This is the same guy who would have to authorize bi-partisan House Judiciary hearings into the 2004 election. Doesn't look as if he's our man.

Who put the 'Sence' on nbrenner?

'Sense'
small ooops!

Geez louise...could the noose be getting tighter the more info comes out perhaps?? Gotta stop THAT from happening, huh....

What a beauty.

Too weird for words ...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Attorneys for a father and son arrested in Lodi in connection with a broad FBI terrorism probe plan to challenge the government case in court today over significantly differing versions of the affidavit used to charge the two men.

Full story Here

Somebody really wants this patriot act thing to get renewed... are they fabricating stories to scare us!

This is ridiculous.

Contact the honorable Senator at sensenbrenner@mail.house.gov

Wahhh!! I'm taking my toys and I'm going home!! LOL!
"Democratic Hearings"...right! Wake up America! :angry:

Jeez Brad.

I asked this question some time ago right after 9/11 and I ask it today again...

IS THIS AMERICA OR IS THIS NAZI GERMANY???? (Or do I really even want an answer?)

I hope our boy Conyers can kick his a$$ for this!

Hi all.

This is madness!

The Pelosi statement concludes:

"I will ask Speaker Hastert to order Mr. Sensenbrenner to apologize for his behavior to the witnesses at the hearing today, and to promise that this will never again happen."

What the f*** is going on here! Police state measures are unfolding day after day, and the House Democratic leader wants... an apology.

Insanity is repeating the same actions over and over, expecting different outcomes.

The establishment is NOT going to wake up anytime soon (of course I hope I´m wrong), so as long as citizens don´t realize that 9/11 was brought upon them by the same people that are stealing elections, waging war and crushing civil liberties, there´s no chance in hell of getting meaingfull change.

My very best wishes
Peter Kofod, Denmark (which probably witnessed OUR first black op a couple of days ago)

Holy s**t! Hey y'all, this is HUGE!

It's not like the rest of the world doesn't already know about this - so you have to wonder just how bad this is, to try so hard to silence testimony!

Time to mass mail the media!

The thing that scares me most about this is, what will the diversion be this time? I mean, this isn't going away like they hoped - so what will they use to distract the American public?

This is surreal.

re #10 here's a link to the story I think you were referring to...

This isn't surprising behavior for a man who has authored a bill making it illegal for you not to rat out someone you know is using drugs. The police state is here, and we have just seen it in action.

Swamp the right wing extremist with a howl!
Some thoughts in a note below:

I'm sorry Mr. Sensenbrenner,
If your goal is to demonstrate exactly how Civil Liberties and the constitutional right of free speech
will be suppressed by the renewal of the Patriot Act, by golly, your point was noted! On the other
hand, if you wanted the fellow Congressment/women to join in supporting the renewal, I have to
admit, you really took a wrong turn in cutting off testimony.

In many respects the renewal was possibly going to be a sleeper that slipped by under the public's
radar. I think you just raised that passage to one of those critical public issues, a clear
demonstration of what the American people have no interest in having in our legal system.
And, guess what....., from here on in, your party
comrades will have to fight tooth and nail to get that Patriot Act Renewed.

Congratulations on your monumental blunder!
Sincerely,
GordonH

Day-um!

I'd say this Sensenbrenner guy is giving the whole world the finger.

I called sensenbrenners office and read them the riot act about how inappropriate his behavior at these hearings were.You too can call toll free 1-800-247-2971.We need to light up his phone lines and keep his staff very,very busy telling them just what a jerk this guy is.I was p_ssed off and I let them know exactly how I felt! This was a travesty and we need to let them know we are not going to take this lying down! Keep up the good fight ,we've got your back! What a bunch of assholes!What about our rights?

The question to ask about this is not how could the Bushists do it, but how much ground will the Democrats give up, because give up ground they will.

An apology is not what is needed. They should restart the canceled session. This would say we were wrong to cancel it.

My understanding is that Sensennebrener was in violation of rule 11 and should be sanctioned!

Once again...
so much for Democracy in America.

HE IS CALLED SENSELESSBRENNER ON THE HILL

I love it! What a kick-butt bunch of the 6 or 7 ready to take to the trenches! Literally, on almost every front from here on in - take no prisoners! Every insult, every step out of line by the right-wing extremists WILL be met with an onslaught of outrage!

Go team! Go Brad!!
Onward into the Fray!
Gh

Posted this on the Ohio thread as well, since this is relevant to both. Gore Vidal on Ohio Election fraud and Conyers report:

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0609-21.htm

Interesting... no mention on cbsnews.com webpage. And on MSNBC, I had to run a search to find it (i.e. they buried it!!)

Will they keep getting away with it? Will they eventually hang themselves in the public eye? Or will we be a full-fledged police state by the end of the year?

Gad. I cannot believe just how creepy this is.

Time to start rioting folks....the coup is official, the GOP has stolen America. When do we rise up? START NOW!!!

Maybe the Dems will grow that spine we've been waiting for since 1994, when the GOP has demonstrated they will disrespect you no matter what.

Pressure's getting to them, though. You can only kick a dog for so long before he turns from terrified mutt to pit-bull and bite you in the ass.

Screw an apology - Sensenbrenner needs to be censored for violation of Rule 11, and his opponent needs to use this as campaign fodder in 2006. :angry:

American Revolution II should begin today. The in-your-face, crass brutality of this coup is stunning.

I can't believe this is what the White House wanted. Here we have Bush out on the stump, pushing for the Patriot Act in carefully staged and orchestrated private meetings, and his G.O.P. colleague in the House is using his gavel to preempt debate on the subject.

No way the White House can defend this. No way. Best news we could have hoped for, bloggers.

Here is a prime example of why we don't need the patriot act. The name alone stinks to high Orwellian hell! Now is the time for everyone to email the media senators etc.

We have enough subjects to cover that is for sure. We might as well prepare some emails and mass mail them.

This is the most important time to act. I have already seen a trickle of results with the dsm.

Now let's rock!

I was watching the hearings live and saw with my eyes when it was abruptly cut off. I have witnessed many horrible things in the past few years take place in this government, but, this finally confirmed my worst fears that this country no longer belongs to we the people. It has been corrupted and taken over and will never be handed back until those of us who truly love and believe in this country and are willing to fight for it back gain the strength of will to do so. Until that day comes, all the whining and crying about it in the world won't stop it. Get angry, get smart and fight back.

