DeMint's Holy War against Berkeley fails

Right-wing Sen. Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) had a bill in Congress that would have cut off funding for the people of Berkeley, California, because of the city's antiwar views. The proposed law would have taken away funds for school lunches, police communications, and other services - all because of the city's politics.

This was an extension of a pattern that's run rampant since the mid-'90s: Since the Republicans seized Congress, and even after they lost Congress, they've tried abusing the congressional muscle to penalize local governments and institutions over politics. Most notably, a clearly unconstitutional law called the Solomon Amendment punishes colleges and universities in much the same manner DeMint tries to punish the city of Berkeley.

It's no different from what the Soviet Union did.

Now the Senate has rejected DeMint's bill. However, it's by an unnervingly close vote of only 57 to 41.

When his bill was rejected, DeMint went off half-cocked - again. He cried that he is "extremely disappointed that the U.S. Senate was not willing to stand up for our Marines when they do so much to stand up for us." Then why didn't you ever enlist, Jim?

I'm extremely disappointed Jim DeMint wasn't willing to stand up for letting America's brave fighting men and women have a chance to come home from the failed war. It's been obvious all along DeMint doesn't give a shit about America's troops, because he damn sure didn't do anything to stop the Bush regime from forcing injured soldiers to repay their signing bonuses.

Republican efforts to dictate politics nationwide don't end with the defeat of chickenhawk DeMint's bill. Now there's a bill in the California legislature that would withhold money from Berkeley's citizens.

Weren't the Republicans the ones who ran on "states' rights" in the '90s? Even if you don't agree with what Berkeley did, it's a local decision. It's not my decision, your decision, or our decision - but Berkeley's decision. DeMint's bill was a potential bulldozer for trampling local autonomy.

(Source: http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_8610649)