Hopeful Goodbye to Mr. Kuhl

In my home congressional district , NY-29 (moderately strong Republican), my Congressman, Randy Kuhl, the Republican, is polling behind the Democratic candidate, Eric Massa. (RT Stragies poll, no link provided... Sorry.)

My major complaint against Congressman Kuhl is his support for the Military Commissions Act of 2006, which suspends Habeus Corpus (i.e. the simple right to a trial) for people held captive by the American military... the single most aggregious assault on American constitutional and human rights in the last 50 years. (See "Roosevelt, Interment Camps" for next most recent heinous example.)

(See also my in depth analsysis for more info on the suspension of Habeus Corpus, in case you don't know what I'm talking about.)

I've never had a personal gripe against Randy Kuhl, or his local politics... in fact, my mother did a little work on his campaign for state office way back when... but my personal opinion is that anybody who claims to be a conservative and then votes to suspend one of America's most conservative principles of jurisprudence deserves to be tossed out of Congress.

... And yes, that goes for pert' near every other Republican in the joint (and a couple of Democrats) as well.

Sorry, Mr. Kuhl, but your vote against a prisoner's most fundamental human rights was terribly wrong, and you are either exceptionally unintelligent, or you knew you were wrong... but you voted for this bill anyway because that is what the Republican party told you to do. Either way, you forfeited your conservative credentials, and became a Republican-yet-unAmerican lackey.

Whyever the people Steuben Country are voting against you, I believe it should be for this single vote. I can think of no better reason for which to terminate your congressional residency. Shame on you for that vote, sir. If you lose this election, may you reconcile your conscience at a later date — perhaps when you watch the world join me in its condemnation of your terribly ill-informed and ill-intended vote... which — trust me — eventually it will.

Our history books will note your name among those reactionary and fear-filled elected citizens who seemingly forgot the words of Benjamin Franklin, "They that can give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty or safety." That, sir, summarizes very well your terrible vote.

In all respect, Mr. Congressman: May your upcoming election loss be a klaxon-like refutation of your vote to suspend Habeus Corpus. May your election loss teach all who follow you in office that the American people — though perhaps slow to awake to the steady ebb of their liberties to some "well-intentioned suzerainty" — will eventually recognize the jig and its moves, and punish those who thought we would dance blithely without thought or reaction.

And, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.