Google Censors the Congressional Record

Google-owned video giant YouTube blacklisted a Breitbart News video of a recent speech on the Senate floor by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) in which Paul names the alleged “whistleblower” as Eric Ciaramella.

The video included the Senator’s arguments surrounding the impeachment trial, meaning that YouTube is now censoring the congressional and historical record of impeachment.

After Breitbart News uploaded the video to its official channel, YouTube promptly locked the video in “private” mode, meaning that only a maximum of 50 viewers invited to see the video may watch it. It is therefore inaccessible to the general public.

“I don’t care whether it’s Republican or Democrat. We cannot allow the intelligence community, secret courts like the FISA court, to go after political campaigns,” said Sen. Paul, in the speech.

“You’ve got Peter Strzok and Lisa Page talking about taking down the president, having an “insurance policy” against him succeeding and becoming the president. You’ve got McCabe, you’ve got Comey, you’ve got Clapper — you remember James Clapper, the one who came to the Senate and when asked by Sen. Wyden ‘are you storing, are you gathering information from Americans by the millions and storing it on government computers,’ James Clapper said ‘no.'”

“He lied to Congress. Nobody chose to impeach him. But he lied to Congress and committed a felony. Is he in jail? No — he’s making millions of dollars as a contributor on television now, using and peddling his national security influence for dollars, after having committed a felony in lying to us. These are the people who plotted to bring the president down. These are the people who continue to plot to bring the president down.”

The Rand Paul speech was linked from BonginoReport. When I clicked to get to it, it said "private mode" on youtube. Now I know why. The speech should be available directly from C-Span. Here's their automated transcript FWIW. The paragraph inserts are mine and entirely aribrary.

THE GREAT IRONY OF THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS IN THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL IS THAT THE DEMOCRATS ACCUSED THE PRESIDENT OF USING HIS GOVERNMENTAL OFFICE TO GO AFTER HIS POLITICAL OPPONENT. THE IRONY IS THEY THEN USED THE IMPEACHMENT PROCESS TO GO AFTER THEIR POLITICAL OPPONENT. IN FACT, AS YOU LOOK AT THE WAY IT UNFOLDED, THEY ADMITTED AS MUCH.

AS THE IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDINGS UNFOLDED, THEY SAID WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR WITNESSES, WE HAD TO GET IT DONE BEFORE CHRISTMAS BECAUSE WE WANTED IT DONE AND READY TO GO FOR THE ELECTION. WE HAD TO GET IT DONE, THE ENTIRE PROCESS NEEDED TO BE COMPLETED BEFORE THE ELECTION. THEY DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR THE PROCESS. THEY DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR DUE PROCESS. THEY DIDN'T HAVE TIME FOR THE PRESIDENT TO CALL HIS OWN WITNESSES OR CROSS-EXAMINE THEIR WITNESSES. THE GREAT IRONY IS THEY DID EXACTLY WHAT THEY ACCUSED THE PRESIDENT OF.

THEY USED THE GOVERNMENT AND THE GOVERNMENT'S PROCESS TO GO AFTER THEIR POLITICAL OPPONENT. WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE THAT IS PARTISAN? THEY DIDN'T CONVINCE ONE REPUBLICAN. NOT ONE ELECTED REPUBLICAN DECIDED THAT ANY OF THEIR ARGUMENTS WERE VALID OR THAT THE PRESIDENT SHOULD BE IMPEACHED. THEY MADE IT INTO A SHAM. THEY MADE IT INTO A POLITICAL PROCESS BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T LIKE THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTION. WHEN DID THIS START? DID THE IMPEACHMENT START WITH A PHONE CALL TO THE UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT? NO, THE IMPEACHMENT AND THE ATTACKS ON THE PRESIDENT STARTED SIX MONTHS BEFORE HE WAS ELECTED. WE HAD SOMETHING TRULY DEVASTATING TO OUR REPUBLIC HAPPEN.

