Below is my column in the Daily Beast on the call from Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) to expel members of the Squad from Congress. Five members recently made public comments against Israel at rallies in Washington: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Cori Bush of Missouri. Similar to calls from Democrats to disqualify Republicans for their support of Donald Trump’s election claims, the move against the far left members would establish a dangerous precedent for Congress. It would also devastate both free speech and democratic values.
Here is the column:
This weekend, presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) became the latest figure in Washington to call for the expulsion of members of Congress for their controversial views.
In a New York Post op-ed, Scott cites pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel statements of members of “the Squad” as examples of officials giving “aid and comfort” to Hamas.
Expulsion and disqualification have come into vogue in Washington as members of both parties seek to bar opponents from ballots or office. It is the ultimate manifestation of our age of rage where expressing opposing views are now considered disqualifying acts for holding office.
Sen. Scott points to Rep. Rashida Tlaib declaring that Israel intentionally bombed a hospital in Gaza after U.S. intelligence found that the explosion was likely caused by a Palestinian missile.
He also cites Rep. Pramila Jayapal calling Israel “a racist state” and Rep. Ilhan Omar previously saying that Jews had “hypnotized the world.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was also cited for criticism of those supporting Israel as “taking the side of occupation.”
I have previously criticized members of the Squad for reckless rhetoric and condemned the spreading of false or unproven claims on the Gaza hospital explosion.
However, the solution to bad speech is better speech. Indeed, Scott’s op-ed (and the writings of many others) are an example of how free speech can combat disinformation and propaganda without the necessity for censorship or other punitive measures.
Yet, Sen. Scott insists that “any member of Congress who gives [Hamas] aid, comfort or justification is in violation of their constitutional oath and must be removed.”
It is now a familiar refrain. Ironically, it is analogous to the argument put forward by some Democrats to bar Republican members through an alternative means. Those members have called for the use of the 14th Amendment to disqualify Republicans for giving “aid and comfort” to those who sought to block the certification of President Joe Biden. They have been supported by a host of legal academics.
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) demanded the disqualification of the 120 House Republicans—including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)—for simply signing a “Friend of the Court brief” (or amicus brief) in support of an election challenge from Texas.
Expulsion and disqualification demands are both based on the same view that political support for extreme or controversial positions should not be tolerated in members of Congress. It is a dangerous, slippery slope as politicians declare certain views as incompatible with holding elected offices.
Rather than based on a novel constitutional theory, expulsion is based on the inherent authority of Congress to expel members who violate the rules and standards of a house. Courts are generally deferential to Congress given the authority under Article I, Section 5 that “[e]ach House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behavior, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.”
Nevertheless, fewer than two dozen members have ever been expelled. Indeed, three of the then five members of the House had expressed loyalty to the confederacy during the Civil War.
It is telling that, despite our long history of bitter and divisive politics, only five house members have been expelled in the House. Members have realized that expulsions not only deny the right of voters to pick their representatives, but invite endless tit-for-tat measures.
The Framers were well aware of this danger. Before the Revolution, a leading case in England involved a member of Parliament who was expelled for criticism in 1763 of the king for signing a peace treaty with France. John Wilkes was promptly arrested and expelled from the House of Commons. While he was forced to flee into exile, he continued to be re-elected by an equally defiant constituency. He was again “excluded” from taking office and later convicted of sedition.
Eventually the House of Commons recognized its terrible error and expunged both the expulsions and exclusions. It admitted that it had acted in a manner “subversive of the rights of the whole body of electors of this kingdom.”
The Framers were familiar with the Wilkes case and wanted to avoid such legislative abuse in the United States. The Constitution makes exclusion (in preventing someone from taking the oath of office) effectively a non-starter if he or she otherwise meets the qualifications for office. Most importantly, they imposed the high voting threshold of a two-thirds vote to accomplish an expulsion.
It is unlikely that the calls for expulsion by Sen. Scott or others will succeed given this history and these limitations. It is also far from clear that courts would allow the expulsion of a member for the exercise of free speech even with the history of deference to Congress. Moreover, the courts have rejected the use of exclusion in Powell v. McCormack in 1969 as unconstitutional. Expelling a member based on their political views would operate the same as an exclusion since that member would continue to be viewed as ineligible to sit as a member of the House.
Even if it is unlikely to succeed, Sen. Scott’s call only adds to not just the expectations but the appetite of voters for extra-electoral action. Rather than defeat members at the polls, they want to dictate who may represent voters in other states and districts.
Free speech is often the first victim in an age of rage. We have gone through such ages from the very start of our Republic. Rage gives people license to do things that they would not ordinarily contemplate, let alone advocate. That is why rage is addictive. We can come to like it.
In the end, we are distinguished from groups like Hamas by free speech and our other defining rights. They are a covenant of faith between citizens that, despite our disagreements, we will stand by our neighbors in their right to think and speak freely. That includes the right of citizens to select those who will speak for them in a representative democracy.
There is a solution to those who you believe are unworthy for office. It arises every two years as citizens go to the polls to elect their representatives.
Of course, professor Turkey is only pretending that he’s acting out of “principle” here, instead of his usual double standard approach.
If we change the identities of the players, he’d be all for booting the congressional scum, especially since there’s no question they would be booted with the necessary identity changes.
Suppose the congressional leaders were extreme white supremacists. And then suppose that a large band of white supremacists in another country calling themselves “the oppressed” slaughtered, raped, and dismembered thousands of black people who they called “the oppressors.” And then suppose that the white supremacist congressional leaders applauded the mass murders of blacks as “payback” for the imagined wrongs committed against white people. And finally, suppose that those leaders demanded a cease fire to protect the white supremacists from retaliation.