Someone needs to tell Sensenbrenner that we don't live on Planet of the Fucking Apes. Not yet any way. What an asshole!

Afraid of Democracy, Mr. Sensenbrenner?
WTF.

I suggest we wait until the explanations start flowing in. Don't assume we know what Sensenbrenner had in mind. Wait for the excuses.

My guess is he'll say, "The commentary being offered was a threat to our security," or some such nonsense. Then we can ask, "How was it a threat?"
Bush will have to explain (get ready with the bullshit, Scotty!).

The American people will put up with a lot in the name of freedom, but censorship has always been a slam-dunk issue for the free-speech side. Let's save our indignation for the time being and watch the right-wing suffer. The burden is on them.

This video reminded me of Bud Dwyer's suicide video - he had a press conference to ramble on about his scandal, then blew his brains out from the podium.

You see someone in an official capacity, and you really WANT to believe they're not insane, then they give you irrefutable evidence.

I'm still blinking. Good god.

Okay, I just sent my email to Sensenbrenner. How 'bout the rest of the "6 or 7"?

Ya know, these emails have probably put me on lists all over the place.

If I get "disappeared", will someone please remind my kid to water the gardens, feed the animals, and to change the canary's bath water every day?

I was going to relax on this fine King Kamehameha Day but now I am boiling mad. and yes, I emailed
Sensenberger.

The fascist Repuplicans are in melt down mode.
Nearly 500,000 citizen sigs on Conyers' letter to King Fascist Bush demanding an answer on the Downing street DOCUMENT which proves he is a lying fascist war monger. NEW pictures AND video about to be released through a FOIA lawsuit that PROVE Torture was taking place In our name. King Fascists approval ratings are the LOWEST ever on record.

Either these right wing Fascist thugs are going to implode OR they will attack the citizens via a "terrorist attack" AGAIN and declare marshal law.

We are at a flashpoint. Brace yourselves something big is going to happen and it probably won't be good umless King Fascist breaks down on live TV and starts crying and begging for forgiveness for his war crimes and lies.
Stay safe. Protect your family and protect your country.

Poll out today

Poll: Bush Job Approval Dips to New Low
By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON --- When it comes to public approval, President Bush and Congress are playing "how low can you go." Bush's approval mark is 43 percent, while Congress checks in at 31 percent, an Associated Press-Ipsos poll found. Both are the lowest levels yet for the survey, started in December 2003.

"There's a bad mood in the country, people are out of sorts," said Charles Jones, a presidential scholar and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. "Iraq news is daily bad news."

Bush, "Who are those 6 or 7 guys."
Sensenbrenner, "Maybe we ought to go to Bolivia."

Congressman F. James Nonsensenbluster is my congressman. He is a menace, but this is beyond the pale even for him. Unfortunately, he has a nice little WASP Bush District so he never has to be accountable. Thanks to everyone else around the Country for keeping the heat on Sensenbrenner and don't forget to call your Congressman also. Thanks to Bradblog for keeping this updated. I have been hounding the local media here at home. AP has a small story running but I haven't seen any of the major media pick this up. Back to work....

Der Sieg ist nahe, Danke Herr Sensenbrenner. Sie sind ein Patriot. Lange lebe das Heimatsland. Wir werden schon alle Schweine kaputt machen. Heil Bush.

#18

I agree that asking for an "apology" (Pelosi) does not go nearly far enough in responding to the magnitude of Sensenbrenner's behavior. I emailed Pelosi to that effect. I am skeptical that contacting Sensenbrenner will have any impact. It seems to me that also/or emailing your local congressman is just as important.

Pelosi email

sf.nancy@mail.house.gov

"Congresswoman Pelosi wants to hear from you. You can email her at sf.nancy@mail.house.gov, or by using the form below. Please note that the rules of Congressional courtesy prevent Rep. Pelosi from replying to emails if she cannot determine that you are a constituent, so remember to include your full name, address, and zip code."

"If your problem with a federal agency is an emergency, please call Congresswoman Pelosi's office at (415) 556-4862."

Pelosi's office is in San Francisco, CA 94102

From the info on the email form, it looks like she will only reply to emails from constituents, as determined from Zip code and address. Whether she *reads* emails from those outside her disctrict is unknown.

It takes the words of real AMERICAN PATRIOT BLOGGERS like you all to continue in your efforts to speak up and speak out exposing the corrupt majority in Congressional government. Let me remind you that only Senator Barbara Boxer and 33 in the HOUSE stood up against the machine on January 6, 2005 against the fraudulent election. The Bushit robots in power will stop at nothing to use the mainstream media to burry or deceive the American people because their "American Empire" plan that has been put into place and and it's obvious they ain't walking away. Your voice is strong, intelligent, and proud. This is a government of the people and while this current situation makes you angry and extremely frustrated, the calculated Bushits showing their colors are making you stronger. You Real AMERICANS are the people who don't put up with the Bushit lies and deception this administration dishes out any more. Go Brad!!! As long as you are around the UNITED STATES will continue to stand for people who fight for what's good and what's right. In this dark hour of American history your voice is strength. We can work together to put these uncaring greedy human losers into jail where they belong.

C-SPAN RERUN TIMES THIS EVENING:
08:15 PM EDT
11:21 PM EDT
AND FOR THE A.M. EDT
04:56 AM EDT (approximately 2 hours)

E-MAIL PROBABLY NOT AS EFFECTIVE DURING NON-WORKING HOURS

HI BRAD!

Thank you Brad and Bradbloggers! Can you imagine if we didn't have each other as we go through these hellish days?!

Wrote Sensenbrenner and bcc'd KO. Will write my congressman as well.

We can expect to see more and more of this type behavior as the regime knows their days are numbered. They will not give up peacefully or quietly. And neither will we. Truth will win. Power to the 6 or 7!!!

The Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel moved the story to the top of their daily watch of developing news. They basically ran the AP story with the headline "Sensenbrenner Causes An Uproar"

http://www.jsonline.com/

:O Back in the day, the 60s and early 70s, we would call people like Sensenbrenner a pig.

