Posted on 06/10/2005 5:06:48 PM PDT by Pikamax
c By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer 32 minutes ago
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 (news, bio, voting record), 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.
House 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.
___
The latest example of juvenile behavior by Senate Democrats.
Seems the Patriot Act so far must have done some good things, we haven't had anything on the scale of a 9-11 since 9-11 and I refuse to believe that was only due to luck.
The Democrats I believe would allow American death in exchange for their personal power. I think they have gotten that shrill.
I actually feel for the Pubs. You can't earn enough to make it worth working with these idiot Dems. They refuse to engage in intelligent discourse and instead rely on trying to be the one who shouts the loudest! Dean IS their perfect chairman.
I read about this earlier! Rude? This, coming from a member of the party of obstruction?
Would have loved to have seen Nadler moving his mouth with only portions of his sentences being heard! Maybe SNL will do a skit on this, lotsa laughs!
How would Nadler know what American honor looks like? He's such a lard@ss I'm sure he hasn't seen anything but the bridge of his nose and the horizon for decades. He probably kept turning off his mike while fumbling around for a loose jelly doughnut.
The same group that called for a capturing of our US officials while traveling abroad?
No "patriot act" until the borders are controlled!
LOL. Great read. Good for the Chair. When the nut cases lose control, pull their mikes.
Good idea. Who plays Jabba the Nad?
When frustrated with the Senate, The House is most often a breath of fresh air. So it is in this case.
Rep. James Sensenbrenner, You done Good! This is how the lunatics must be treated.
My gawd. . .they actually did!!
I've often wished that this would happen on political talk shows, when one guest yells over another and won't let them be heard. And guess what? It's always the liberal guest, of course.
In case anyone has forgotten the noble visage of Congressman Nadler...
http://www.strangepolitics.com/images/content/4907.jpg
The Democrats I believe would allow American death in exchange for their personal power. I think they have gotten that shrill.
They already have. Many times. Not just allowed, caused American death. Fonda and Kerry were the best at at it.
LOL! That picture makes the sight of seeing him at the mike even funnier, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water and making senseless sounds.
Must have been like being at DU with audio. ::shivers::
Bullseye! Everything else is just going thru the motions.
except when its ann coulter. You gotta admit the girl has some volume to her...
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