They did it.
By a vote of 63-34, the United States Senate approved the detainee bill sought by the Bush Administration.
Take a look at the sky tonight, this morning, this afternoon, this evening. Wherever, whenever you are. Take a look at the sky.
It’s different, somehow.
Think about all of the things this country is going through right now. Check out the stats on health insurance in the United States. Over 45 million people in this country have no health coverage at all.
45 million. Many of them are children. At least one child for every three children in the United States has no health insurance at all.
Look at schools in Ford Heights, IL, compared to schools in Naperville, IL. Or, pick two towns where you live.
But at least we wrote universal health care into the Iraqi constitution. At least we’re building schools in Iraq.
Of course we should be building in Iraq. We destroyed Iraq. But look at our national priorities. What are we really spending on housing for our poor? What are we doing to eradicate poverty? How many of our young people can really afford college? How many parents can afford to work and put their children in day care?
Republicans rushed this bill through the Senate. “There is no question that the rush to pass this bill — which is the product of secret negotiations with the White House — is about serving a political agenda,” said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.
Yet another chunk of our Constitution has been taken away. Habeas corpus, gone. Look at the sky today. It covers the same land it did yesterday, but it’s all somehow different.