So I'm taking a deep toke and invoking the best days fo the revolution: Sensey, you're a PIG (note the snappy use of all CAPS).

If ya got a gun, make sure it's loaded, and make sure to buy more bullets.

Couple of articles that can be "rated"

Pelosi: Republicans Once Again Abuse Power, Attempt to Silence Democrats in Hearing on the Patriot Act
Yahoo News

GOP Chairman Walks Out of Meeting
Yahoo News

4TH JULY 2005

INSURRECTION DAY
HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD ANSWER THE "CALL TO DUTY",
THE 4TH OF JULY THIS YEAR SHOULD BE A DAY TO MOURN THE LOSS OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE.
AS THE WORLD WATCHES THE RIGHTS “OF THE PEOPLE” DIMINISH ON A DAILY BASIS WE WONDER WHEN A NEW AMERICAN PATRIOT WILL STEP FORWARD TO CHALLENGE THE CURRENT ILLEGAL REGIME THAT HAS SEIZED CONTROL OF YOUR GOVERNMENT AT ALL LEVELS.
WE SEE THE DAILY INCREASES IN TERRORISM AROUND THE WORLD AND YOUR PRESIDENT STANDS BEFORE THE CAMERAS AND STATE THE WORLD IS A SAFER PLACE AS A RESULT OF HIS ACTIONS.
HE USES THE FACT THAT NO NEW ATTACKS HAVE TAKEN PLACE SINCE 911 AS PROOF OF HIS SUCCESS BUT IGNORES THAT NONE OCCURRED IN AMERICA BEFORE 911.
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS SPENT ON ELECTION REFORM ONLY TO HELP STEAL ANOTHER ELECTION.
WARS STARTED PRIOR TO OBTAINING CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION.
SECRET PRISONS.
TORTURE.
ARREST WITH NO CHARGES.

THE LIST OF ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES IS TO LONG TO LIST HERE AND STARTS WELL BEFORE THE 2000 AS WE ALL KNOW.

HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU THINK :
1) KNOW WHATS GOING ON.
2) CARE WHATS GOING ON.
3) EXCEPT WHATS GOING ON.
4) WOULD STAND UP TO WHATS GOING ON.
5) IT WOULD TAKE FOR THE MEDIA TO TAKE NOTICE.

WILL THERE EVER BE PEOPLE IN THE STREETS ?

THis is surely outrageous conduct, but let's review...
... hearings have been cancelled by Repubs before, and in one case the house Sargeant at Arms was sent in to clear the room of democrats, and
... Delay used the military to track down democratic legislators from Texas so they could be returned to make a quorum and allow unconstitutional redistricting in Texas, and
... Democrats have been excluded from conference meetings to work out differences between House and Senate versions of bills, and
...Repubs have added entirely unrelated and undebated provisions in conference committee meetings, and
...Repubs have denied Democrats the right to debate, and amend bills, and
...Repubs have shut down the House Ethics Committee, changed rules to protect Tom Delay, and threatened to change the rules of the Senate without following the rules, so ....

This does not surprise me. It is just a stroke of luck that CSPAN was there to record it --- which if the Repubs have their way, CSPAN will be gone soon.

robert tracci shall henceforth be known as the man who (literally) turned off the switch to democracy

I would urge all of you who wish to write to the representative to write actual, physical letters instead of e-mails. E-mail takes little effort to send and less to ignore. Letters sent through the post office are much more likely to be taken seriously, especially when dealing with an elderly career politician who in all likelihood had never even seen a pc until he started going bald.

Please, if you want anyone to pay attention to your objections, send this man letters and not e-mail.

Gerry Spence was on Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) June 9, 2005. Peter Donalds at 5:00. .
Mr Spence is an attorney who is representing a client who was suspected of terrorist threat , FBI later said wrong finger print.
Long story---he was to testify in Congress about the Patriot Act, then called not to go.
Mr Spence's main point was that the Federal Govt. under the Patriot Act can search and sieze your home without ever telling you, or getting a warrent.
Spence was ready , but his Dem congressman said he was called, told NOT to have Gerry testify.

Wow, I just watched the complete hearing on C-span. I just have to say the whole situation was embarassing. From his opening statement Senslessbrenner was rude, naming every democrat who was not present AT 8:30, continuing on with the rude way he treated the witnesses (point of order: Witnesses are normally allowed to finish their sentences. Chair: its my choice), to the closing gavel and the turning off of the mike. Just amazing.

We can only hope that behavior like this signals the beginning of the end.

Seemingly from papa bush's ovwn mouth: ""If the American people knew what we have done, they would string us up from the lamp posts." ---George H.W. Bush's
Sounds like an excellent way to deal with the bush crime team, as well as the msm that allows these thugs to carry-on as they do.
LINK: http://www.whale.to/b/bush_q.html

The stupidity of the demon seed shown with this: "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."--Bush jnr (Daily Mirror 6 aug 2004)"

What more does America need to see ???

Okay, sent my letter to Robert Tracci too. Bet he'll be surprised at his fame, he probably thinks nobody was watching when he cut the mikes off.

re: Jack Gladney #51 - He's right y'all, a lot of these folks don't pay attention to email, they have assistants to handle that part of the job.

But I'd go a step further - I'd email, print out a copy of your email before you send it, and send THAT snail mail.

I do know from past experience that it drives them NUTS when they get flooded with emails (reminds me of the Gecko commercial where he says, "Now STOP CALLING ME!!") Doubling up, snail mail AND email couldn't hurt, and neither could a phone call.

Ya know, it's amazing how persistant 6 or 7 can be *grins*

Folks It's far gone or gone too far and Nancy Pelosi is seeking an apology.When do you think the Dems will wake up ?????After they have all been rounded up ???

Charles,

I'm in total agreement with you. I plan to watch the entire "hearing" again, to watch him closely. Upon banging the gavel, he stood up and STAGGERED out of the room. At one point when he was screaming over a woman's voice that was attempting to state a Point of Order, she mentioned his "disorientation."

The 04:56 AM EDT repeat will end very near the beginning of C-SPAN's "Washington Journal."