WE HAD, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR HISTORY, A SECRET COURT DECIDE TO INVESTIGATE A CAMPAIGN. AT THE TIME WHEN THOSE OF US WHO CRITICIZED THIS SECRET COURT FOR SPYING ON THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN, THEY SAID, OH, IT'S JUST A CONSPIRACY THEORY, NONE OF THIS IS HAPPENING. THERE'S NO THERE THERE. BUT NOW THAT WE'VE INVESTIGATED IT, GUESS WHAT. THE FISA COURT ADMITS THEY WERE LIED TO. THE F.B.I. HAS BEEN PROVEN TO HAVE LIED 17 TIMES. WE'VE GOT A HALF A DOZEN PEOPLE AT THE TOP LEVEL OF OUR INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE ADMITTED TO HAVING EXTREME BIAS.

YOU'VE GOT PETER STOCK AND LISA PAIGE TALKING ABOUT TAKING DOWN THE PRESIDENT, HAVING AN INSURANCE POLICY ABOUT HIM SUCCEEDING AND BECOMING PRESIDENT. YOU'VE GOT CLAPPER. YOU REMEMBER JAMES CLAPPER. THE ONE WHO CAME TO THE SENATE AND WHEN ASKED BY SENATOR WYDEN, ARE YOU STORING, ARE YOU GATHERING INFORMATION FROM AMERICANS BY THE MILLIONS AND STORING IT ON GOVERNMENT COMPUTERS, JAMES CLAPPER SAID NO. HE LIED TO CONGRESS. NOBODY CHOSE TO IMPEACH HIM, BUT HE LIED TO CONGRESS AND COMMITTED A FELONY. IS HE IN JAIL? NO, HE'S MAKING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AS A CONTRIBUTOR ON TELEVISION NOW USING AND PEDDLING HIS NATIONAL SECURITY INFLUENCE FOR DOLLARS AFTER HAVING COMMITTED A FELONY AND LYING TO US. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO PLOTTED TO BRING THE PRESIDENT DOWN.

THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO CONTINUE TO BLOT TO BRING THE PRESIDENT -- PLOT TO BRING THE PRESIDENT DOWN. BEFORE ALL OF THIS STARTED, I WAS A CONTRADICT OF THE SECRET COURTS, I WAS A CRITIC OF FISA, I WAS A CRITIC OF THEM ABUSING CIVIL LIBERTIES, I WAS A CRITIC OF THEM INVADING OUR PRIVACY, RECORDING THE LENGTHS OF OUR PHONE CALLS, WHO WE TALKED TO. SOMETIMES RECORDING CONVERSATIONS. ALL OF THIS DONE SUPPOSEDLY TO GO AFTER TERRORISTS, BUT AMERICANS BY THE MILLIONS ARE CAUGHT UP IN THIS WEB. FOR THE FIRST TIME IT IS NOT JUST AMERICAN SELF-LIBERTIES BEING ABIEWD -- ABUSED, IT IS THE ENTIRE CAMPAIGN. MEN ARE NOT ANGELS.

THAT'S WHY WE HAVE RESTRICTIONS ON GOVERNMENT. WE CAN'T ALLOW SECRET COURTS TO INVESTIGATE CAMPAIGNS. THIS STARTED BEFORE THE ELECTION. IT WENT ON FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS THROUGH THE MUELLER INVESTIGATION. THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD THE PRESIDENT AND THEY WOULD BRING HIM DOWN THROUGH INVESTIGATION. SO INITIALLY THE SPYING DIDN'T WORK, MUELLER INVESTIGATION DIDN'T WORK, THEY WENT SEAMLESSLY INTO THE IMPEACHMENT. THE QUESTION FOR THE AMERICAN PUBLIC IS WILL THEY GO ON, WILL THEY START UP HEARINGS IN THE HOUSE THAT WILL BE PARTISAN HEARINGS AGAIN? I SUSPECT THEY WILL. THEY'VE HAD THEIR DAY IN THE SUN AND LOVED IT AND I THINK THEY WILL DO IT TIME AND TIME AND TIME AGAIN.