See what I mean? The world would demand that the white supremacists be booted. And professor Turley would fall right in line without question. His “principles” change depending on the identities of the players and how mob rule figures into the matter.
. His “principles” change depending on the identities of the players and how mob rule figures into the matter.
I won’t make predictions, but we can look at history. Rep. Steve King IA, was removed from Committees because he asked in an interview, when did Western Civilization become a racist slur?
Of course this is the spinless Republicans. They will do all sorts of self flagellation in a misguided attempt to have the NYT like them.
Democrats are not driven by any sense of core principles. Democrats called for the ousting of King for words they considered hateful. That was then, this is now, and now Democrats are protected by a new found concept of free speech.
“Members of the House Republican Steering Committee met Monday evening to consider whether King should be denied committee assignments in the new Congress. King previously served on three committees, and recently served as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on Constitution and Civil Justice.
“White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” King asked in an interview with New York Times.”
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rep-steve-king-removed-committee-assignments-backlash-white/story?id=60371380
Western civilization isn’t offensive, but if you’re not offended by white nationalists and white supremacists, your values are skewed.
How about black nationalists, Arab nationalists, or Russian nationalists?
So universities have not removed Western Civ as a college course?
https://manhattan.institute/article/how-western-civilization-disappeared-from-college-campuses
but if you’re not offended by white nationalists and white supremacists,
EXACTLY! Being offended IS cause to remove a member of congreass.
I neither claimed nor implied that. Bizarre inference on your part.
Expel the Communists.
Michael Byrd is a murderer.
When will Rep. Jamaal Bowden be indicted for his crime? Not just his “ethics violation,” but his crime?
.
If the voters of their districts preferred antisemites, then antisemites will serve in Congress.
Voters in particular districts have voted for politicians with vehement bigotry against Republicans. They serve in Congress, because that’s the bigoted rhetoric that appealed to voters.
Antisemitism is unfortunately entrenched in Left wing politics. Therefore there are going to be antisemites serving in Congress. It is the right of voters to choose who represents their state or district in Congress. For better or worse, their representatives reflect on the people who voted for them.
I agree that the Squad should not be expelled. Criticized, and perhaps presented with evidence to refute terrorist propaganda, but not expelled.
It is my government’s duty to punish/remove/ban terrorists and their supporters.
No, it is your governments duty to secure your freedom.
So long as what you call terrorism is merely offensive speech government has no business interfering.
We punish actual violence.
Give the United States full access to terrorist training camps, so we can make sure they are no longer operating.
These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion. (Applause.) The Taliban must act, and act immediately. They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate. Bush
The left is working hard to legitimize the use of government sanctions as the appropriate response to political offense.
As tempting as it is to fight fire with fire we should resist.
A wide variety of democrats hold a wide variety of offensive or stupid views on a wide variety of subjects.
we sanction stupidity and error at the ballot box, not with the force of government.
J6 was no more an insurection than the recent pro-palestinian protests in Congress – and was more civil and less violent.
Both aimed to intimidate congress to adopt the prefered policies of protestors.
That may offend you if you hold a different view, but it is still legitimate protest.
The purpose of The entire left J6 nonsense is not to punish actual wrongdoing, it is to prevent those not on the left from engaging in protests.
Protests by 20 somethings have NEVER changed anything.
Protests by 40 and 50 year olds precede the fall of governments.
I made this post earlier… not sure why it never got posted.
Turley, you’re wrong on this one.
Were it a single instance of crossing the line… lets forgive that.
But multiple times, with multiple fake apologies?
And an attempt to issue policy and laws based on fake claims?
They should be expelled. Then if their constituents want them back in office, they can be voted in.
As it is… once in… they become the proverbial glass of water.
They like Biden are an embarrassment to this country.
At least with the Orangeman, you get a baffoon, but his results were spot on.
I can live with that.
-G
They had a reputation for antisemitism, and opposition to Israel, at the time that each of them was voted into office.
Similarly, there are Senators and Representatives who are vehemently bigoted against Trump voters, and claimed that the January 6th protest that turned into a riot was an insurrection, as if people taking selfies were there to overthrow the government. Many of the same people make disparaging remarks about Christianity, or support the persecution of a baker who didn’t want to bake either a satanic cake, or one celebrating transgenderism. They have been voted into office.
It’s the voters’ right to decide who represents them, whether it’s antisemites, bigots against conservatives, religious intolerance of Christianity, or those who wage war on fossil fuels and then blame Oil and Gas companies for skyrocketing gas prices.
I think someone should hand the Squad facts to dispute the terrorist propaganda they’ve been brainwashed with, but I doubt they’d read it. They have no interest in learning. I disagree that they should be expelled, because it contravenes the will of voters. There are many members of Congress who are hateful and bigoted, especially in the current en vogue bigotry against whites, Asians, men, and women who dispute that a man can become a woman by saying so. Those in that camp would find my disagreement on their positions to be hateful.
If Congress were to expel members it found distasteful, then whenever a majority had the votes, it would expel political opponents.
I’m more disgusted with the voters who put the Squad in power, than with the Squad themselves. They’ve flown their ignorant, bigoted flag for a long time. It’s the fault of their voters that they are in office.
If Hitler slaughtered Jews and innocent Americans and held them hostage, and some band of animals in Congress denounced the Jews and Americans for posing the underlying reason for his behavior, I’d say remove them.
Wow, a lot of Brain-Washing going on with the Comments today, from all sides.
None of you are Men, in the Jewish sense.