TRUTHTOPOWER #36-- My sentiments and FEARS exactly!! Now that the pressure is building on these criminals, I am also very worried about what they will do to keep their power! I have just in the last few months discovered the real 9/11 truth, and am still in shock,obviously these sick murderers will stop at nothing to keep the American people in check! Thanx to a link at Bradblog, there are 600 concentration camps all around America that are empty now and just waiting to be filled (hmm wonder what sort of "prisoners" they want to lock up there??) They are already "preparing" people for another "inevitable terrorist attack"!! With the huge money (Rockefeller, Rosthchild,bankers,big oil,etc) behind these crooks, it feels like a fight between David and Goliath!! Rupert Murdoch is best buddies with Ariel Sharon, PNAC is going exactly how they planned! All we need is a miracle!!

Lindy ... that was my hero, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who said that the fat pig was 'disoriented' while he was shouting her down. She has more guts than all the men in Congress put together. Well, I take that back. Than all the men in Congress except John Conyers.

Yeah, Senselessbrenner is the same guy Conyers sent letter after letter to requesting investigation to Ohio. I recall Conyers stating he thought Sensenbrenner was reasonable, or something to that effect.

I suspect what's going on here is that traditional republicans, of which Sensenbrenner may be one, simply cannot believe the monstrosities being carried out by the neocons. So they go all deaf dumb and blind, because seriously, these crimes are so outrageous, so beyond the pale, they're way outside of traditional republican-acceptable crime (graft, strong-arming small countries, payola, graft, and of course payola.)

I mean, even many Dems can't believe the neocons would STEAL a presidential election. Outrageous to even say here in the United States! Maybe I'm just giving Sensenbrenner the benefit of the doubt here, but it may simply be just deliberate ignorance as opposed to neocon collusion. Just a theory.

First we have the Fox News reporter going crazy during a Howard Dean photo-op. Now we have this?

Wow, these republicans really are crazy. It makes one wonder, if Bush does gets impeached, what are they capable of doing?

WAIT!!!

This sensenbrenner guy is the same one who tried to put up that crazy bill!!! where if you saw someone using drugs and didn't report them in 24hours you got a mandatory 5-10year sentence!!

He already thinks he's in nazi germany. Now we just have confirmation.

And pelosi wants an apology? Here's an idea. Remove the guy. Impeach the guy. At least sanction him. Bump him off his post so he can't wave any more gavels. This conduct should not be accepted at any level.

By the way, guys, if any of you can make a contribution to Brad this month, even a couple bucks, I know it'd be a big help to him. He's funding this radio show himself, and I suspect his pockets are not as deep as he would like

Brad Friedman is one of the leading voices for free and transparent elections and is a top-notch investigative blogger. The whole reason Senselessbrenner lost it today is because of folks like Brad bringing us the truth on the web... waking people up to the neocon atrocities.

Tony Turino MP3 linke broken.

.

Thanks, Emphyrio. Should now be fixed and available again.

Oh...and thanks, Jim. Much appreciated. "Not as deep as he would like" wins you the understatement of the year award!

I just finished watching the second time, we also DVR'd it and plan to run a VHS dub, or maybe I'll commit it to DV and put it into me video editor.

First I have to point out that C=SPAN had a Close Up of Nadler when his mic went off - we do NOT see who actually hit the mic-kill button. The image of Tracci at the chair's desk (above) is from about three seconds before Nadler's mic goes off -before C-Span cuts to the CU.

This is truly on of the most agregious displays of arrogance in a long time. I don't recall the Dems acting this way when they held the majority (Repubs complain loudly that they were treated rudely under the Dem majority, and it is mostly because the Dems were behaving similary to the Repubs behaviour in the 1992 'revolution'.)

Another important moment is right at the start, after Sensenbrenner says his opening statement, Conyers gets to speak, and he says somewhere in there that now we get to see on TV just how they've been treated in congress for quite some time now (I feel he's referring to exactly that list above).

I just wish that the Dems had held it together for longer than they did. Everyone there fell into the leadership's trap, that the meeting was over and it was time to go, sure they talked for another five minutes, and some of the best stuff was said then, but they could have kept going, C-SPAN seemed willing to burn the tape...

I actually just re-read Orwell's 1984, last month, and I dog-eared every page that was descriptive of the Bush Doctrine. I dog-eared just less than 1/4 of all the pages! I have an electronic copy and some day, some day, I'll make the expirgated 1984 available. Because the Bush Doctrine is very clearly based on 1984.

Sure there's the famous lines, "Who controls the present, controls the past. Who controls the past controls the future." Remember that Winston Smith's job was to rewrite newspaper stories from past editions to make them appear to conform with current Conventional Wisdom. But I tell my friends nowadays, with our media controlled firmly by conservatives, that the Inner Party no longer has to even bother re-writing history, or even hiding what they are doing in the present. Who is going to tell the American People (An inadvertant quote of 'Wag The Dog').

The reality is that the so-called 'liberal' media is anything but that. If the liberals controlled the news media, wouldn't todays disgraceful behavior been plastered everywhere 15 minutes after Sensenbrenner dropped that gavel and stomped offf?!

So no, I don't really expect anything to coome of this no matter what we do or say. The media is NOT going to mention this in a big way. Maybe some papers will editorialize, Kieth Olberman might mention it, Daily Show is expacted to do something with it. But todays hearing is NOT going to displace the Jackson Runaway Missing-White-Girl-In-Aruba from the top slot. Because the media knows that their access to the government will be cut off if they tell the truth as to what's happening.

This is why they can get away with it. Because a small handful of disempowered people are the only ones that are going to be properly outraged about this and they (we, that is) do not any political clout to do anything about it. The majority of America may hear about it, but shrug their shoulders and say, 'yeah? these things happen'. And another group of Sensenbrenner-lovers are going to slather and say 'so there! Nyah!'. And then there's the small handfull that are polishing their firearms and looking to the President for his approval to start shooting their neighbors.

And don't even pretend that isn't happening. I used to live in NYC, until persoanlly witnessing the Bush Doctrine's unveiling in NYC on 9/11 drove me to raise my family in greater peace. Now assault-rifle toting police routinely stroll amongst the tourists in Times Square. This isn't supposed to happen. Now replace those cops with traumatized US Army men returning from their severely mentally damaging extra-long tours of duty, and then tell them that anyone with long hair, or smoking a joint or jay walking is actually a terrorist that's about to commit a violent crime... Oh, but Bush would only be deploying the US Army onto the street of the nation as a temporary measure to ensure the security of all Americans for the length of the duration of the emergency.

