Posted on 06/10/2005 2:05:01 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
WASHINGTON - The Republican chairman walked off with the gavel, leaving Democrats shouting into turned-off microphones at a raucous hearing Friday on the Patriot Act.
The House Judiciary Committee hearing, with the two sides accusing each other of being irresponsible and undemocratic, came as President Bush was urging Congress to renew those sections of the post-Sept. 11 counterterrorism law set to expire in September.
Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., chairman of the panel, abruptly gaveled the meeting to an end and walked out, followed by other Republicans. Sensenbrenner declared that much of the testimony, which veered into debate over the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, was irrelevant.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., protested, raising his voice as his microphone went off, came back on, and went off again.
"We are not besmirching the honor of the United States, we are trying to uphold it," he said.
Democrats asked for the hearing, the 11th the committee has held on the act since April, saying past hearings had been too slanted toward witnesses who supported the law. The four witnesses were from groups, including Amnesty International USA and the American Immigration Lawyers Association, that have questioned the constitutionality of some aspects of the act, which allows law enforcement greater authority to investigate suspected terrorists.
Nadler said Sensenbrenner, one of the authors of the Patriot Act, was "rather rude, cutting everybody off in mid-sentence with an attitude of total hostility."
Tempers flared when Rep. Mike Pence (news, bio, voting record), R-Ind., accused Amnesty International of endangering the lives of Americans in uniform by referring to the prison at Guantanamo Bay as a "gulag." Sensenbrenner didn't allow the Amnesty representative, Chip Pitts, to respond until Nadler raised a "point of decency."
Sensenbrenner's spokesman, Jeff Lungren, said the hearing had lasted two hours and "the chairman was very accommodating, giving members extra time."
James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, speaking immediately after Sensenbrenner left, voiced dismay over the proceedings. "I'm troubled about what kind of lesson this gives" to the rest of the world, he told the Democrats remaining in the room.
Senate Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, in a statement, said the hearing was an example of Republican abuse of power and she would ask House Speaker Dennis Hastert to order an apology from Sensenbrenner.
Nadler rinds for everyone!
I am so sorry--I should read the whole thread before I post!!!
I just got home and was checking the posts after I posted at my daughter's house..
IMHO--regardless that the Zogby at the hearing was the brother---they see things from identical eyes!!! Therefore, your comment is totally apropos!!!
THAT is funny.
I didn't see the first part of Brit's show---did Brian Wilson mention the hearing?
That's gotta be uncomfortable in a Wisconsin winter
Oh, I know who you're referring to. Aaargh. He makes my skin crawl.
I saw a few seconds on FNC but will keep an eye out on C-Span. The Dems have lost it. Totally lost it.
"Brillo Pad Head!!! ( I hope you remember who I am referring to)!!! "
It's perfectly right, and you are correct that was my meaning. It has been documented that Zogby (one that does the polls) frequently personalizes his analysis of how "his" people feel about this White House and this war. While some families are clearly separate in their beliefs, I don't believe that is this case with these two brothers.
The Sessenbrennar hearing? yes, in the Grapevine segment I believe.
LOL
You got to see #71
Oh! O.T. but on the show tonight it was also mentioned the 14 that have made themselves overlords of the senate plan to get together next week to decide how to approach Supreme Court nominations. Funny, people have been telling me that was all decided with this pact. Those fourteen evidently don't think so since they have to have a meeting about it.
Peach---the Brillo Pad head that I was talking about was the new woman Rep. from Florida--she has really wavy hair that looks dirty--someone on FR nicknamed her Brillo Pad head...
Anyway---I just checked the C-span schedule and the hearing is scheduled for rebroadcast tonight at 8:15 pm EST.!!!
Anyone who didn't see it---ya'll might want to check it out!
Sensenbrenner: "I'm deeply sorry that Nancy Pelosi is House Minority Leader."
Good for Sensebrenner.
If only the Senate Republicans would ..... but if you don't have them in the first place I guess it is hard to show them.
Well said. Hooray for Sensenbrenner. Too bad this kind of presiding over meetings doesn't infect the Republicans in the Senate.
I was thinking of Al Sharpton. LOL
I'm setting the VCR right now for the C-Span replay. Thanks so much for the heads up!
Did you see the Hardball the other night, when Chrissy had almost all of the Gang of 14?
He asked them if they were going to continue as a group to "get more stuff done in the Senate"---I think they all said NO...this was a one time thing...in fact,
John Warner gave a lengthy answer REASSURING the leaders of both parties that they weren't trying to usurp their roles!
I think if they stick their noses in again--even though it pertains to judges, I thing they may end up with some middle finger stuck up their nostrils!!!
I think the reason Warner was SO adamant about it being a ONE time deal, was because he got an earful!
The RATS are lost, I mean lost! Talk about wandering in the desert, looney tunes on the fringe........Now is the time for the GOP to (paraphrase Dean Wormer....."Grad the Bull by the Balls.".....) and start acting like Republicans in power.
Thank you!
These RATS are nuts !I wonder if they're aware of the fact that a terrorist was in the last stages of planning an attack on the Brooklyn bridge that would have cut the ties or cordes that hold it up. IT WAS THE'' PATRIOT ACT ''THAT WAS ABLE TO DISCOVER this evil plot before he could actually do the deed. I bet half these morons have traveled this bridge at some time or another. What is wrong with these stupid Democrats!!??
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