I’m MENSA, in the bragging sense.
Not being a man in the (slice ! wahhhhh…) jewish sense is aokay !
Double bad news for you.
1) you have a mental disorder
2) your IQ is low.
Bad News for the Highly Intelligent
Superior IQs are associated with mental and physical disorders, research suggests
—Scientific American
Those are probably jabbed kids or ashkenazi that have all sorts of diseases and crap from the inbreeding…
I’ve always been fit as an ox. No problems, no meds, no drugs, no drinking. Don’t cry.
“I’ve always been fit as an ox.”
You think like one and act like one when you are in this china shop.
“No problems, no meds, no drugs, no drinking. Don’t cry.”
You might not cry or drink alcohol, but you do whine.
Wait, Mr. Clean is now a member of the squad?
I agree with you. Question.
With the Israeli’s being in a war and the US being an ally does that become a factor in your opinion?
Those who say that people should express their outrage at the ballot box don’t know that the slot machines they pour money into in Vegas and the NFL games they watch on TV are “fixed.”
The sheeple submit in silence as lambs to the slaughter.
They have no choice.
However, the solution to bad speech is better speech.
The issue is not about finding a solution to bad speech. It’s about what to do with members of our government when their bad speech proves hostile to U.S. foreign and domestic policy.
foreign
“and domestic” ?
How about we don’t blow all our dollars in wars halfway around the world with no gain or security issue for We The People ?
If that were true, we wouldn’t have this purported big issue right now with the two warring parties have their own battlefield about foreign wars.
Agreed.
There isn’t much disagreement with those superficial thoughts.
Our government has created untenable international quagmires. When Trump was in power, he diffused hostilities and there was peace. With Biden in power we are involved in wars all over the place, with anti-Semitism and hate on the rise.
Biden’s weakness and support for Iran along with the Palestinians permitted the influx of advanced weaponry to Iran’s puppets. Iran operations aren’t confined to the Middle East but extend all the way to the Western Hemisphere.
What operations would those be, besides the usual covert spies every nation of any decency lofts ?
It seems to me your last sentence is a justification.
Go ahead and tell ignorant me I’m all ears.
If you don’t understand the reason behind the operations, that is your problem, and one of the reasons so many of your responses are poorly thought out.
I believe in America and all its people. I believe when it acts, it should act on behalf of its citizens. You seem to bounce all over the place causing your arguments to conflict with one another, while you argue non-existent facts based on poor research,
Article III, Section 3, Clause 1
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort
In the section of the constitution you cite and enemy means a country that is at war with the US or that the US is at war with.
It does not mean countries or political parties – right or left that we do not like.
Adhering to communism or radical islam or supporting the Irainiam regime is no more treason than championing election integrity or challengining rigged elections.
Giving aid and comfort to an enemy requires giving material aide to people or countries that are at REAL war with the us, not those who are engaged in ideological warfare – no matter how offensive.
The left has weaponized government against political and ideological enemies in ways that are about as unconstitutional and unamerican as is possible.
This is FAR worse than anything done by the Red SCare in the 50’s. It is similar to the bad conduct of the soviets and maoists of the past.
The left rants about threats to democracy – this is by far the WORST threat we face.
“At war” or “at war with.”
I don’t read that in the Constitution. Do you have magic glasses? You’re like corrupt judges and Justices who “interpret” law – rather than simply and merely assure that actions comport with law – and enter their own subjective biases and partialities when they are required only to be impartial. Was the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics the “enemy” during the 44 years of the Cold War? Is Russia the enemy now (U.S. weapons are killing Russians while no war has been “declared”)? Is North Korea the enemy now? Is China the “enemy” now? If you don’t know the answers to those questions, you will be ill prepared at the commencement of hostilities. May one safely conclude that an entity is antagonistic toward the U.S. when they rant, “Death to America?” Is America required to wait until Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah et al. have greater numbers of superior nuclear weapons of mass destruction? Are you out of your ——- mind?
Again, please carefully read the clear words of the English language below which require no declaration of war to establish an enemy.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Article III, Section 3, Clause 1
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Merriam-Webster
enemy
noun
en·e·my ˈe-nə-mē
plural enemies
1: one that is antagonistic to another – especially : one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent
2: something harmful or deadly – alcohol was his greatest enemy
3a: a military adversary – 3b: a hostile unit or force
I don’t agree with your interpretation. The power of War is in the Congress. If they don’t declare war we don’t have the Enemy, that’s why the 1st part of the text is levying War. War and Enemy are capitalized for a reason.
Otherwise it’s all so vague anyone can declare anyone else and enemy of the USA at any time. A lot of people consider israelan enemy of the USA and they can list their reasons for that.
Use your better speech to change people’s minds, if you can.
Whatever you say – you are answerable to other people, who can chose to beleive you, disbeleive you, hire you, fire you, avoid you or associate with you based on what you say.
The GOVERNMENT does not have the same freedom. Neitehr the FBI, nor DOJ, nor the republican or democrats in congress are permitted under the constitution to make laws or sanction Their members for their speech. Sanctions for bad speech are not the business of government – not in anyway. Government may not participate. It may not sanctions others.
It may not suggest that others be sanctioned for speech.
We the people CAN. That is how free speech works.
It is the only way that it actually works.
The freedom to say what you wish includes the freedom of others to decide you are an idiot based on what you have said.
The voters in Tlaibs district have the responsibility to weigh Tlaibs words and actions – it is clear they have failed, but that does not alter the fact that it is THEIR choice, not that of the house.
Private actors – the press social media companies, etc are free to sanction speech as they wish. Their choices in that regard are then judged by the rest of us and ultimately determine their success or failure.
