Reply #74: This isn't the guard they're talking about...

[warren pease]

"(B) Any additional capabilities determined by the Secretary to be necessary to support the use of the active components and the reserve components of the armed forces for homeland defense missions, domestic emergency responses, and providing military support to civil authorities."

These are the guys who are getting blown up or shot to pieces in Iraq. Now they're going to be asked to perform "homeland defense missions... and provide military support to civil authorities."

Now what the hell does that sound like to you?

Also note that the military commissions act repealed the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which had prohibited federal troops from operating on US soil. So there's no longer any legal constraints against US troops being deployed domestically. And this latest piece of shit bill just gives it the gloss of Congressional sanction.

Unfortunately, since most congresspersons no longer seem to read the garbage they routinely sign, this one is probably going to pass without much debate, too. Pelosi could, of course, kill it by refusing to bring it up for a vote, but that wouldn't be acting in the glorious spirit of bipartisanship the 110th congress seems so smitten with. Meanwhile, unchecked by the alleged opposition party, the little dictator and his puppet masters keep marching on.


wp