Sen. Rand Paul has ended his day-long filibuster against President Obama’s claim to be able to kill any U.S. citizen on his own authority without criminal charge or conviction. What was most striking about this principled stand is the virtual total absence of Democrats in speaking out against Obama. Just this week, Attorney General Eric Holder admitted that this policy could include killing citizens on U.S. soil with drones. Yet, the Democrats worked to stop not the kill list policy but Paul’s filibuster. Obama apologists have attacked Rand for some of his other positions to avoid dealing with the fact that Obama is claiming the powers of an Imperial President. I do not agree with Paul on many things, but I commend him for this stand and condemn those who remained silent, again, in the face of this authoritarian policy of Obama.
The filibuster was to block the nomination of John Brennan who has been opposed by most civil libertarians due to his connection to the torture program and other abuses. His more senior colleagues, like John McCain, told him to “calm down” — telling advice from our political leaders that authoritarian power is nothing to get upset about if it does not affect you. Lindsey Graham stated that against up against the unilateral killing of citizens “ridiculous” and just not how things are done in Washington.
Rand fell short of the record of former Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.
He shared some time with other Republican senators. However, after five hours, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tried to limit the remaining time.
The lack of opposition to Obama’s kill list policy is a national disgrace. It shows the triumph of a cult of personality within the Democratic ranks where both members and voters have chosen Obama over long-standing values of civil liberties that once defined their party.
Source: CNN
This link is 12 minutes of Sen. McCain talking this am.on the Senate floor.
John McCain has become the “kindly and calcitrant” grandpappy of Big Brother. I honestly think John wants to be the pope of the senate. He is infallible and so are those that agree with him. (especially Lindsay)
John McCain only wants what is best for America,…and he wants America to trust him,…. don’t question him just trust him. What could go wrong?
Bron,
Blouise would indeed be the one to ask on that topic. She’s got experience with the short time frame political organization. I think it’s a great idea, especially making it a “non-ideological” event in support of basic Constitutional rights. You might even be able to tap into dissatisfied partisans in the GOP, DNC, Green, Libertarian and Constitution parties to participate across party lines and use some of their organization to pull participants together. I probably won’t be able to make it to DC due to OTG considerations here (that you are well aware of) but I’d be willing to help in other ways if you seriously want to take a run at it.
Gene H:
it would be kind of fun. how do you do something like that? Maybe Blouise would offer advice?
Is there a website?
A non-partisan event, no Jesus, no economics just targets. No signs, a bullseye on your front, back or head would speak loudely enough. Can you fly drones in DC? We could make cut-outs of hellfire missiles and attach them to the drones and chase people around. Maybe even send one into Holders office with one of the paper cut-outs?
What do you think?
April 3rd would be a good day, its hump day.
Holder was giving his legal theory on what other Federal agencies can do but what DOJ does and doesn’t do doesn’t comply with the law. For instance, DOJ publicly states on its website
“OPR’s jurisdiction is limited to reviewing allegations of misconduct made against Department of Justice attorneys and law enforcement personnel that relate to the attorneys’ exercise of authority to investigate, litigate, or provide legal advice. The OIG is required to notify OPR of the existence and results of any OIG investigation that reflects upon the professional ethics, competence or integrity of a Department attorney. In such cases, OPR will take appropriate action.”
http://www.justice.gov/opr/
However, I complained to OPR that DOJ attorney David C. Rybicki violated his duty of candor towards the tribunal by misrepresenting DOJ’s Federal Register publications when defending my Privacy Act lawsuit and they emailed to me “it is the longstanding policy of the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) to decline to investigate litigation claims that have been raised, could have been raised, or still may be raised in litigation.” That’s not in the Code of Federal Regulations defining what OPR is supposed to do see 28 CFR 00.39a. I filed a FOIA request for records of such a policy but DOJ emailed to me in January that the Christmas break made it too busy to find records of such a policy.
Are you familiar with the law of Fraudodynamics by Barry Minkow? basically the longer a fraud goes on the harder it is to maintain. That’s the position that DOJ and Holder are in now because DOJ has not been transparent and engaged in illegal acts. One of those illegal acts was detaining me without a criminal charge and sending a fax that I was wanted for a federal felony. That was 18 USC section 242, a felony, but DOJ chose to allow its employees to commit these felonies. It’s not like they didn’t know.
Mespo, Now there is that boilerplate cross question! Wasn’t he under oath the first response?
“In a letter to Paul Thursday afternoon, Attorney General Eric Holder said that the president does not have the authority to use a drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on U.S. soil.
“It has come to my attention that you have now asked an additional question: ‘Does the President have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on American soil?’ The answer to that question is no,” the three-sentence letter stated.
In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, Paul said he was satisfied with the response.”
*********************
Were you lying then or are you lying now?
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/07/obama-administration-responds-to-paul-on-drones/?hpt=hp_c1
Bron,
I’ve said in the past that some of your ideas are absolutely horrible.
That “bullseye protest” idea isn’t one of them.
I only hope you weren’t joking about organizing it.
That’d be, in the words of that famous backwoods philosopher J.D. “Jed” Clampett, both “a real show stopper” and a “real crowd pleaser”.