The media is held in generally low regard in consequence of the poor choices they have made. That is approriate. To some extent already but to a large extent int he long run, that lack of trust ultimately will result in business failure – free exchange requires trust. People do not do business freely for long with those they do not trust.
We have slowly been seeing that lack of trust translate into economic failure – and that is appropriate.
Government has no business meddling in the free speech rights of private actors – While the press and social media are free to censure willy nilly – and endure the wrath of ordinary people as a consequence. Government may not ask, suggest, or hint that social media or the new should censor.
Whether NYT or Facebook wishes to champion Hamas or the KKK is an issue entirely between NYT/FB amd their customers.
All government involvement is inherently EVIL.
This is also why government can have no role in education – and frankly no role in the private economy, and no role in elections beyond printing and counting ballots.
Whether SCOTUS has propertly understood that or not, Government can not act in domains where it can impact speech. That is not only unconstitutional, but ultimate it is a very bad idea and makes us all poorer.
Free speech also does not work when utterly impeachable, banana-republic-derived, intellectually inferior, biased, incompetent, “fake” affirmative action judges arbitrarily and unconstitutionally deny the freedom of speech to actual Americans who are attempting to defend themselves in court.
“IS IT FROM US?”, HAMAS TERRORIST ON RADIO INTERCEPT.
“IT LOOKS LIKE IT,” ANOTHER HAMAS TERRORIST ON RADIO INTERCEPT.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Rashida Tlaib committed a crime of high office.
Rashida Tlaib deposited perjurious public testimony.
Rashida Tlaib attempted to defraud and mislead factually.
Rashida Tlaib committed acts of deception and lied to Congress and America.
Rashida Tlaib must be impeached and convicted for treason, abuse of power, fraud, perjury, defaming a foreign country and ally before Congress et al.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“‘Blood Libel’: Orthodox Jewish Rabbis Condemn Rashida Tlaib for Echoing Hamas Propaganda (condensed)”
A coalition that represents more than 2,500 Orthodox Jewish rabbis condemned Michigan Democrat Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s decision to blame Israel for an explosion caused by a misfired rocket from Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The Coalition for Jewish Values, which represents 2,500 Orthodox Jewish rabbis in American public policy, condemned Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., for rushing to blame Israel for the Wednesday bombing of a hospital in Gaza, despite increasing evidence that a misfired missile launched by the terror group Islamic Jihad caused the blast. “Rep. Tlaib has repeatedly made it clear that she doesn’t value human rights, she merely hates Jews,” Rabbi Yaakov Menken, managing director of the Coalition for Jewish Values, told The Daily Signal in a statement Wednesday. “In this case, her devotion to an antisemitic lie is of a piece with blood libels spread by bigots of the past,” Menken added. “That a woman whose rhetoric recalls Nazi Germany is a member in good standing of the House Democratic Caucus should alarm every American, even given President Joe Biden’s strong moral stance.”
“Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that,” Tlaib posted on X (formerly Twitter) Tuesday night.
She tagged Biden and directed her comments to him.
“@POTUS [President of the United States,] this is what happens when you refuse to facilitate a ceasefire & help de-escalate,” Tlaib added. “Your war and destruction only approach has opened my eyes and many Palestinian Americans and Muslims Americans like me. We will remember where you stood.”
Palestinian officials said an explosion at Al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital killed 471 people Tuesday, Reuters reported. Hamas, the group the U.S. has designated a terrorist organization that runs the government of Gaza and the health ministry that reported the deaths, blamed Israel for the explosion. Yet Israel claims the explosion traces back to a misfired rocket sent by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Iran-backed terrorist group that took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel. Palestinian Islamic Jihad has denied involvement, saying it did not have any activity in or around Gaza City at the time.
Israel released video of Hamas terrorists speaking over the radio about the explosion.
“I’m telling you this is the first time that we see a missile like this falling, and so that’s why we are saying it belongs to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad,” one speaker says.
“It’s from us?” another asks.
“It looks like it,” the first speaker replies.
– The Daily Signal
LMAO !
irsael made a big fat joke of a tape with two barmitzvah tards babbling to each other in bibi’s bunker, and even they weren’t sure it was “theirs”.
The evidence strongly suggests this was the PLF not Israel.
But that is not the big deal – the big deal is that left wing nuts jumped the gun and soiled themselves.
Their will be civilian casualties to the destruction of Hamas. That is sad, but it will happen. Some will be intentional – in the sense that Israel will target Hamas – even when they are surrounded by civilians, knowing their will be civilian casualties.
But Israel is not killing palestinians merely because they are muslim – while Hamas is killing israeli’s because they are jews.
Israel will not acheive perfection – but there is nothing even close to moral equivalence here.
There is absolutely no doubt it was a US delivered Israeli launched JDAM
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231018-us-weapons-expert-debunks-israels-denial-of-gaza-hospital-strike/
That’s also why in the exact same time period entire buildings were taken down. right after we USA made a delivery.
2000 pound bombs, proximity triggers.
guided to target.
The case is closed except for the liars and fools.
That comes from Middle East Monitor. You should ask yourself who they are, but you don’t. They are a pro Palestinian lobbying group. Guess who their funding source is? Qatar where the head of Hamas lives in luxury. It has Muslim Brotherhood connections (considered a terrorist group by some Middle East countries).
What does the Muslim Brotherhood say in their documents?: “The Ikhwan [Muslim Brotherhood] must understand that their work in America is a kind of grand jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and “sabotaging” its miserable house by their hands and the hands of the believers so that it is eliminated and God’s religion is made victorious over all other religions.”
