Replies

Ultimately, this is a result of the defeat of the effort to remove Lincoln Chaffee that emboldened these senators to act against the interests of the nation and their party. Three of these senators have presidential aspirations. A silly thought when you look at the few Senators that actually can become president. These aspirations have them nodding to the nutroots crowd and accepting flawed a flawed basis for acting.

They generalize that the treatment of legal soldiers will be affected by out treatment of these terrorists. This error equates unlawful combatants with true soldiers and attempts to put them on the same level. This actually weakens the whole Geneva framework rather than strengthening it. Because it encourages governments and groups to cease clothing and identifying their soldiers for the protections of the Geneva Conventions. If spies and terrorist are given the same protections, why put a soldier in a uniform and make them an easy target??? This is the gigantic foolishness of this whole approach. Instead, the Senate should very carefully define what is and what is not a soldier and how these terrorists miss this test and therefore waive the rights accorded to lawful combatants.

As for Republicans, we need to look at our whole system of nominating and think hard. Term limits didn't work because it had the perverse element of removing the most qualified and worthy with the idiots who need changing. I was a big advocate of using the primary process to remove the RINOs worst at the margin but the National Party in clear calculation of not being able to let go of a single seat risks all seats to hold on to the very individuals that make the base insane. Losing more seats just makes these idiots more powerful, not less. We need a process that establishes party discipline. The removal of Chaffee would have done that but this is not possible and this pattern kept Spectre in the previous cycle despite the availability of a far superior candidate for the post.

I have been thinking about perhaps reducing the number of delegates for the convention that are awarded in the General primaries, and introducing State nominating conventions for Statewide and National Seats. This is a call back to smoke filled rooms, so these rooms need to have blowers called bloggers and public disclosure of the debates. The run up to the convention could be preceded by discussion forums and access via internet by statewide party members something that wasn't possible before the internet.

The emphasis of the activity prior to State conventions and the National convention would be on selecting delegates. Something that has completely slipped to the wayside. The effect of this would be to call into question until very late in the nominating season who the final candidate would be. This gives all of the states input on the nominating process rather than the current two or three states. It also builds a party apparatus that can act to keep by acclamation certain candidates and dump others early in the process. Right now a Senator has to decide to step down once elected. No other alternative apparently works. Something has to be done.