“Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) has introduced a privileged resolution” [view resolution] — which can come to the floor at any time — “in the House which seeks to rebuke House Judiciary Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) for abusing his power at a Patriot Act hearing last week,” reports Raw Story.
It moves to have the House condemn the Wisconsin’s actions and enjoins the chairman to schedule an additional day of hearings on the Patriot Act.
A furor erupted last week after Sensenbrenner shut off the microphones during a hearing on the Patriot Act, accusing Democrats of raising issues unrelated to the Act such as treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
Nadler raised his voice as his microphone was switched off, AP said.
“We are not besmirching the honor of the United States, we are trying to uphold it,” he declared. … More below:
Nader’s resolution can come to the floor at any time; such a resolution forces a full House vote.
View a screenshot of the resolution.
Something has to be done to help stop this power grab and take over of the country by these bastards.
And that! Bam!
The best thing about this is, now we will have a big group of House Republicans on record as saying that they don’t believe in minority rights; and the ones that do vote for the rebuke, will be causing a wedge in their party. Is it Nov ’06 yet?
You know it seems to me that there a bunch of mind readers here! That was my first thought as well…Take that sucker! I had visions of “Kerplow!” and “Zonk!” running through my head while I was reading the above. 🙂
I am dieing to know who will vote what…..
Let the Republicans vote against minority rights. When their comeuppance comes, and Democrats are back in charge again, there will be lots of damage to undo.
Republicans who fight to keep the slanted rules and illegal privileges should be slapped down as peremptorily as Sensenbrenner slapped down the Democrats last week. Until new rules are in place guaranteeing minority rights, and placing them beyond the whim of a criminal gang in charge.
To their howls of protest, we may refer them back to their vote against Nadler’s resolution.
Good for Rep. Nadler! This is the kind of smart thing a good opposition party does.
I heard Rep. Nadler on the radio earlier this week. Apparently Sensenbrenner has a history of being …. unpleasant when he’s provoked. I came away with the impression that he’s usually 3/4 of the way to provoked.
Nadler is far and away one of our best public servants.
I saw the opening statements, and later “discussion” of the issues raised by the panel. Only one panelist (Chip Pitts from Amnesty Int’l) referenced specific provisions of the Act. Each of the four, and Committee Democrats had an agenda going well beyond the subject matter of the Patriot Act. At one point I thought I was back in third grade again.
We deserve better from our side.
Now that’s interesting. Did you watch it on CSPAN?
Yes. Note that this was the 11th hearing by the Subcommittee. Not that the reeps are fair – wouldn’t go there – but this was not a good example of lawmaking.
I don’t think they were engaged in “lawmaking” at this point in time — I think they were in the information gathering stage, and the flow of information was cut off.
11th hearing on what exactly? The Pat. Act? Some of those meetings were held behind closed doors.
I agree that they should have pulled more specific wording from the act itself, but there is no excuse for what Sensebrenner did. None.
Neither side walks away with clean hands on this one. There was no “gathering” – only a rock and a bunch of hard cases by the time the hearing was summarily ended. Tell me what the democrats or panelists gained? Nothing, nada, zip.
Now instead of discussing the changes needed in some provisions of the Act, we get to spend time wasting energy on a political spitting match? Whoa. That’s productive.
Well, ok, say that I agree, that there was “no gathering”….what then should they have been doing and how would their doing that have guaranteed that Sensenbrenner wouldn’t have reacted the exact same way??
The dems on committee could – and should – have made sure the people they invited stayed on point. No way for the reeps to challenge direct testimony on the Act by experts in the field. They knew Sensenbrenner was looking for trouble, and they all knew it was about the Amnesty Report.
For the testimony about the abuses and lack of rights at GITMO they can place the statements in the congressional record, or use Conyer’s method of “forums” (at least they’re broadcast on C-SPAN).
let Nadler know that we would really like John Conyers to be able to hold his hearings on DSM as well? The diary has over 120 comments, so here’s the the permalink.
since it’s another example of Sensenbrenner abusing his position.
Get Committee Dems for unofficial hearings on PATRIOT in his home turf. Big circusy affairs.
POPCORN!