That is the type of unreliable media organization Shakdi relies on. Let me not forget, they publish a lot of pro-Hamas stuff whether true or not.
LOL – we have to ask that for every source, who is it, since they all lie.
Israel lied their butt off in their posts, and got corrected in real time.
I already checked the military US channels and C17 indeed fly in and out, claiming they were picking up US TROOPS who “where there for some training crap” and it was cancelled since “the attacks”.
I’ve been around the block a thousand times with this crap and always take as many sources as I can find.
That’s how I always get it right, and have been for years.
If I don’t know I keep my trap shut unlike so many others, unlike almost everyone else.
I got covid correct the first time I heard the MSM reports. I knew immediately by their formation and what they showed it was another lie from day one.
Pure blood pure skin cut the BS checkin’ in, never jabbed never tested check my record it won’t be bested.
LOL
Israel is under a microscope, so they don’t generally lie though they can make mistakes. The left whether it be green or red is forgiven lies. The media publishes their lies only to retract them later.
Your evaluation of the hospital bombing is incorrect. Even Hamas is changing its earlier reporting. Your research is astoundingly poor, and your knowledge of history nearly non-existent.
“I got covid correct the first time I heard the MSM reports.”
Take note the left lied and the media lied along with the left. The green (in the above case, Hamas) today is politically allied with the liars of the left. That is where anti-Semitism is the strongest.
Here, watch as the israeli spokesperson says they bombed it then has to delete his tweet.
LMAO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Qp8hVg9X0
hey shakdi blah blah blah dont you know thats turkey oh gawdd ohhg….
I listened to the first 1-2 minutes and only heard deceptive reporting from a Turkish network. They are hostile to Israel and I think it was Turkey that claimed Israel stopped a flow of humanitarian aid when it was later proved to be weapons.
Quote the exact words with the exact time. I don’t think you will find the evidence in context. That is how the left and green frequently lie. They remove context.
You quote from dubious sources where context and accuracy are lacking but when one provides you with actual data you have little to say. When you make an argument based on Torah, you cannot respond when the Torah refutes your argument. When you make an argument based on history, you choose to forget the facts and context.
I have no use for the squade. But they should only be replaced by the voters or (god forbid), termlimits. Independent Bob.
This type of Peer Pressure and Force (Media Extortion | Speech Suppression) to make Legislators knuckle-under to the will of the Deep State is pure evidence of how embedded & compromised Our system of Government has been overtaken by “Our Friends”.
Enough is Enough America, Walk away from the Deep State, or they’ll keep a grip on You.
Keeping People ‘consumed’ with what benefits the Deep State’s Will.
‘Palestine’ is a State of Mind, walk away and out of Their CONTROL (Mentally & Metaphorically).
Don’t Buy It. Their rhetorical. Walk away leave Them to tier own demise.
Hands-Off America, Have No Fear – Live Freely
“Democratic values”? The United States is not a democracy. The United States is a republic.
The US is both a republic and a representative democracy.
Yes, but democracy has been pushed because the word nearly matches demoncrat or demoncratic party – so every time some morons spews it, which is a million times a day on TV, it pushes the tards towards the demons instead of the Founders.
Everyone could be saying we are a republic and screaming that every day – but that would favor the Republican party.
So it is another mind game political weapon.
America is a restricted-vote republic by intent and design.
Turnout was 11.6% in 1789.
Vote criteria were male, European, 21, 50 lbs. Sterling/50 acres in 1789.
One man, one vote “democracy” always devolves into chaos and Karl Marx’s “dictatorship of the hired help.”
The American Founders never intended for one man, one vote democracy and always intended for vote restrictions to be implemented by States.
Democracy has incorporated vote restrictions since inception in Greece.
Advocates of one man, one vote democracy are imposters and deceivers who understand that they obtain chaos-cum-communism through their promotion of one man, one vote democracy.
_____________
“the people are nothing but a great beast…
I have learned to hold popular opinion of no value.”
– Alexander Hamilton
________________________
“The true reason (says Blackstone) of requiring any qualification, with regard to property in voters, is to exclude such persons, as are in so mean a situation, that they are esteemed to have no will of their own.”
“If it were probable that every man would give his vote freely, and without influence of any kind, then, upon the true theory and genuine principles of liberty, every member of the community, however poor, should have a vote… But since that can hardly be expected, in persons of indigent fortunes, or such as are under the immediate dominion of others, all popular states have been obliged to establish certain qualifications, whereby, some who are suspected to have no will of their own, are excluded from voting; in order to set other individuals, whose wills may be supposed independent, more thoroughly upon a level with each other.”
– Alexander Hamilton, The Farmer Refuted, 1775
____________________________________________________
“[We gave you] a republic, if you can keep it.”
– Ben Franklin, 1787
To which the Beast might reply to Hamilton et al:
‘Tis elites such as thee that gives rise to the beast in me.
THEY’RE NOT ELITES, THEY ARE FREE
THEY’RE NOT “SUCH AS” SUPREMACISTS, ARROGANT AND CONDESCENDING, THEY ARE FREE, CAPABLE, INDUSTRIOUS AND SUCCESSFUL
YOUR BEASTS ARE MERELY SINFULLY COVETOUS FAILURES WHO BELIEVE THE UNIVERSE OWES THEM SOMETHING
Most certainly those beasts of the “dictatorship of the hired help,” whose motto is “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs,” and who are utterly oppressed by the principles of communism: Central planning, control of the means of production (i.e. unconstitutional regulation), redistribution of wealth, and social engineering, would reply in that manner, of their dependence, parasitism, and demands that they be given “free stuff” and “free status,” which they have not and likely will never earn of their own freedom and free enterprise.
