Congressman Arcuri Reverses Course on Military Commissions Act
Last year, there was a good deal of contention caused when Michael Arcuri, who was running to represent our district in Congress, declared that he supported the Military Commissions Act. A few Democrats said they wouldn’t vote for Arcuri any more. More said that Arcuri would still get their vote, but not their money. Others still worked to support the Arcuri for Congress campaign, but fumed.
To tell the truth, a surprising number of Democrats in our congressional district still don’t know what the Military Commissions Act is. Passed last fall with the help of many Democrats, the law makes habeas corpus a privilege, not a legal right. It legalizes torture. It ends the enforcement of the Geneva Conventions. It gives legal amnesty to George W. Bush and other officials for any war crimes that they may have committed. It sets up kangaroo courts in which hearsay is permitted, lawyers are not always allowed for defendants, defendants don’t have the right to see all the evidence against them, evidence gained through torture and other coercion is allowed, and trials are run in secret, without the public having the right to see whether justice is actually taking place. In short, the Military Commissions Act makes a mockery of traditional American standards of liberty and justice.
Michael Arcuri won last year’s election and now represents us in the U.S. House. In that time, it seems that he has made the effort to consider the Military Commissions Act as something more than just a prop for tough-on-terrorism campaigning. Having actually read the Military Commissions Act now, Congressman Arcuri doesn’t like what he sees.
I am glad to report that, last week, Mike Arcuri signed on as a co-sponsor to the Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007, H.R. 1415, which would undo most of the damage done by the Military Commissions Act.
Mike Arcuri ran a campaign for Congress while continuing to work full-time as a District Attorney. His study-time was limited, as getting out and about the far-flung district (the result of gerrymandering, of course) was very time-consuming. Folks who made their assessment of his character and positions based upon his stand on laws that had already passed before he took office are probably not giving him a fair shake. He was, realistically, not studying bills that were already passed, but, looking to the future. He is not a Congressman that perfectly fits Ulysses sensibilities– as Geneva, Waterloo, Lansing, Utica, and Northern Herkimer County are not precisely similar to Ulysses, and a Congressman for this district must represent them all. Therefore, a congressional candidate that was a perfect fit for Ulysses would, unfortunately, lose the race in the district. But, take a look at what Mike has actually been doing in Congress. I feel great about it. And, he and his staff listen– so, if you have an opinion, get in touch!
Krys,
I reject the idea that it’s unfair to assess the character of a candidate running for Congress based on the candidate’s support for or opposition to a law as important as the Military Commissions Act.
Habeas corpus: You’re either for it or against it. Torture: You’re either for it or against it. Imprisonment without trial: You’re either for it or against it. Presumption of innocence: You’re either for it or against it.
These issues don’t require much study – and neither did the Military Commissions Act. These are basic elements of our free society – and Michael Arcuri had been to law school, for goodness sakes.
Arcuri knew what he was doing last fall. He was pandering to the authoritarian right wing in our district. He’s doing the right thing now, and I’m grateful for that, but he damaged my trust in the Democratic Party when he supported this terrible law without even reading it first – and the local Democratic Party went right along with him.
If Meier had won, I guarantee he couldn’t have been persuaded to changed his mind on the Military Commissions Act. Call me old school, but sometimes the political road to where we want to be simply isn’t a straight line. In fact, I’ve found that politics by definition requires a pretty good compass because of all the twists and turns that need to be navigated along the way.
Hooray for Arcuri!!
I knew he had to be good when before the election there was so much negative stuff about him. Even daily fliers from the GOP regarding him and emails galore. They must have really been scared. And there he is in office. Good!
Glad he is having reasonable thoughts on the military commisions act. That act and many of the others of this administration do more damage to America than any of the terrorist attacks.