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 hearing is being replayed right now on c-span!!!
Opps (who I)
Sure they would. In fairness, their are politcians of all stripes who would. It is repulsive.
This was so HOT!!
Sensenbrenner was gaveling to close and there was Nadler yelling into his microphone.
Stinking democrats .. they called the hearing for one purpose - to bad-mouth America and FINALLY some repubs had the spine to get up and leave.
And .. to invite Amnesty Intl - after their smarmy comments .. was like rubbing salt in a wound.
Like the article said .. this was a one-sided hearing where they heard nothing but bad stuff about America and then it started leaning toward how bad Gitmo was and I guess our guys had enough.
I wonder how many times the dems did this kind of thing to the repubs ..??
Yes, it emboldens our enemies, both foreign and domestic.
I'm a bit confused as to why Secret Service hasn't halled their arses to Gitmo.
I am so glad you saw this---it was a total hoot..
I am having fun watching it again, especially since I know how it ends!!!
Thanks, Tx. Just turned it on, even though my beloved Tony Snow is hosting O'Reilly.
Sensenbrenner hammering them beautifully right now.
Will limit hearing to the topic chosen by the minority. LOL
Sensenbrenner didn't want the hearing to begin with---
This was a hearing called for my the dems---Sensenbrenner was accomodating them, and some of the ones that wrote the letter, asking for the hearing, didn't even show up!
I REALY wish the republicans would put the MSM and the crybaby democrat (gay) party in their place.
It is time for the adults to take charge.
heck it would be worse if they pull their charts! ;-)
I assume you are talking about AI, and not the guys AI was calling to be arrested and tried by some sort of international court.. . .in that case. . .yes.
I'm saving Tony for when I go to bed!!!!
(I'll watch him on the repeat on my TV in my bedroom)--LOL!
Conyers appreciates rules are to be followed, but whining about tone. hehe.
damn. Why don't the Reps in the Senate take charge like this?
Conyers is talking about civil rights and civil liberties of people that are not Americans---they don't have civil liberties or civil rights under our Constitution!!!
Did you hear Conyers say that one thing that would be testified to, is the mistreatment of immigrants of Middle Eastern descent when they cross the border!!!
I is on CSPAN right now 8:35 est.
How dare we possibly manhandle terrorists that would blow up our buildings!
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.