The point Hamilton is making is that freedom and free enterprise must be protected from the dependents, leeches, and parasites who would steal and pillage the fruits of the “pursuits of happiness” that free people are engaging in.
No one owes your “elites” or your “beasts” anything; the Constitution and Bill of Rights provide everyone with the same generic freedom to pursue their own versions of happiness.
One man, one vote democracy always devolves into the “dictatorship of the hired help,” or communism.
The American restricted-vote republic, as established by the Founders, allows no dictatorship, neither of the monarchy nor the proletariat.
The expansion of voting rights through the adoption of the following constitutional amendments (and the Voting Rights Act of 1965) has been great for the nation and should be celebrated: 15 (race),17 (direct election of Senators), 19 (women), 23 (DC presidential), and 26 (age-18).
By intent and design, the America Constitution allows for amendment.
And democrats are as undemocratic as you can get.
Turley says: “In a New York Post op-ed, Scott cites pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel statements of members of “the Squad” as examples of officials giving “aid and comfort” to Hamas.” There is all the difference in the world between supporting Palestine and supporting Hamas. Either Scott doesn’t know what he’s talking about by equating Palestine with Hamas, or he’s being delliberately deceitful. Palestinians are the citizens of Gaza. Hamas is a terrorist organization. Not all Palestinians support Hamas. And, Israel’s skirts are not clean, either.
There is absolutely NO comparison between election-denying Republicans and members of Congress who spoke out against Israel. None whatsoever. Those Republicans who voted to refuse certified votes from various states and/or who approved of and/or signed on as amicus to challeges to Joe Biden’s victory are traitors. Other than Trump’s big mouth, there never was, and still isn’t, any evidence that 2020 was anything other than a free and fair election. Trump was predicted to lose, and had done a terrible job pretending to the POTUS. He set a record for low approval ratings. Republicans supported tryng to deny American voters of their right to choose their President to curry favor with blindly-loyal Trump supporters–NOT as patriots. This is contrary to the democratic principles this country was founded on.
On the other hand, the with those members of Congress who have expressed opinions about the Israel-Hamas war is very different. The US refuses to condemn anything Israel does, including, but not limited to, moving 700,000 Israeli settlers into the West Bank after evicting Palestinians. That is a human rights violation, according to the UN, which has condemned Israel for this and other violations, which amount to apartheid. The West Bank belongs to Palestinians, but Israel insists on controlling it. Israel also cut off water, electricity, gas, food, internet access, petrol and means of escape while bombing the hell out of Gaza. Innocent civilians are dying and suffering as a result. That, too, is a human rights violation. What does the US do–while we are condemning the October 7th Hamas attack, do we at least speak out against Israel stealing Palestinians’ land and depriving non combatant citizens of food, water, petrol, electricity, internet access or even a means of escape? Not really, other than generally speaking of empathy for”innocent victims”, all while affirming that the US “has Israel’s back”–and, this is why Palestinians do not trust the US to broker any kind of peace agreement. This is why Hezbollah of Lebanon is firing rockets at Israel. The US should either stay the hell out of this conflict, or at least be neutral, instead of automatically supporting everything Israel does and offering to help finance their war. There will never be long-term peace in the area until or unless Israel honors the rights of Palestinians, whose roots in that area of the world go back at least as far, if not further, than Israel’s.
One thing I heard on my info travels and is no doubt correct is that the demand by Israel that hamas not be involved at all in the accepting and distributing of humanitarian aid is a ridiculous proposition because hamas is the government of the gaza strip.
I agree with that assessment, that it is just not going to happen without the government, hamas, involved.
This of course is the desire of Israel, so it is not going to happen – haha
The same analysis pointed out there are two wings of the hamas government, one is the political wing the other is the military wing.
Thus, you deliver with the political wing accepting.
When I think of our recent example and our government agencies in Lahaina Maui , the complaints were massive and horrendous – fema and other gov agencies and “unknown unmarked military enforcing from unmarked sedans” blocked aid that was already going to the people. Same in the GWB era down at the gulf coast hurricane katrina – the reports were endless from aid orgs red cross salvation army on and on that the gov agencies blocked them over and over and over again – the gov agencies get the tyranny bug and blow the operations immediately even in the peaceful in comparison USA.
If I was a conspiracist I could say the USA gov took the provisions meant for the people and used them for themselves first, then sold them off to acquire more weapons for war. No one could prove me wrong.
So I am certain that is “all hamas has ever done”.
What a fool you are shakdi. Hamas has been taking the dollars given to the Palestinian people for humanitarian reasons has used that money to fund their weapons and tunnels.
Can one be any dumber?
The political wing is the military wing even though leadership remains safe in Qatar. They are cowards. Are they friends of yours?
When Turkish ships were boarded bringing humanitarian aid, the Israelis stopped and searched the ships. They were filled with missiles and weaponry.
If Hamas is the Government of Gaza, then the claim that palestinians are occupied is nonsense, the claim they have no freedom is either false or the fault of Hamas.
Israel is not their occupier.
As to Israel imposing restrictions on Hamas and the argument that Hamas is the legitimate government – SO WHAT ?
Israel is entitled to place demands on anything that passes through its country.
The US has placed conditions on the Aide it has provided other countries forever.
And Contra what democrats beleive – we ARE entitled to control what passes through our countires borders.
So is Israel.
If you do not like Israeli restrictions – work with Egypt – though they are atleast as hostile to Gaza as Israel.
We do not get pure perfection in the world.