NOW, DURING THE PROCEEDINGS I ASKED A QUESTION THAT WAS DISALLOWED AND I'M GOING TO ASK THAT QUESTION AGAIN THIS MORNING BECAUSE THE CONSTITUTION DOES PROTECT DEBATE AND DOES PROTECT THE ASKING OF QUESTIONS. I THINK THEY MADE A BIG MISTAKE NOT ALLOWING MY QUESTION. MY QUESTION DID NOT TALK ABOUT ANYBODY WHO WAS A WHISTLE-BLOWER. MY QUESTION DID NOT ACCUSE OF ANYBODY BEING A WHISTLE-BLOWER IT DID NOT MAKE A STATEMENT BELIEVING SOMEONE WAS A WHISTLE-BLOWER. I SIMPLY NAMED TWO PEOPLE'S NAMES BECAUSE I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. WE'RE NOW FINDING OUT THAT THE FISA INVESTIGATION WAS PREDICATED UPON 17 TIMES BY PEOPLE AT HIGH LEVELS BIAS AGAINST THE PRESIDENT AND IT TURNS OUT IT WAS AN ILLEGITIMATE INVESTIGATION. EVERYTHING THEY DID ABOUT INVESTIGATING THE PRESIDENT WAS UNTRUE AND ABUSED GOVERNMENT TO DO SOMETHING THEY NEVER SHOULD HAVE DONE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

SO I ASKED THIS QUESTION, AND THIS IS MY QUESTION. MY EXACT QUESTION. WE'LL PUT IT UP HERE. ARE YOU AWARE THAT THE HOUSE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE STAFFER, SEAN MISKO, HAD A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH ERIC CIARMELLA WHEN AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL TOGETHER, AND ARE YOU AWARE AND HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THE REPORTS THAT CIARAMELL A&M ISKO MAY HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO PLOT IMPEACHING THE PRESIDENT.

WHY DID I ASK? THERE ARE TWO PEOPLE, ONE WHO WORKED WITH ADAM SCHIFF AND ONE WHO WORKED WITH THE PERSON AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL THAT THEY KNEW EACH OTHER AND HAD BEEN OVERHEARD TALKING ABOUT IMPEACHING THE PRESIDENT IN THE FIRST MONTH IN OFFICE. IN JANUARY 2017, THEY WERE ALREADY PLOTTING THE IMPEACHMENT. YOU SAY, WELL, WE SHOULD PROTECT THE WHISTLE-BLOWER, AND THE WHISTLE-BLOWER DESERVES ANONYMITY. HE DOES NOT. HE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FIRED. I'M FOR THAT.

BUT WHEN YOU GET INTO THE DETAILS ABOUT TALKING ABOUT WHISTLE-BLOWERS, THERE'S A VARIETY OF OPINIONS AROUND HERE. THE GREATEST WHISTLE-BLOWER IN AMERICAN HISTORY IN ALL LIKELIHOOD WAS EDWARD SNOWDEN. WHAT DO PEOPLE WANT TO DO WITH HIM? HALF THE PEOPLE WANT TO PUT HIM TO DEATH AND THE OTHER HALF WANT TO PUT HIM IN JAIL FOREVER. IT DEPENDS ON WHO YOU BLOW THE WHISTLE ON. I'M NOT FOR RETRIBUTIONS FOR THE WHISTLE-BLOWER. I DON'T WANT HIM TO GO TO JAIL. I DON'T WANT HIM TO LOSE HIS JOB. BUT IF SIX PEOPLE WHO ALL WORKED TOGETHER AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL KNEW EACH OTHER AND GAMED THE SYSTEM KNOWING THEY WOULD GET THESE PROTECTIONS, THEY GAMED THE SYSTEM IN ORDER TO TRY TO BRING DOWN THE PRESIDENT, WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THAT.

IF THEY HAD EXTREME BIAS GOING INTO THE IMPEACHMENT, WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THAT. SO I THINK THE QUESTION IS AN IMPORTANT ONE, AND I THINK BESHOULD -- WE SHOULD GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. WE WERE PLOTTING TO BRING DOWN -- WERE PEOPLE PLOTTING TO BRING DOWN THE PRESIDENT? WERE THEY PLOTTING DURING THE ELECTION, WERE THEY PLOTTING TO BRING DOWN THE PRESIDENT? YOU'VE GOT TWO VINDMAN BROTHERS WHO KNOW ERIC CIARAMELA WHO ALSO KNOW SEAN MISK OORCHED TWO OTHER PEOPLE WORKING ON ADAM SCHIFF'S STAFF AND ADAM SCHIFF THROWS HIS HANDS UP AND SAYS, I DON'T KNOW WHO THE WHISTLE-BLOWER IS. I NEVER MET HIM. I HAVE NO IDEA WHO HE IS.

