme Court and said the Democrats would no longer allow Bush to eviscerate the courts. But then she caved after pressure, as this article explains, and sent Southwick to the full Senate, where he is expected to be confirmed.

My blood is boiling. No matter how long it takes, we've got to replace these Democrats with people who have the guts to defend us and the Constitution in the worst of times.