Most of the time we have moral dilemas such as Ally Saudi Arabai killing Journalists in Ally Turkey – neither of which are particularly good or moral countries.
The Israeli palestinian conflict is the closest thing that we ever get to pure moral clarity in the real world
As Golda Mier said. If the Palestinians laid down their weapons there would be peace.
If the Israels do there will be genocide.
Hamas has repeatedly made that clear.
This is not a close call in terms of morality.
Nor do you have to blindly support Israel to grasp that Hamas is the bad actor.
But this is a test of YOUR principles, and valued and judgement.
And so many of you have FAILED.
Not only are you completely unable to determine right from wrong on the issue in question,
But you have sacrificed all your other values and principles to support the MORALLY WRONG side.
You declare those who will not accept your personal chosen identity as evil. And yet you are supporting those who are the most
radically opposed to your very principles. There are Palestinian LGBTQ+ banners supporting Hamas at Harvard.
There are no living openly LQBTQ+ people in Gaza.
“There will never be long-term peace in the area until or unless Israel honors the rights of Palestinians . . .”
Nobody is that naive.
Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran do not want a two-state solution. They are driven by a totalitarian, genocidal ideology that seeks to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth. Their desire is for a one-state solution.
The moral of the Gazan’s loss of electricity, et al., is this: Such are the consequences of your government invading another country, and of your terrorists kidnapping and murdering its citizens.
As sometime happens, Professor Turley is a little tone deaf and unfortunately looks at many issues with rose-colored glasses. Exceptions to First Amendment protections include incitement, defamation, fighting words, and threats. I believe, as do most clear thinking Americans and Israeli’s, Rep. Tlaib’s comments clearly fall in all four of these exceptions. She is inciting worldwide violence against the Jewish people and their supporters for propagating a clearly false narrative about the explosion in the Al Ahli Hospital parking lot. She has defamed Israel and its American supporters with her lies. And much of her ranting can easily be construed as fighting words and threats.
Therefore, Rep. Talib MUST be expelled from Congress.
I am not sure that the other squad members should be similarly expelled (yet) except for Rep. Omar who broke our immigration laws (including marrying her brother), and who should lose her citizenship.
Tlaib’s statements don’t meet any of the legal exceptions for speech, and Ilhan Omar didn’t marry her brother or break any immigration laws.
If the Constitution and Bill of Rights of the American Founders and Framers were and are valuable and appropriate documents regarding self-governance, the immigration law of those very American Founders and Framers was and is similarly valuable and appropriate.
The American Founders gave America the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and their immigration law, the Naturalization Acts of 1790, 1795, 1798, and 1802 (four iterations for clarity).
As he did with all American freedom, “Crazy Abe” Lincoln conducted a brutal armed robbery and stole America from Americans; “Crazy Abe” ignored existing immigration law and effectively abolished it, just as he abolished the Constitution and Bill of Rights while subsequently unconstitutionally and improperly amending fundamental law through his communist successors.
But for the high-criminal acts of Lincoln, the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Naturalization Act of 1802 would have remained in place with full force and effect.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Naturalization Acts of 1790, 1795, 1798, 1802
United States Congress, “An act to establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization,” March 26, 1790
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That any Alien being a free white person, who shall have resided within the limits and under the jurisdiction of the United States for the term of two years, may be admitted to become a citizen thereof…
George, In analyzing those immigration Acts, Professor Paul Finkelman said the following (from a 2018 law review article): “None of these issues directly affected the status of free blacks already in the nation or those born there in the future. Free blacks were considered full citizens in some states, citizens with limited rights in others, and clearly second-class residents in other places.”
There is alto wrong with Tlaibs remarks. that does not make them criminal. Anymore than marchine through the capital – also a first amendment protected excersize is not criminal.
AS tot he rest – the evidence is pretty damning that Tlaib violated US immigration laws.
Tlaib was born in the US, so no, she did not violate US immigration laws.
US intel is a paid to lie org. They have gotten it spectacularly wrong over and over again in just prior decades.
One of the recent gigantic lies is the US aka joey boy didn’t order the destruction of nordstream 2.
We have the beanbrain live on the news conference swearing if putin invades nordstream 2 won’t exist, he will get it done, he is not saying how but repeats it will be done.
Then it is done and the liars scream putin blew up his own asset.
IT IS BEYOND OBVIOUS ISRAEL STRUCK THE HOSPITAL WITH THE JDAMS WE HAD DELIVERED A DAY OR TWO PRIOR.
ALL THE VIDS OF THE BUILDINGS COLLAPSING ARE FROM THOSE JDAMS AS WELL.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231018-us-weapons-expert-debunks-israels-denial-of-gaza-hospital-strike/
Lying is a requirement for US intel and israel, and claiming something isn’t proven because your crooked horse brays otherwise is such a big joke nowadays, the next facemasks for government should be required to have a big red round nose on them and white face paint with red blue and YELLOW outlines. SMILE BIG FOR THE CAMERAS CLOWNS !
See the strike, know the truth.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231018-us-weapons-expert-debunks-israels-denial-of-gaza-hospital-strike/
“IT IS BEYOND OBVIOUS ISRAEL STRUCK THE HOSPITAL WITH THE JDAMS WE HAD DELIVERED A DAY OR TWO PRIOR.”
It appears, the only ones not too know it was most likely an errant missile from Hamas seems to be you. Even the news media is recognizing the mistruthfuol claims of Hamas.
I think JT did a great job on that post / article, though I totally disagree with him on the JDAM strike on the hospital.