The Candian border has not been militarized in over a hundred years, yet the Bush Doctrine calls for the closing of that border too. You all do know about the passport requirements the US is imposing in 2008? Yeah, the one that says that a driver's license is no longer acceptable ID to *re-enter* the US after a visit to Canada! This means that we US citizens can not come back home after a day visiting Montreal unless they have a valid passport. Everyone get that, you can leave the land of your birth, but you can't get back in.

The media legitimization of the violent white-separatist Minutemen vigilante extremists is all the proof I need that the corporate powers that control the media are perfectly happy with uncontrollable armed maniacs running around shooting at anything they don't like, liberals for instance...

Oh, but it's only for the duration of the War on Terror. As soon as the war is over and victory over terror is final, then we will receive the Peace Dividend. Both Eisenhower and Orwell stated the same thing: every penny spent on warmaking is a penny diverted from the development of humanity, for every penny spent on development leads to an educated populace that yearns for a better way of life, and that yearing usually translates into deposing those in power.

And don't forget O'Brien's haunting line,

"If you want an picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever".

Jim cIrlie #60- or could it be that they are so arrogant now that they know they have control over the three branches of govt. "patriot act" , the corporate media, print media, etc, that they can do whatever they want and get away with it???Hopefully not for long, THANX to Brad, Mr.Conyers, fellow bloggers,and everybody that is trying to get at the truth, and out to the American citizens!

To borrow from, and invert, a phrase from the Cold War 50's and 60's:

The only good fascist is a dead fascist.

or, Better dead than Red (as in GOP).

"Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear." ~~Harry S. Truman

When writing to representatives, hard copy is best.

HOWEVER, don't send snail mail.

SEND A FAX.

Snail mail takes forever because, thanks to the (deliberately unsolved) anthrax attacks, letters have to be irradiated and scanned, etc. I'm told it can takes as long as 3 weeks.

If you must put it in the US mail, use a plain postcard. They go right through.

But --- ADVANTAGES OF A FAX: Hard copy gets more attention; it's instantaneous; you're using their paper; staff members have to keep checking the fax machine to keep the paper stocked and to sort the faxes (whereas they can just skip over email they don't have time for, or whose subject lines clue them in on unpleasant topics).

I think the fax gives us the best of both worlds. Fax numbers are available on the rep's website, and at sites like congress.org.

Wow, Kira! Thanks for the great quote from Give-'em-hell Harry Truman. That's a keeper.

Do you know where it comes from (what speech)?

"Disoriented" might be code for "drunk as a skunk."

A simpler explanation might be that Sensenbrenner was still angry at Howard Dean for his remarks the previous day. Of course, in Constitutional terms the head of the DNC is a private citizen and thus not answerable to the public, while the chair of a Congressional committee is part of government.

Sensenbrenner knows the difference. He just seems to have lost it, for whatever reason. I still think we should wait for the White House response and go from there. I'm sure Jeff Gannon will be pressing Scotty McClellan for reasons...if that's the appropriate word to use.

RLM-#76

I'm wondering why you think there will be a WH response- WH won't have anything to respond to unless someone asks, and who is going to ask? I know you use words carefully, so your saying that there will be "response" baffles me. ??? VG

Well, Valley Girl...Bush is out on the stump in behalf of renewing the Patriot Act. My assumption is that when the president takes the initiative on something, then all colloquy on that issue is news, pro or con.

I don't see how reporters can fail to ask, "Mr. President, would you comment on why your colleague on Capitol Hill, Mr. Sensenbrenner, saw fit to gavel a hearing on the Patriot Act to a close?"
It's not as if this is an issue Democrats have raised, where Scotty McClellan could hide behind the old canard, "They're just playing politics. The president sees no need to comment on that."

He might say that anyway. But this is Bush's issue, first and foremost; he's holding photo-ops and giving speeches to private audiences (in Columbus, Ohio, of all places!). Even in this era of clueless mainstream media, I can't believe reporters could ignore what Sensenbrenner did.

If we had an Edward R. Murrow around these days, of course, the question would be, "Mr. President, how can we insist that sovereign foreign nations adopt our version of freedom, while freedom of speech is stifled in the House of Representatives?"

And Pelosi blows it. So close, just to fumble the ball on the 1 yard line. A few more words would have scored: "...and reschedule this hearing immediately." An apology is a lame request. Who cares if Sensenbrenner apologizes or not, if closing of the hearing succeeds, and these witnesses have been prevented from presenting their evidence and opinions?

I'm just proud to say that Jerry Nadler is my congressman. He's an ace.

My eMail to Sensenbrenner and Tracci:

"Subject: Gag Gulag

Dredd

Thank You Sensenbrenner! You did more for the movement in one 3 minute tampon leak than I could do in a month. This can only lead to more resistance to your REAL ID act and Snitch bill bullsh*t.

#82
Forget the sexist comments.

Let's do this: the website for the House Committee on the Judiciary has a page that asks citizens to report instances of Fraud, Waste, and Abuse. I allege that the hearing on the Patriot Act met those criteria.

* It was Fraudulent, because it did not serve its purported purpose. Rather than being a forum for civil discourse, it was a platform for the majority to express their views.
* It was Wasteful, because they flew in witnesses and held a hearing, at great expense, yet did not further the cause of democracy.
* It was Abusive, because it denied the right of free speech to some participants.

So let's use their reporting page to point out to them that they are engaging in the very behavior that they claim to protect us from. Perhaps it is obnoxious to do this, but I have already done it, so at least nobody else has to worry about being the first one to be obnoxious:

Thank you for providing citizens with an opportunity to report fraud, waste, and abuse. It has come to my attention that the House Committee on the Judiciary allegedly has been fraudulent, wasteful, and abusive. Specifically, it has been reported that, during the recent hearings on the renewal of the Patriot Act, the Committee turned off the microphones when certain citizens attempted to speak, and the Committee Chairman, the Honorable F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., left the room. If these allegations are true, then:

Fraud was perpetrated when the hearings were used to promote the agenda of the majority party, rather than promoting civil discourse.

