Rep. Summer Lee (D., Pa.) has long been a voice for censorship, attacking those who seek to restore free speech on social media. Lee’s curious view of free speech was on display this week when she attacked witnesses, including Riley Gaines, as hateful and transphobic but then tried to censor Gaines when she responded to Lee’s attack as misogynistic. Lee withdrew the demand to take down the comments, though it captured the essence of how many on the left insist that they have a right to attack others but seek to censor those same individuals when they respond in kind.
In the hearing on transgender students competing in sports, Rep. Lee launched into attacks of the witnesses: “Madam Chair, I ask that while we sit through this hearing and the hateful misinformation I’m sure is coming our way, let us not forget the children at the core of this issue.”
Gaines, who achieved fame as a college athlete after racing against transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, responded to the attack. She testified:
“Of course, there is a place for everyone, regardless of gender identity, regardless of sexual orientation, regardless of race or what sports you play. There’s a place for everyone to play sports in this country. But unsafe, unfair and discriminatory practices towards women must stop. Inclusion cannot be prioritized over safety and fairness, and ranking member Lee, if my testimony makes me transphobic then I believe your opening monologue makes you a misogynist.”
Lee then pounced and demanded that Gaines’ remarks be struck for “engaging in personalities” rather than the substance of the debate: “I move to have the gentlewoman’s words taken down.”
What followed was hurried consultation and presumably a few explanations for Lee on why witnesses are allowed to respond to such attacks by a member. Lee then withdrew her demand.
Rule XVII, clause 1(b) prohibits Members from engaging in “personalities.” That is a rule cited to the Speaker or chair to bar personal attacks from other members that are deemed unparliamentary. There is no definition of what words are considered to be violative of the rule.
However, Lee was attempting to use this against a witness who was defending herself against her own personal attack. It is a dangerous extension. Members of Congress generally are protected under the “speech or debate” clause in Article I, Section 6, of the Constitution. The privilege protects legislative proceedings and generally does not apply to news releases, speeches and other public comments. This was the holding in Hutchinson v. Proxmire, when Sen. Proxmire was found to be acting outside of the clause in making media comments regarding his golden fleece award.
Members often knowingly make defamatory comments in congressional debates, but then decline to repeat those same words in public to avoid any legal accountability. I faced that tactic in representing Dr. Eric Foretich in the Elizabeth Morgan controversy. Members would make false and defamatory claims about my client on the floor, but would carefully avoid repeating those claims in interviews. My challenge to the Elizabeth Morgan Act took years before it was struck down as an unconstitutional Bill of Attainder. However, we could not bring a defamation action due to members using the Speech and Debate Clause as a shield.
That would create a nightmarish combination if members are protected from actions in defaming witnesses but then can censor them when they defend themselves.
The fact that Lee’s immediate response was to censor a person who she had just attacked is telling. After labeling Gaines a hateful bigot, Lee did not believe that she should be allowed to denounce Lee’s own comments as an attack on women.
It shows the slippery slope of censorship. Democrats have embraced an anti-free speech agenda to silence opposing viewpoints. That desire becomes insatiable even as citizens seek to rebut personal attacks from members in a congressional hearing.
Today, things that were taken for granted in the discourse of civilized debate have reached the point that the undeclared predicates of debate are being challenged. We have an appointee to the SCOTUS being asked a question that until very recently would be considered an absurdity but because of an insane so called WOKE political climate became a necessity. “Can you define what is a woman?” Her response gave no comfort that she had any business being a nominee.
When a small child could deliver a simple empirical response to such a question, she appealed to her academic inadequacy (no biology degree) as a disqualifier for answering the question.
This leaves the observer with only two conclusions: 1. She is pleading immunity from the normal familial and social development of a child in regards to the undeniable reality of two distinct genders in the human race. Or 2. She is establishing her political position as a justice to be unencumbered by reality, as a decision making factor on the court.
Lee verses Gaines is, Insanity verses Sanity, It’s Irrationality verses Reason. It is Deception verses Truth, It is justice denied in the face of overwhelming facts. This accepted denial of reality if continued will destroy us just like a cancer.
You cut out cancer you don’t embrace it.
You are on target with your article, Dr. TURLEY. The Left is waging a full war on 1A rights, all of them, speech, press and religion. It’s quite disconcerting. I spent 30 years of my life in uniform, received injuries in Iraq, was away in Germany when my father got hurt and died, missed all of my daughters’ big moments, defending the liberties of others. Now that I’m retired, I see the war has come to our shores. This fight to maintain our rights under the Bill of Rights is worth fighting and dying for.
