...I'm okay with being REALITY-based.




Friday, July 09, 2004
      ( 9:28 AM )
 
Cabal of Gangsters

While the Senate Intelligence Committee members argue about their "unanimous" report and whether the White House pressured the intelligence community to come up with certain conclusions or whether it was just pleasant prodding (as the GOP members claim); the GOP House Leadership in collusion with the White House once again pulled a fast one on the American people.

By a 210 to 210 tie vote that GOP leaders prolonged for 23 tumultuous minutes while they corralled dissident members, the House rejected a proposed change to the USA Patriot Act that would have barred the Justice Department from searching bookstore and library records. White House officials, citing the nearly three-year-old law's importance as an anti-terrorism tool, warned that an attempt to weaken it would be vetoed.

But the victory came only after GOP tactics infuriated Democrats and a number of Republicans. The vote, scheduled to last 15 minutes, dragged on for 38 minutes despite outraged shouts and a unified chant of "shame, shame, shame" from Democrats across the aisle.

In other words, the Republicans once again harangued and muscled their dissenting members into obedience so that the compromising of civil liberties could be maintained. These disgusting tactics continue.

"The Republican leadership is out of control," said Rep. Martin T. Meehan (D-Mass.). "Today's vote on the Freedom to Read Protection Act is just the latest example of a growing trend towards abusive, closed-fist partisanship on the part of Republican House leadership."

Rep. C.L. Butch Otter (R-Idaho), a conservative and an advocate of the defeated provision, told reporters after the vote: "You win some, and some get stolen."


Good God. This is shameful. Is ANYBODY paying attention??

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