Waste occurred, because the hearings were held at great expense, yet did not accomplish their intended purpose.

Abuse occurred, when those who tried to present opposing views were denied their right of free speech, and the right to petition their government for redress of grievances.

Given the seriousness of these allegations, I respectfully request that the Committee investigate this matter, and provide a full account to the citizens of our Great Nation.

I also submitted this comment to the House Minority section, to increase the likelihood of someone actually taking it seriously.

I happened to be watching the Patriot Act hearing on C-SPAN yesterday (June 10, 2005) when Sensenbrenner blustered, banged the gavel without a motion for adjournment (a violation of House rules), stormed out, and cut the microphones. (Video of the incident can be found on many sites around the Web.)

I was awestruck at the irony of the situation. Here is a man who, rankled at Amnesty International's characterization of Guantanamo as a "gulag," immediately resorted to the Soviet tactic of turning off the microphones of speakers with whom he disagreed! By doing so, he lent credibility to Amnesty International's arguments and presented a chilling picture of the US as a country now subject to tyrannical, one party rule. (And, under the provisions of the Patriot Act, one that can silence dissent in secret and "disappear" those who disagree with it.) I am not a fan of either political party, and am especially alarmed when it appears that one of them is becoming so powerful that it can quell not only dissent but intelligent discussions of views with which it disagrees. We simply have to do something, folks. This is utterly beyond the pale, and if such practices continue democracy in the US is quite literally dead.

Just wondering if any one else has noticed the UN symbol (olive branches) used in the backdrop behind Sensenbrenner. What is it doing there?... a person can't miss it! I would expect to see US symbology such as the American eagle to suggest freedom or at least the stars and strips as a reminder of sovereignty. Instead we are reminded of global governance which many believe is behind the real agenda of the US Patriot Act. Although this is certainly not as important as realizing that an attempt has certainly been made to sequester information.

... on another note, I also can't help but notice various posts mention that the United States of America is a "Democracy". It seems as though a wake up call is not only needed for the Patriot Act but also regarding the political structure of the US of A.

Folks the United Staes of America is not a "Democracy" it is a "CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC". The forefathers of your GREAT country did not want a scenario where the mob rules, where 51% of the people dictate to the other 49%. However, you are not alone in this gaff... US Senators have been knowing to relate that the US is A "democracy.

THE US IS A "REPUBLIC"

THE US IS A "REPUBLIC"

THE US IS A "REPUBLIC"

THE US IS A "REPUBLIC"

http://www.washingtonpos.../10/AR2005061002110.html

From dKos:

Click on this to support Howard Dean

http://www.house.gov/sen...brenner/pr20041008b.html

I especially enjoy the part where Sensenbrenner says, quote, "The PATRIOT Act is one of the most important bills I have ever worked on. It deserves to be debated honestly and deliberately." unquote.

Also, if I'm not mistaken, this is the guy who authored the REAL ID Act of 2005. Get ready for your mandatory national ID Card!

Maybe it's time to move to (gasp) Canada?

OT for this thread, but of interest to Curtis/Lemme followers, Madsen has an updated report on his site, connecting Lemme's investigation with Ohio's coingate:

http://www.waynemadsenre...ort.com/scoops/Lemme.htm

Something just occurred to me. The comment , journalists won't have access to the W.H. if they write something unfavorable about the pres. Since thinking people know there is very little news coming out of MSM. Maybe they aren't reporting news because they can't. Maybe we are living in a fascist govt. We are so shocked about Sensenbrenner's behavior. Would Hitler have allowed hearings on the deathcamps?

Sarah #58 -

Follow What Really Happened.com and Xymphora. The light dawns.

jIM cIRILE #63 -

I'm disoriented myself! Who'dathunk such surreality could actually be playing out as real life in our government. But I'm nor sure Sensenbrenner deserves the excuse you've offered him. They're all psychotic, but they KNOW whereof they do.

I had already written the sleazy Sensenbrenner. When I tried to also write to Tracci, it was kicked back to me.

Is there another e-mail address or this the slimy worm block all unknown senders...?

I had already written the sleazy Sensenbrenner. When I tried to also write to Tracci, it was kicked back to me.

Is there another e-mail address or did the slimy worm block all unknown senders...?

The US is a Banana Republic (link here) and evidently Ray Lemme ran into the top bananas.

Sensenbrenner is one of the control freaks of the neocon banana republicans.

Careful with that report VDRES...I'll leave it at that for now.

Brad - That's twice I've seen people warned about trusting Wayne Madsen's report. And I've watched long enough to know you don't make such statements without reason.

Care to elaborate? And if there is a reason not to answer that right now, I - we - will wait - cautiously.

Your lack of response to this question will be taken only as an "I'll tell you later"

Joseph J7UY5 had a great idea. Send a report of fraud and abuse to the Judiciary Committee and report Sensenbrenner's antics! Here is my email:

I want to report a blatant act of fraud and abuse. It was perpetrated by Chairman Sensenbrenner during the June 10th hearing on the Patriot Act.

To quote Mr. Sensenbrenner: "The Patriot Act is one of the most important bills I have worked on. It deserves to be debated honestly and deliberately."

This was obviously a fraudulent statement since he allowed NO debate on it during yesterday's hearing. Scheduling the meeting at 8:30 on a Friday morning when Congress was not in session was also fraudulent since many members were not available to attend the proceedings.

And reading out the names of missing Representatives to make it look as if their request for this hearing was frivolous was also fraudulent because Mr. Sensenbrenner knew that they would not be available.

This travesty was also a clear example of waste. Mr. Sensenbrenner wasted everyone's time with his decision to simply stop the hearing in CLEAR violation of the existing rules. He wasted the witnesses' time since he had no intention of hearing their testimony.

He should be held responsible for this well-publicized act of fraud and abuse. This should be investigated immediately!

Maybe reporting him for F&A will get some attention?

Rep. Shiela Jackson of Texas was great! Mr. Sensenbrenner was convicted and had to escape by slamming his gavel. He sure looked like the White Master of the plantation harrassing the poor blacks. What a shame to U.S. It is such a great country but these spoiled brats are bringing it down.

Anyone got the exact link to the unedited C-SPAN recording (not the dembloggers clip)?

Sensenbrenner is Mr. UnRealID, Mr. HR 1528. Will he become another Joe McCarthy?

