Fucking HELL

Go.  Go now, and read this post at Daily Kos.

The bill in question is damn horrible in the first place.  But then to go and re-name the amendments designed to protect well-meaning people like relatives or clergy -- after those amendments have been voted on, mind you -- in the official record -- as if they were intended to protect sexual predators from prosecution, and the summaries were also edited to imply the same...

It is confirmed.  These people don't even know the meaning of the word shame.  They are so far from shame that it lives in another dimension from them.

And I am betting that none of this will make its way out to the mainstream public.  We are so screwed!

Comments

[The Oil Drum (profgoose)]

Yep. That just about sums it up. Fucking shameless indeed.

[chuck]

DKos is down right now. If you happen to reading this comment anytime soon, what happened?!?

[Rana]

I'll try to do it justice...

The bill in question is one that tries to restrict the movement of minors seeking abortions across state lines. Amendments were added so that benevolent individuals, like sympathetic relatives, clergy, and the like would not face criminal prosecution should they assist a willing minor in such an activity.

I tend to think this bill is a bad idea in the first place, and the amendments weak protection at best, but that's beside the point, in terms of my current outrage.

So... these amendments were added, with appropriate titles reflecting their intentions and content, and the votes agreed that they should be added to the bill.

All normal, all typical, all just part of the way these things work...

And then... the committees in charge of summarizing legislation for the official record decided to write summaries that profoundly distorted the content and intention of these amendments, framing them as amendments meant to protect sexual predators from prosecution. So the result is that if anyone looks at the official record and summaries in the future, all those people who voted for these protective clauses will appear to have voted to protect sexual predators from criminal prosecution.

Moreover, when called on this (by Rep. Slaughter, who wrote the Kos post), the answer was basically, we don't like you, so piss off.

Whatever one's opinions on abortion, this sort of casual contempt for the accuracy of official records, and the willingness to distort legitimate legislative activity in order to score partisan points should be seen as contemptible, sickening, and a frightening disregard for the laws and customs that have governed our legislature for years.

And that they can do this, in full view, without any apparent shame, or remorse, or fear of retribution, horrifies me.

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Lauren's got an excerpt of the post here.

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(Plus, as a historian, I take this kind of meddling with the archives as a personal affront.)

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digby's take on this.

[Harrison]

At least they seem to know their Orwell.

Far beyond shame. I'd say that they have a dark sense of humor here, but I doubt it.

[Rana]

Update: the damn bill just passed the House.

Of course, the news bulletin says nothing about the distorting "summaries."

[Amanda]

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Aren't there laws against that?

I hear your affront, Rana. Those who tamper with archives must be prepared to face the wrath of archivists, librarians, historians, and everyone whose job it is to preserve the record. I say sic all the relevant professional associations on Sensenbrenner, the Judiciary Committee, and the staffers in question, and demand an investigation.

[Rana]

I mean to -- I've been trying to get access the the AHA website all day, and it keeps hanging on me. I should perhaps also sic the AMA on them too.

(www.historians.org)

[Harrison]

Jebus Mary and Glavin!

[Phantom Scribbler]

Is there anything I can do besides wring my hands? This makes me CRAZY.

[Rana]

Well, I'm going to send an email to the organizations I mentioned. Posting on this, and sending letters/email to things like newspapers and the radio and one's representatives wouldn't be a bad thing -- eventually something's gotta be the straw on the camel's back, and this would be a pretty good one.