OK, it’s ridiculous. Of course it’s not “constitutional” to kill people without “due process” and of course the government lies about whatever it wants to do and then does it and covers up the lies and makes it OK retroactively and of course it destroys people who carry on too much about all this and of course we all know about all of that and some of us care and blah blah blah. Whom do we think we elect — make that — whom do we think we “elect” — anyway? Do we “elect” people who will not do what is not permitted, even when they get the power and have a good incentive in their own self-interest? Really? When is the last time one of that sort of person was able to be nominated onto a ticket to BE voted for? [Grammar police can go to Hell; what do I care about rules?]
And if the American people really need notice of when they can be targeted, well here’s notice: NOW. That’s when. WHY? Because. Any other questions?
Get real. We do to others and we get done to. If you do more to others faster and worse you can sometimes manage to get done to less. That’s all there is and that’s all there’s ever gonna be. Let the blah blah mouths tell you otherwise and if you like to bow down and kiss earth, go ahead and believe any crap they peddle to you, you deserve it.
“The chickens are coming home to roost.”
Elaine,
That’s an excellent question…. People defending this action should think about all of the peripheral and collateral consequences….. Are we the teacher or are we the student….. There is a very strong military presence in attitude and belief in what’s good for us….
Dear Attorney General Holder:
I am planning a civilian target party outside your building on April 3rd, I am asking citizens who think you and El Presidente have overstepped your power to come dressed as bullseyes. Red and white preferably since it will be spring and black just wont do. One must keep up appearences even when one is targeted.
Remember to keep it in the 10 ring.
If citizens can be “indefinitely detained,” how will we know what has happened to them?
Regarding the White Christian Terrorist, Timothy McVeigh and fertilizer bombs:
I once had the good fortune to take some graduate classes in Buddhism and Sanskrit from a professor who formerly served Sri Lanka as its Minister of Education and, later, as its Ambassador to France and the United States. In one of our many out-of-class conversations, he told me of the time when the lady U. S. Trade Representative called him up to complain about his country’s embargo of fertilizer from the United States. The Ambassador reminded her that Sri Lanka had an ongoing Tamil insurgency to deal with and that, according to Sri Lankan scientists, petroleum-based fertilizer could form the basis for making terrorist explosives. Hence the embargo on importing such dangerous materials. The lady Trade Rep indignantly replied: “Well, if you had real scientists like we do in the United States, you wouldn’t believe such nonsense.” Sure enough, a few weeks later, Timothy McVeigh brought down the Federal Building in Oklahoma City by detonating a truck bomb made from petroleum-based fertilizer. The Ambassador subsequently called the lady Trade Rep and said to her — not without a healthy dose of well-deserved schadenfreude — “What do you think of our scientists now?”
Just a few thoughts relative to your comment, Max-1
America the exceptionally arrogant. I think that about covers it.
Holder’s answer is BS. Does the President have the express right to kill non-combatants on foreign soil just cause he wants to or in conjunction with targeted drone strikes? There have been hundreds of non-combatants killed with drone strikes and they’re called ‘regrettable’ or ‘collateral damage’ or ‘poor intel’ or ‘oops’. Has anyone gone to jail or been impeached because of it? Or even fired since contractors do some of the targeting work? Does anyone actually think that Holder’s letter would prevent or punish such an occurrence if this authority is invoked domestically? If so, I’ve got a bridge for sale….
http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/03/07/mccain-graham-say-pauls-filibuster-unnecessarily-created-fear/
Graham Now Supports Brennan Nomination After Previously Planning To Vote Against Him – says cause of the filibuster and, really surprised to hear him say (admit to) this:
To my Republican colleagues, I don’t remember any of you coming down here suggesting that President Bush was going to kill anybody with a drone,” Graham said in remarks on the Senate floor.
Blouise,
lol — I needed that. Spot on.
As expected:
John Brennan Confirmed By Senate To Lead CIA After Questions On Drones, Torture
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/07/john-brennan-confirmed-by_n_2831473.html?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl1|sec3_lnk1%26pLid%3D280679
WASHINGTON — The Senate voted to confirm John Brennan as head of the Central Intelligence Agency Thursday, looking past contentious issues of American drone killings and the blind eye Brennan once turned to torture.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) dramatically elevated the profile of the nomination Wednesday, blocking it until he got an answer to the question of whether or not the White House would authorize a drone strike against an American citizen within the United States.
Still, Brennan passed relatively easily on a bipartisan vote of 63 to 34.
Holder’s letter is a load of crap. Anyone who wants to find the specific crap can read some of Gene’s columns on propaganda which are excellent guides to uncovering the crap couched in patriotic nonsense words.
Paul is a young man with no seniority in the Senate but any republican, democrat, or independent who wants to help him carry this banner has my support. I have written my Senator suggesting same.
As to McCain, I have one word … retire. Okay, two words ,,, retire now.
Lord help me, I’m getting my hopes up again.
Just to make a point of how Phk’d up this country’s leaders are glance at the headlines from the story below.
60000, US citizens,murdered, god knows how many injured, by big pharma & no one has went to prison!
As I understand this case the company know it was a deadly drug from their own research & withheld that info from everyone!
Many in our govt/Wallst treat us, not as the rightful Stakeholder Owners of this country as we are, but instead as cattle for slaughter.
** by Joseph Mercola – in 497 Google+ circles – More by Joseph Mercola
May 14, 2012 – Yet that’s the plea agreement Merck recently made with a federal court in Boston on … It’s tragic that Vioxx was removed only AFTER 60,000 people died. … Particularly galling is the fact that these deaths could have been so easily … No, rather than curing actual disease, these drugs tend to be focused on … **