Department Of Defense Encouraged A "No" Vote On The Amendment Bill

Two weeks ago, everyone had a field day on the Sad Obnoxious Party becoming "The Raping Party" for mostly voting "No" (outside of the female Republican Senators obviously) against the Al Franken contractors-related employee abuse amendment.

That amendment would required defense contractors to allow their employees access to U.S. courts in cases of rape or sexual assault if signed by the President after being merged with the House bill (oh what fun that will be to see those in the House voting against that).

Well, encouraging ALL senators to say "No" to such an amendment on the day of the vote was none other than the........Department of Defense.

The reason why the Department of Defense took the risk at being called "The Department that doesn't mind rape at all" and joining "The Raping Party?" Get this:

"The Department of Defense, the prime contractor, and higher tier subcontractors may not be in a position to know about such things. Enforcement would be problematic, especially in cases where privity of contract does not exist between parties within the supply chain that supports a contract," reads the DoD note. "It may be more effective to seek a statutory prohibition of all such arrangements in any business transaction entered into within the jurisdiction of the United States, if these arrangements are deemed to pose an unacceptable method of recourse."

Now the "grey area" is in full effect here with the possible argument being made that contractors may not know what is going on down below. And enforcement of laws aren't the most facile thing to accomplish in such a sticky situation, especially when it involves those contract loopholes and shenanigans.

But it is a ridiculous argument at day's end, and it presents cover by the Department of Defense of Haliburton and all the corrupt contractors with their decision to request that Senators, INCLUDING FEMALE ONES, vote against the amendment from the Minnesota Senator.

As a reader at TPM said so well:

The Department of Defense's explanation is ridiculous. They don't need to know what is in the contractors contracts. All DoD would need to do is insert language into all of its contracts that prohibits mandatory arbitration for the contractor's employees, just as the Franken amendment requires. Further, to deal with employment contracts that already exist or are "secret", the DoD would simply require that arbitration language, to the extent it exists in contravention of the Franken Amendemnet, would be unenforceable. Problem solved.

Now some have tied the White House to this because of their pronouncement of working on the amendment to make sure it is enforceable.

If the Obama White House does make sure it is enforceable, then it would be very unfair to tie them into this whole thing of being on the obviously wrong side.

But if they secretly aren't, and they are trying to protect corrupt contractors (as they have so far in remaining to fund them Hailiburton with Congress), then they to have every right in this situation to be lumped with "The Raping Party" on this issue.

Every right.