In reality, Mr. Sensenbrenner is a gentleman, a good guy, abd an Ameeican hero.
Posted on 07/23/2005 8:03:02 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Congressman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., in a highly visible national role as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is doing a great impression of anchorman Howard Beale going stark, raving mad in public.
Beale, played by actor Peter Finch in the film "Network," became a media hero for suddenly flipping out on the air and rambling incoherently that he was "mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!"
Sensenbrenner is much too boorish and pompous ever to become a folk hero.
But even though media all over the country have taken notice of Sensenbrenner's seriously bizarre behavior, a kowtowing local press has gone to great lengths either to justify or to ignore the surly congressman's overbearing excesses.
One of the stranger scenes even for the deeply strange Sensenbrenner was replayed repeatedly not only on national news channels but also on comedy shows.
That was on June 10 when he brusquely adjourned his committee in the middle of testimony against extending provisions of the Patriot Act because he didn't like what Democratic witnesses were saying about torture and abuse of prisoners being held by the U.S. without charges at Guantanamo Bay.
Not only did Sensenbrenner take his gavel and go home like a petulant third-grader, but he shut off the microphones and lights on one witness mid-sentence.
Sensenbrenner's brazen abuse of his power as chairman to cut off political debate he didn't want to hear was too much even for the chummy old boys' club of Congress that would prefer to overlook embarrassing public behavior by members who are drunk with power or just plain drunk.
Democrats took the rare step of introducing a resolution of condemnation against Sensenbrenner for his loutish manners and undemocratic (small d) behavior.
Even though the unusual resolution forced Sensenbrenner to defend his ham-handed tactics on the floor of the House and make a limited non-apology to his colleagues, the daily newspaper in Milwaukee ignored the controversy swirling around Sensenbrenner for weeks.
A month later, a story by Journal-Sentinel Washington bureau chief Craig Gilbert finally recapped a lot of what the newspaper missed, but glossed over Sensenbrenner's crude, bully-boy tactics using euphemisms such as "tenacity," "bluster" and "prickliness." (The latter is at least partially right.)
Unfortunately, the story was published the same day the Chicago Tribune exposed another example of Sensenbrenner's improper and arrogant abuse of power as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
It seems Sensenbrenner, whose committee has power over the budget of the federal court system, became incensed because a low-level drug courier in a Chicago drug case was given a sentence of only eight years in prison instead of 10 years, which Sensenbrenner thought she deserved.
In his self-appointed position as tin god over the federal court system, Sensenbrenner wrote a five-page letter to the chief judge of the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago demanding that the court promptly increase the prison sentence to what Sensenbrenner thought it should be.
It makes you wonder why there's all this controversy over President Bush's court appointments. Apparently, the entire legal process of appealing court decisions to be settled by the highest court in the land can be suspended at any time.
The ultimate authority in all cases is some two-bit Republican congressman from Menomonee Falls.
Not only did Sensenbrenner unethically insert himself into an ongoing federal court case to try influence the judges, but he also violated court rules by failing to inform defense attorneys of his attempt to intimidate the court into increasing the sentence.
You have to wonder what business is it of the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee whether a low-level drug courier goes to prison for eight years or 10 years.
Sensenbrenner claimed he was demanding that the court follow Supreme Court decisions on minimum sentencing, but he cited a Supreme Court case that had been modified by a later ruling. Apparently, the court was right on the law, and Sensenbrenner was wrong. Whoops.
The defendant, who had no prior criminal record, had a Latino surname. Perhaps, this was a continuation of Sensenbrenner's ugly campaign against immigrants living in this country.
Last year, Sensenbrenner held up reform of the nation's intelligence agencies until he got an agreement to pass a law prohibiting Wisconsin and other states from issuing drivers' licenses to illegal immigrants.
The effect of Sensenbrenner's vindictive measure has been to reduce the access of immigrants to many jobs and to increase the number of unlicensed drivers on the road.
Before he started going publicly berserk, Sensenbrenner actually tried to rein in some of the worst fascist tendencies of former Attorney General John Ashcroft when the USA Patriot Act was passed.
Now Sensenbrenner is starting to make Ashcroft look like a piker at being wild-eyed and trampling the rights of others.
Oh, I see how this all ties in! Wait for it...Wait for it...
"It makes you wonder why there's all this controversy over President Bush's court appointments. Apparently, the entire legal process of appealing court decisions to be settled by the highest court in the land can be suspended at any time."
Tee-Hee! They really are in a panic over losing their ability to b@stardize The Constitution as they see fit, aren't they?
All rant and no substance.
Joel McNally is a wingnut & always has been.
All you need to know is that Joel McNally is a Moonbat.
BTW, Diana, you keep on posting all these leftwing articles from Madison.com. Are you trying to make my head explode?
He is a far left wing-nut. Even the Milw Journal got rid of him.
Since I am well apprised of the details of the hearing where Sensenbrenner properly prevented the hijacking thereof by the insane moonbats, I can only conclude that the story about the sentencing issue, about which I know nothing, is equally slanted, misleading and full of half or no truths.
Next time, remember the "barf alert!" :)
These people make Sensenbrenner look great. THEY are the raving lunatics, as well as pathetically desperate.
...stark, raving mad in public.
...rambling incoherently...
...much too boorish and pompous...
...seriously bizarre behavior...
...the surly congressman's overbearing excesses.
...he brusquely adjourned...
...like a petulant third-grader...
...brazen abuse of his power...
...the chummy old boys' club of Congress...
...drunk with power or just plain drunk.
...his loutish manners...
...his ham-handed tactics...
...swirling around Sensenbrenner...
...Sensenbrenner's crude, bully-boy tactics...
...Sensenbrenner's improper and arrogant abuse of power...
...In his self-appointed position as tin god...
...two-bit Republican congressman...
...try influence the judges...
...attempt to intimidate the court...
...Sensenbrenner's ugly campaign...
...Sensenbrenner's vindictive measure...
...going publicly berserk...
...worst fascist tendencies of former Attorney General John Ashcroft...
Liberal 'journalism'.
Where's the BARF ALERT!
In reality, Mr. Sensenbrenner is a gentleman, a good guy, abd an Ameeican hero.
In reality, Mr. Sensenbrenner is a gentleman, a good guy, and an American hero.
The minute I saw "MAdison.Com" you knew!
I stopped taking the Journal years ago, so didn't know that. I get a kick seeing Belling twist the knife about his commy ideals, when he's on Belling's show. Has the Journal kept Eugene Kane?
I hope Sensenbrenner and every other reasonable Congressional leader stops allowing the crapweasel scumbags to continue to interfere with the efficient operation of government.
In fact, I'm very surprised that the dems haven't tried to shut down CSPAN. The left wing media won't carry the dems' Congressional childishness but CSPAN will. These anti-Americans dems do not contribute but whine and obstruct at every turn. They can't have their way and try to prevent the pro-Americans from working! GO GET 'EM, JIM! KEEP UP THE FINE WORK!!
Wow! More bias than the fabric in my tie!!!
Yikes!!!
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