As 75 Democrats Vote to Praise ICE, Ilhan Omar Wants to Hold Police Accountable for Protest Abuses
As 75 Democrats Vote to Praise ICE, Ilhan Omar Wants to Hold Police Accountable for Protest Abuses
Trying to pass laws to defend protesters’ rights is a lonely battle on Capitol Hill.
Seventy-five House Democrats voted on Monday in support of a resolution that praised President Donald Trump’s deportation regime.
The vote came as Trump deployed more than 1,700 National Guard members and 700 Marines to Los Angeles to crush protests against increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and mass arrests.
Sponsored by Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., a pro-Israel Republican, the bulk of the resolution was dedicated to condemning the attack last month in Boulder, Colorado, against pro-Israel demonstrators calling for the release of hostages in Israel. Tucked into the text was a line praising ICE, expressing “gratitude to law enforcement officers, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, for protecting the homeland.”
While some Democrats are busy joining Republican colleagues to praise ICE, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., is seeking to pass a law that holds police accountable for violence against protesters. Her bill, introduced in late May, would apply penalties to law enforcement for using force in response to a demonstration.
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This is a transparent, well-worn DC play. Put Democrats in a political box by forcing them to choose between voting against an antisemitism resolution so Republicans can slam them as being antisemitic and anti-Israel — or voting for the resolution, so they can hit the Party for being divided and chaotic.
Seems like this article is trying to do the latter.
I wish these tactics didn’t work but this is how the GOP got control of our country.
These tactics would not work if Democrats were not grovelling for Israel at every opportunity.
raising money by calling donors is most of a congressman's job. AIPAC rolling up and saying they can skip that hassle must be a pretty compelling offer.
Also, if they all collectively called it out, call it the "Pro-ICE Bill" or "Pro-kidnapping Bill" or whatever. Make the vote about that. Call the Republican who sponsored the Bill a coward for trying to do it, and a fool for thinking it would work.
"Why did you vote against the Bill condemning attacks on Pro-Israel protesters?"
"I didn't. I voted against a bill that supported the mass deportations and unconstitutional actions made by ICE, which we are absolutely against because we support due process. The bill was a cowardly and foolish attempt to get us to support this despicable practice by pretending it's about something else, but we're not fools or cowards ourselves, so we won't fall for it."
"But the Bill is called..."
"Sycophantsayswhat?"
"What?
"I guess that sort of trick works on you."
These tactics work with voters. That’s how the GOP got control of our government.
If politicians ignore voters they don’t get elected.
Our politicians are ignoring the voters, at the expense of elections
Their corporate donors are more important to them than their actual constituents they are supposed to represent
If politicians could just ignore voters they wouldn’t spend money on campaigns and propaganda.
Voters are getting what they voted for even if it is not in their best interest.
Democrats had no problem ignoring voters pleading with them to stop supporting genocide.
The majority of voters didn’t plead for that
They did. A vast majority of voters said they wanted a ceasefire.
If we take this to be true, either
A) The majority of voters wanted a continuation of the genocide, which doesn't make sense unless they're a "silent majority" or:
B) The majority of voters don't care, leaving the Democratic party to pursue its own goals in spite of a vocal minority opposed to genocide.
They are ignoring the policy interests of their voters and instead relying on scare tactics to secure votes.
The politicians have no interest to fight for or run on the best interest of the voters, only the best interest of their corporate donors.
Voters are caught in a political system where no party is interested in fighting for the working class, for everyday americans. As the party that is supposed to be the opposition to the fascist party continues to ignore the material harms people are experiencing, and instead moves to their policies to the right, those voters become angry and resentful. The fascist party takes advantage of that by acknowledging those material harms people face, yet utilize scapegoating to capitalize on gaining those votes while furthering their fascist policies.
So you’re saying you think both sides are the same.
Not quite, you're being reductive. I'll just link my previous comments if you're interested in my position.
Liberalism and appeasement are the problem. We need genuine opposition.
If politicians could just ignore voters they wouldn’t spend money on campaigns and propaganda.
If they care about winning.
The GOP got elected because the Democrats adopted GOP voting and tactics.
You are flipping reality on its head and pretend it is an argument.
Dems sprinting right to be gop lite along with citizens united saying money = speech is why we're in this mess
forcing them to choose between voting against an antisemitism resolution so Republicans can slam them as being antisemitic and anti-Israel
The majority of Americans dont support whats going on in Israel. So its not much of a box to be in. https://news.gallup.com/poll/657404/less-half-sympathetic-toward-israelis.aspx
What the dem congressman as a group and individually risk is campaign contributions from AIPAC. This has always been about bribes from foreign lobbyists. They arent trapped in any box they dont want to be in. ITs like saying your cat is trapped in a box. They love that box.
Bribes are part of it. But as recent progressive candidates found out, those donations also make or break an election.
The system is broken in a way that favors campaigns with funding.
yeah. I just wish they cared more about doing whats right and what their constituents want. Except for the abstract threat of re-election, I dont think many of them care what we think. There needs to be a new school house rock series to describe this new reality to us filthy peasants.