Sensenbrenner sounds like a kind of cheese --- he's from Wisconsin, after all. Smells bad.

Fiselbot's right --- we're not supposed to be a democracy. We're founded on individual liberty, unanimous consent, and the rule of law, not class-ism, socialism, mob rule, feudalism. The guys in power right now are state socialists, i.e. fascists.

The neocons, after all, were former Communists!!! They just wanted their brand of Communism instead of Stalin's, which is why they supported the Cold War. Now that it's over, they want to wage a new war, a new cultural revolution, to overtake the world. The Religious Right is only a small part of it, and these people are not sincerely religious --- they use religion to control the masses, since they know people like things expressed in Good vs. Evil terms. It's just a power thing to them.

They're waiting for the right moment to attack Iran. They have to find the right pretext, since WMD won't work anymore.

Bush probably doesn't understand what he's saying or doing, and it doesn't bother him. He's just acting scripts. He's a talking head.

I hope something like an economic catastrophe reins in the current government, or causes people to wake up. We've mortgaged our assets away in debt, and we're destroying everything we've built, like there's no tomorrow.

Great thread you guys! Thanks for all the inspiring letters and posts! And thank you Peg C #89! Signed with pleasure!

vdres (#91) ... brad (#95) ...

Is Wayne Madsen a bad apple... it seemed like he was really trying to steer the election fraud stories to a bullshit story so it could be discredited...

I really don't trust him..

What do you think?? On our side or is Madsen a plant/traitor/etc.?

The only reason Sensebrenner sent out that press release for wide release today was to cover up for his behavior at the hearings. He knows he's in hot water and he's trying to take the flak off of himself. Can't wait for the assault on C-Span to begin now! ugh.

I think Madsen is an honest reporter. But his story of the C.I.A. operatives who were hired to rig the election, then weren't paid by the Bush camp and became stool pigeons, is far-fetched. When the money trail moved to the Cook Islands, Madsen lost me.

His motives could be honest, but a far-out conspiracy tale gives legitimacy to those who describe us as wing-nuts and tin-foil-hat wearers. There's enough evidence of fraud in the Conyers report. We don't need Madsen at this point.

About the Madson article: If you read it closely, all of the alegations made in it are conceivable, but there is no hard data outside of what we already know from BradBlog (which I think is in green in the article), Maybe the Lemme case is linked to the Ohio coins scandle. Maybe its not. Give me a quote, a person in a suspicious place, a signed letter, something other than innuendo and I will start believing the connections he makes.

Hi All Respected and Beloved Bradvillians! I've been kinda tied up in knots lately, but I'm keeping an eye on you guys. This thread has been truly inspiring! My heart-felt thanks to all of you!
Peg #89 - thanks for yet another fine link!

Peace and Love and Rock and Roll

Clinton was impeached for lying about consensual sex.

But with the NEO-GOP, mass murder of American civilains in the 'controlled demolitions' of 911, mass murder of foreign civilians in Iraq, mass murder of American soldiers in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and mass murder of foreign soldiers in both countries, and the fact that it was ALL planned and LIED ABOUT to the American public, doesn't quite rise to the level of outrage that lying about consensual sex does....at least not with the GOP and their mouthpiece media.

You see, we've raised the bar..... so impeachment is not an option unless it's a member of another party. And there is only ONE party now. Consider the "Downing Street memo" swept under the rug.

That's AmeriKa now.

I posted the url, but I always take Madsen with a grain of salt, and I essentially agree with Charles (105). Just haven't heard much about Lemme lately, and I think all info on the subject needs to be assessed and ultimately addressed. Hope you'll have something on it soon, Brad.

FYI FWIW from today's LA Times:

Patriot Act Push Angers Some on Right

(no mention of Sensenbrenner events)

What you haven't been told in history class (or even in history books) is causing you to make false assumptions over a great many things, and this keeps us all enslaved. America as a Constitutionally Federated Union of Voluntary Republics basically died in 1803 when John Marshall tyrannically made the Supreme Court the supreme law of the land, reportable to no one, with no checks or balances.

Also find out about the censored 13th Amendment of 1811 and why the British sacked the capitol in order to prevent it from being passed. YOU do know that our law codices are copyrighted by the Esquires of the Crown (aka Bankers) to this day, right?

Read more at my article America Died in 1803

What is the vote count on passing the Patriot Act? Does it split on party lines?
Because I can't believe a lot of conservatives would be for it.
But I guess real conservatives are cowed by the neo-cons.
I almost admire Pat Buchanon for saying exactly what he thinks. I might be wrong, but he doesn't seem to have a hidden agenda. I am NOT condoning his hate speach.
I violently disagree with him.
Valleygirl, Couldn't link to your link.

Kestrel and M3 - I'll associate myself in general with the comments on the Madsen issue made by both Robert Lockwood Mills and Charles in Vermont.

I'm loathe to speak ill of those who I believe have their hearts in the right place. And I believe Madsen likely does.

That said, he offers bits and pieces of interesting information, but connects dots without evidence and with a large dose of speculation.

What he reports may well be true, but the reportage leaves much lacking in the way of actual, confirmable, evidence and thus has a tendency to send good stories into the "conspiracy theory" bin, I'm afraid.

And he has been fooled before by stuff that should have been easily debunked before publication.

No, I don't think he's working to try and discredit good stories, but in effect, that happens due to his style of journalism, which is very different from my own preferences for same.

That said, I've been told that he and some of the folks he hangs with consider *me* to be a Karl Rove plant! So I guess you'll have to make your own decisions on who to trust!

For the poster who inquired about the Truman quote....

Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.
Harry S Truman, August 8, 1950
33rd president of US (1884 - 1972)
Comments to Congress

-------------------------------
OT - One of my favorite Truman quotes follows:

Nixon is a shifty-eyed goddamn liar....He's one of the few in the history of this country to run for high office talking out of both sides of his mouth at the same time and lying out of both sides.
Harry S Truman
33rd president of US (1884 - 1972)

PaintyKat

When we theorize, as Madsen does to fill the gaps between facts in a conspiracy, by definition we are conspiracy theorists. That leaves the burden of proof on us...to prove election fraud, or to prove Ray Lemme was murdered.

