Not Moving On

As noted the other day, the geniuses at MoveOn have aired commercials which reference Revenge of the Sith while criticizing the GOP effort to end filibusters. Now, having seen the movie (full review coming), I can state conclusively that any political overtones one wants to take out of the movie are equal to the beliefs you bring into the movie. Of course, this means MoveOn and their like are finding what they want. I just didn't expect the group to include Senate Democrats...

Yesterday morning, Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) used the phrase. Yesterday afternoon, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) used it. But it took Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) to show why the Senate is the world's greatest deliberative body.

The octogenarian legislator, rising in defense of the filibuster, displayed a larger-than-life poster of Ian McDiarmid playing the evil Supreme Chancellor Palpatine in the just-released film "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith."

"In a far-off universe, in this film, the leader of the Senate breaks the rules to give himself and his supporters more power," Lautenberg inveighed. "I sincerely hope that it doesn't mirror actions being contemplated in the Senate of the United States."
Lautenberg juxtaposed the evil chancellor with another poster, of Jimmy Stewart playing Sen. Jefferson Smith in Frank Capra's "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." That film, Lautenberg said, "is a celebration of this Senate, the world's greatest deliberative body. But if the majority leader is successful in ending the filibuster . . . we will move from the world's greatest deliberative body to a rubber-stamp factory."

...After Lautenberg, echoing a new MoveOn.org advertising campaign, likened Republican leader Bill Frist (Tenn.) to Palpatine, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), on a visit to the Senate press gallery, was asked what character Democrats represent. "We are the Jedi knights," he replied instantly. "We have the light source."

Frist spokesman Bob Stevenson scoffed at these claims, suggesting the Democrats are in fact led by a floppy-eared outcast from Naboo. If Frist is Palpatine and Democrats are Jedi, Stevenson wondered, "would that make Howard Dean Jar Jar Binks?"

First of all, I have no friggin' clue what Schumer is talking about, and I've seen everyone of the Star Wars movies (save the last one) multiple times (including the execreble Attack of the Clones). The light source? Is Schumer smoking something?

Second, Lautenberg and his cronies need help. I know the Democrats are fascinated with Hollywood, but this is going too far. Lautenberg probably figures he's Yoda at this point -- or maybe that's Robert Byrd. Of course, Yoda makes a helluva lot more sense at 850 years old than either of those two do now.

Finally, I'd like the Democrats to make a coherent, credible argument in favor of their filibuster against appellate court judges... yeah, I know. I'm guessing Lucas will come out with Part VII before we get there.