Thursday, April 22, 2004

Martians incinerate Congress in the 1996 Tim Burton movie "Mars Attacks!" Congress is now deciding how it is to be handled if a large number of members of Congress are killed, such as in a terrorist attack. Congress making contingency plans This from The Associated Press today: WASHINGTON -- Fearing that terrorists might target Congress, the House [today] approved a bill to set up speedy special elections if 100 or more of its members are killed. The House, in a 306-97 vote, put aside for now the larger issue of whether the Constitution should be amended to allow for temporary appointments in the event that an attack caused mass fatalities among lawmakers. The House, said Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., sponsor of the elections bill and a foe of appointments, "is rooted in democratic principles and those principles must be preserved at all costs." [Today's] vote came two and a half years after the Sept. 11 attacks and the crash in Pennsylvania of United Flight 93, a plane that many believe was destined for the U.S. Capitol. "Those passengers gave their lives to give us a second chance," said Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., a supporter of the broader constitutional approach. "Eternal shame on us if we do not take action" to protect Congress' survival after a possible attack. The measure would require special elections within 45 days of the House speaker confirming that a catastrophic event had left at least 100 of the 435 seats vacant.... Congress considered but never acted on the continuity question during the Cold War in the 1950s and 1960s, when the fear was that Washington could be obliterated in a nuclear attack. The current legislation has split the two parties in the House, with many Democrats saying they were not given the chance to offer a constitutional amendment that would allow for temporary appointments until special elections could be held. The Constitution requires that House vacancies be filled by elections. Senate vacancies can be temporarily filled by appointments made by governors. The Senate has not taken up the terrorist attack issue, though Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has proposed a constitutional change giving states the flexibility to come up with their own solutions. Constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate and ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures.... Reminds me of one of my favorite scenes in one of my favorite movies, Tim Burton's 1996 "Mars Attacks!", in which the Martians annihilate Congress with their ray guns. "President" Bush likes to claim that he's protecting us from terrorist attacks (while he is increasing the likelihood of terrorist attacks) and he likes to talk about us going to Mars. What about Martian terrorist attacks? This could be another empty campaign promise for the BushCheneyCorp ticket: "Bush-Cheney 2004. We'll protect you from Martian terrorist attacks."  11:14:14 PM    Comments []