I have noticed the DC mental mindset is some sort of unknown foggy idea about waiting for confirmation or getting to the bottom of it, and or or many other styles and types of YEARS of willowing and wavering in the twixt of ignorance and unwarranted patience, you never really know in the end how they decide what “has been proven”.
At some point, YEARS out from what ME( that doesn’t stand for middle east, it is not featly to said region, settle down boys LOL) , the public, already knows is a certainty they “catch up” and finally declare the deposited a nickel in the AJ jar…
Congress has to vote 2/3rds to expel, that seems extremely unlikely currently.
JT also pointed out we have not reached anywhere close to the extremes of the past where expulsion either didn’t happen, or was later retracted and found to be a foible.
If Congress expels and the courts reverse them, that is going to be one heckuva constitutional crisis. I would have to side with ELECTED Congress by default, not popular in these lawyerly arenas.
Exceptions do exist. But contra your claims they are EXTREMELY narrow. There are multiple elements required for incitement – and it is a standard pretty much NEVER met.
Defamation is civil, not criminal, and aside from a very few very stupid recent settlements and cases that are massively political – real defamation is incredibly hard to prove.
Defamation requires a PROVEABLY (and usually knowing) factually incorrect statement that was not for the purpose of causing harm. Merely establishing there was no harm makes defamation legal. This should be obvious to all but a moron – as insults are NOT defamation. Fighting words is incredibly narrow – so much so that it may no longer exist.
Threats require pretty much all the elements of incitement making it nearly impossible to convict someone of criminally threatening another.
Tlaid should be punished for her speach – BY VOTERS – not the house, not government.
Just because democrats have bent the law to serve politics does not mean the rest of us should do the same.
In general I think I agree with Professor Turley’s argument.
But I wonder if he would reach the same conclusion if there were a Squad of swastika wearing, open Nazis? Or a KKK squad in robes and hoods?
It seems like the same arguments would apply to them.
At the same time I think that we have been too reckless letting people into this country who would vote scum like The Squad into office.
At some point we need to recognize actual enemies of this country and act appropriately and legally to protect ourselves.
One easy first step is to bar ‘Palestinians’ from coming here. If they are too dangerous for Muslim countries like Egypt or Jordan only a leader with dementia would let them come here.
But then….
No one has to wonder:
” the same conclusion if there were a Squad of swastika wearing, open Nazis? Or a KKK squad in robes and hoods?
Oh boy, the capitol police would have to unwillingly escort them to the curb immediately, a few “accidentally” tripping down the capitol stairs and falling into an untended canister of tear gas, and then the cancellation and robbery of every dollar they ever earned would begin immediately. Hello lawfare including pleaing down of the execution charges.
Just ask kayne west, YE who only wore a costume and did a skit – “net an yahoo”
Turley should write a piece on an “Intel Personnel Bill of Rights” especially protecting the children and family members of intel personnel.
This may actually be the greatest number of civil rights abuses in the USA but are covert abuses, so the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division apparently won’t protect these brave public servants or their family members that never signed up.
In a nutshell, if the non-government family members refuse to join the federal government – they are destroyed!
Apparently, according to public sources, these non-government family members are “criminalized” by these federal agencies.
Suspicion of criminality is engineered or fabricated, so the family members of intel personnel can never receive protection from local, state or federal law enforcement.
Turley is the best person to explain these civil rights violations (felony crimes) and why it is disloyal to the American oath of office. It’s the most disloyal act for any intel official to perpetrate.
New Poll:
Israelis Think Netanyahu Failed To Protect Them
The vast majority of Israelis believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should publicly accept responsibility for the staggering failures that led to Hamas’s devastating onslaught on October 7, according to an opinion poll by the Maariv newspaper.
The chiefs of the IDF and the Shin Bet have already taken such responsibility, as have the defense minister and finance minister.
Eighty percent of Israelis say Netanyahu should follow suit, including 69% of those who voted for the premier’s Likud party in last year’s election, according to the survey. Only 8% of the general public think he should not.
Asked who is better suited to be prime minister, 49% pick National Unity party leader Benny Gantz and only 28% pick Netanyahu, with the rest undecided.
Asked who they would vote for had elections been held today, the poll again gives abysmal grades to the current coalition — 43 seats compared to their current 64 — with Gantz’s party soaring to 40 seats from its current 12.
The survey was conducted on October 18 and 19 by the Lazar Institute, along with Panel4All, among 510 respondents constituting a representative sample of adult Israelis. The margin of error is 4.3%.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/poll-80-of-israelis-say-netanyahu-must-publicly-take-responsibility-for-oct-7-failures/
In other news: “Democrat’s ‘Squad’ Dresses Up As Flower Children and Hippies to Praise Hamas Terrorists as Baby Killers”
~+~
It’s the dawning of a new Age of Aquarius at the Swamp. But unlike that of fifty-five years ago, where soldiers were denounced as Baby Killers for their waging war in Vietnam, today’s hardcore Democrats donned hippie rags and celebrated the Baby Killers of Hamas raping and kidnapping women, while murdering children.
Reps, Omar and Ocasio-Cortez wore hemp flower-pattern dresses and walked down in front of a line of simulated Hamas Fighters placing instead of daisies into the muzzles of their rifles, the squad loaded their RPGs with rockets.
Afterward, the representatives smoked weed and began cavorting about in a circle singing Joan Baez songs rewriten to be ultra-violent and condemning of Israel.
A 75 year old ex-hippie passing by claimed in seeing the spectacle, “I should have given up Acid years ago. This flashback is the worst trip I’ve had in decades.
A dangerous sign of the times is that it is getting harder to tell satire like the Babylon Bee from actual ‘news’.