IF HE DOESN'T KNOW WHO HE IS, HOW DOES THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE UNITED STATES KNOW WHO THE WHISTLE-BLOWER IS. I HAVE NO INDEPENDENT CONFIRMATION AS TO WHO THE WHISTLE-BLOWER IS. HOW AM I PREVENTED FROM ASKING A QUESTION WHEN NOBODY SEEMS TO ADMIT THEY EVEN KNOW WHO THIS PERSON IS? MY POINT IS BY HAVING SUCH PROTECTION, SUCH OVERZEALOUS PROTECTION, WE DON'T GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. WHEN THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY WITH ALL OF THE POWER TO LISTEN TO EVERY PHONE CONVERSATION YOU HAVE HAS POLITICAL BIAS AND CAN GAME THE SYSTEM TO GO AFTER YOU, AS IT REAL WORRY.

IT'S A REAL WORRY THAT THEY SPIED ON THE PRESIDENT BUT WHAT IF YOU'RE AN AVERAGE ORDINARY AMERICAN OR A SUPPORTER OF PRESIDENT TRUMP OR A REPUBLICAN OR CONSERVATIVE? ARE WE NOT CONCERNED THAT SECRET COURTS COULD ALLOW FOR WARRANTS TO LISTEN TO YOUR PHONE CALLS TO TAP INTO YOUR E-MAILS TO READ YOUR TEXT MESSAGES? I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION GO ON. IT ISN'T REALLY ABOUT THE WHISTLE-BLOWER SO MUCH, IT'S ABOUT REFORMING GOVERNMENT. IT'S ABOUT LIMITING THE POWER OF WHAT THEY CAN DO WITH SECRET COURTS.

I THINK FISA COURT, THE FISA COURT SHOULD BE RESTRICTED FROM EVER INVESTIGATING CAMPAIGNS. IF YOU THINK A CAMPAIGN HAS DONE SOMETHING WRONG, CALL THE F.B.I., GO TO A REGULAR COURT WHERE JUDGES GET TO APPEAR ON BOTH SIDES AND IF YOU WANT TO SUBPOENA SOMEBODY OR TAP THE PHONE, ALL RIGHT. WE CAN DO IT. BUT IT'S GOT TO BE AN EXTRAORDINARY THING. THINK ABOUT IT. THINK ABOUT THE DANGER. THE OTHER SIDE SAID THERE'S DANGER TO DEMOCRACY. THINK ABOUT THE DANGER TO DEMOCRACY WITH LETTING YOUR GOVERNMENT TAP THE PHONES OF PEOPLE YOU DISAGREE WITH POLITICALLY.

I DON'T CARE WHETHER IT'S REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT. WEEP CANNOT ALLOW THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY, SECRET COURTS LIKE THE FISA COURT TO GO AFTER POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS. AND I MEAN THAT SINCERELY. REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT. WE NEED TO CHANGE THE RULES. WE CANNOT HAVE SECRET COURTS TRYING TO REVERSE THE ELECTIONS. I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THIS. I WAS FOR THIS REFORM BEFORE DONALD TRUMP EVER CAME ON THE SCENE, BEFORE ANY OF THIS HAPPENED.

I'VE BEEN FOR HAVING MORE SIGNIFICANT RESTRICTIONS ON THESE SECRET COURTS, MORE SIGNIFICANT RESTRICTIONS ON THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T ABUSE THE RIGHTS OF AMERICANS. THIS IS A BIG DEAL AND IF WE'RE GOING TO GET SOMETHING GOOD OUT OF THIS, IF THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME POSITIVE ASPECT TO HAVE HAVING -- TO HAVING TO GO THROUGH THIS NIGHTMARE WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS OR YEARS NOW, THE -- THE BLESSING IN DISGUISE HERE WOULD WE BE ACTUALLY REFORM THE SYSTEM SO THIS NEVER HAPPENS TO ANYONE ELSE EVER AGAIN. THANK YOU, AND I YIELD BACK. A SENATOR: MR. PRESIDENT.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.