When we ask, "Who at the Florida D.O.T. asked the Valdosta P.D. to shut down the re-opened investigation into Lemme's death?" we are citizens demanding an answer to a question. That leaves the burden of proof on government. Once we get thje answer, we ask, "Why?" And go from there.

Not a conspiracy theory. A series of questions demanding answers. I'd like to see Chief Childress invited to be a guest on your show, Brad. Not that he'd accept, of course. But it keeps the pressure on.
None of the people in Georgia to whom I sent letters about the case have responded.

Gee, why do I no longer feel that I am living in a free country? Why do I feel like I am living in a foreign country? What happened to free speech and constituitional & civil rights in what used to be America?

Remember, this is the same Sensenbrener who ridiculed the hardworking and honest Calif Congressman Robert Matsui just before he died. Piece of shite. How do Repugs like Sensenbrener, Cox, Drier, and DeLay get reelected? It doesn't make any sense to me that all these guys who have been indicted many, many times, are consistenly reelected. WTF?

Hmmm. Any mention why the libs weren't able to stay on topic? Any mention of how libs change the subject when they can't address the issue at hand? Any mention by Brad Blog explaining how Rep. Nadler was still speaking with the mic on AFTER Tracci supposedly turned off the microphones and walked away? Any mention of how it's common for the staff to turn the microphones off after a session has come to a close?

NOPE

And you won't get those explanations here becuase it doesn't fit the agenda.

Hmmm. Any mention why the libs weren't able to stay on topic? Any mention of how libs change the subject when they can't address the issue at hand? Any mention by Brad Blog explaining how Rep. Nadler was still speaking with the mic on AFTER Tracci supposedly turned off the microphones and walked away? Any mention of how it's common for the staff to turn the microphones off after a session has come to a close?

NOPE

And you won't get those explanations here becuase it doesn't fit the agenda.

Hmmm. Any mention why the libs weren't able to stay on topic? Any mention of how libs change the subject when they can't address the issue at hand? Any mention by Brad Blog explaining how Rep. Nadler was still speaking with the mic on AFTER Tracci supposedly turned off the microphones and walked away? Any mention of how it's common for the staff to turn the microphones off after a session has come to a close?

NOPE

And you won't get those explanations here becuase it doesn't fit the agenda.

I am not a republican, a democrat, a liberal or a conservative, but it was clear to me Sensenbrenner and the other Republicans were not interested in listening to and/or trying to understand what the witnesses had to say.

To me that is an obvious violation of their obligation to represent their constituents, and thereby justification to remove them from office.

House.Gov/Rules

**Clause 1(a)(1)(b) of Rule XI of the House Rules states**:
"It is not within the power of the Chair to unilaterally recess or adjourn a committee hearing or meeting. If an objection is heard, a non-debatable motion to adjourn must be entertained and passed in order to do so."

Sensenbrenner did neither.

I think the Democrats in the House and what few "good GOP" people there might be should "impeach and expel" Sensebrenner immediately,

I think he truly borderlines being a "Neo-Nazi/racist/ and is "anti-Semitic"

Go to Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Shultz's website and see her comments. Also, you see that she was target by the Administration over her comments about "W" contradicting his policy in 1999 as Governor of TX regarding "pulling the plug" in reference to the Terry Shiavo case in which he was fine with "state courts" making those decisions about "life and death" but contradicting himself by insisiting the federal courts must be brought into the matter.

Rob sd:
Hmmm. Any mention why the libs weren't able to stay on topic? Any mention of how libs change the subject when they can't address the issue at hand? Any mention by Brad Blog explaining how Rep. Nadler was still speaking with the mic on AFTER Tracci supposedly turned off the microphones and walked away? Any mention of how it's common for the staff to turn the microphones off after a session has come to a close?

NOPE

And you won't get those explanations here becuase it doesn't fit the agenda."

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM....

Any Proof that Rep. Sen-Sen was NOT squwaking out of his lower orifice that the witnesses did NOT stick to topic??

Any proof that libs "change the subject..."???

Any conceptual grasp of the fact that MULTIPLE mikes (say CSPAN's attached to CSPAN's equipment and NOT hooked to the House's system) can pick up sound after the OFFICIAL mikes are shut down???

Any conceptual grasp that what whiny CONservatives WISH were the usual procedure of 'Freedom of Speech' --- IF a Republican says "the game is over" the ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL Good "Murkins" just better SHUT UP and kowtow to their "betters" --- AIN'T in the Constitution???

What kinda clown are you Rob??????

Rob foolishly said (Rob in italics):
"Hmmm. Any mention why the libs weren't able to stay on topic?

Actually, Rob. The topic of civil liberties and human rights abuses is part of the Patriot Act. Check the provision as written by Conyers actually. As well, the U.S. House Judiciary Comm. is the sole committee in the House overseeing complaints of human rights and civil liberties violations.

That *was* the topic.

Any mention of how libs change the subject when they can't address the issue at hand?

Funny you should mention that. Is that why your Repub buddies keep talking about Voter Fraud (when there is no epidemic of same) versus Election Fraud (for which there couldn't be more of an epidemic?!)

Or why you're now talking about "Libs who can't stay on topic" instead of "Majority Chairs who violate the rules of the House by ending a hearing prematurely?"

Any mention by Brad Blog explaining how Rep. Nadler was still speaking with the mic on AFTER Tracci supposedly turned off the microphones and walked away?

Don't know if it's here or not. But when CSPAN turned up *their* mics, that took care of the problem for a while as mentioned. Until they turned down the lights.

Any mention of how it's common for the staff to turn the microphones off after a session has come to a close?

When it's come to a close in compliance with the rules? Or in violation of the rules?

And you won't get those explanations here becuase it doesn't fit the agenda."

Looks like you were wrong again, Rob. But keep trying! We're thrilled to have ya!

Some right-wing trolls are so helpful to left-wing blogs that the right-wing blogs will say left-wingers hired them...a kind of corkscrew conspiracy theory.

watch the video. Just click on the box. The one with the puffy idiot.

The question to ask about this is not how could the Bushists do it, but how much ground will the Democrats give up, because give up ground they will.

This is the same guy who would have to authorize bi-partisan House Judiciary hearings into the 2004 election. Doesn't look as if he's our man.