Lee is a perfect example of what has gone wrong with our whole system of government. Here you have a woman, sworn to protect and defend the Constitution, and she hasn’t the slightest clue about her role in that obligation. She believes that she got E-lected to Congress and now gets to do what the hell ever she wants. This is ass-backward and should be a disqualifier regarding here serving in Congress. It is my opinion that anyone who serves the people by working in government must be required to have extensive education in the Constitution. I don’t mean the opinions of the Constitution given by various actors, both nefarious and trustworthy, but actual reading and study of the Constitution, what it actually says, the underlying philosophy and its context in history and culture. Every policeman SHOULD be a walking Constitutional scholar. Then, they would have the intellectual capacity to understand that much of what they do is wrong. That’s just one example. I’m sure the reader can conjure many more.
Well, here’s some free speech for the all the morons that sucked down all the lies and screamed them at me.
Time for your booster shot geniuses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLxnhFuUlnQ
ROFL – I dare you morons, watch the video.
You’ve made your 20 to 1 murder ratio, satisfied yet ?
Nope. War isn’t about ratios. Battling terrorism isn’t about ratios. Come out of hiding and fight like men and there’d be a lot fewer casualties.
We sent you wimps hundreds of JDams put to immediate use. Don’t pretend you fight like men, you fight like cowards, far away, hidden, doing your drugs and telling your lies.
Honestly, have you ever made any sense?
All they had to do was come into Israel 40K strong on Oct 7th and no Jdams would have been used. Pussies. Hiding amongst the people they supposedly care about. Pussies.
The point was abduction and a prisoner exchange, which bibi swore would never happen but he has already caved to it.
I doubt you’re too stupid to have realized that day one, but then the estrogen talks a lot in your head.
So these morons just thought they’d conduct a little abduction and prisoner exchange, eh? Man, you need to get on over there, they could use your leadership. You must be a brilliant strategist. I mean, who could have seen this coming, it was just supposed to be a prisoner exchange.
As if you hadnt done enough already to win the most ridiculous poster ever award.
Another pointless spew and then an attack. Goodnight loser.
“Well, here’s some free speech for the all the morons “
This was the very first line of your original post.
Got irony? Lack of self awareness is a lefty trait. Good night, rabid dog.
“Another pointless spew ”
Hamas will now be wiped out, and that is not pointless. It is a blessing for the rest of the world, including most of the Arab world that doesn’t want them. They were thrown out of Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan.
Hopefully, the rest of the job can be done with less civilian casualties. That means that Hamas cannot hide behind women and children, getting them killed in the process. You like when Hamas kills women and children because you can claim your false innocence.
Let’s also not forget on raid day the israeli cowards panicked and mowed down their own people, hours late of course, they had to work up enough of a drug induced stupor to show up – and when they did they just fired relentlessly into their own kibbutz and buildings and homes whenever they feared opposition forces might be present.
So now the day of death toll is down to 900 from all lies, and at least half of those are israeli military forces, so out of the 450 civilians dead, I suspect israel itself mowed down most of those in their panicked late arrival – as their own armed forces have now had to admit.
So what we have had for lies directly from you tards and the israeli propagandists meaning Bibi himself on down, is worse than the snake island 13 of ukraine and the ghost of kiev –
I’m very proud to say I didn’t fall for it at all, not once.
I await the dozen apologies I’m owed here.
Listen to yourself. You can’t even get your lies straight. First, half the people killed were soldiers. Then, the soldiers all showed up late. LMAO at your stupidity. Are you Gigi in drag?
Are you literally retarded ?
They did show up late, and they died a lot. They mowed down their own civilians, and no doubt some of their own soldiers, the others were beaten by hamas military. You know, you’re a loser. Dead loser.
late
dead
israeli
soldier
loser
So you had to beg for USA arms. No standing on your own against the poor in the concentration camp. LOL
NOW you can mow down all the gazans and not die much while retreating a lot, when your cowardice is covered by BFG American might.
Why do you keep addressing me as “you”, as if i am an Israeli?
Are you a rabid f*cking dog? You sound like one, barking and snarling and making no sense. Just spewing whatever fantasy comes to mind. Next you’ll be claiming there were no Hamas in Israel Oct 7, that they did ALL of it themselves. Why stop with half, numbnuts? Go all in or STFU. It was a false flag operation. We all know it. It was an estrogen fed false flag operation. Come on. Say it rabid boy. Hamas invited a few Jews into Gaza and they are staying there as guests in protests of the hamas innocents that israel holds.
Delusional twat.
There we have the total meltdown and the further lies.
You lose, loser.
If you look up the definition of a Moron you will see a picture of yourself and when you look up Jimmy you will see a comedian.
Nice, a Nazi linking to a BLM Commie Idiot in support of terrorists.
So Haaretz and Dore are definitive on the question of Hamas atrocities? What does al Jazeera say? October 7th didn’t happen? Are we relieved?
Ever heard the term confirmation bias?
Hamas attacked Israel. Hamas must be ended.
Fire with fire. Love it.
What did I see. The first line…”The terrorists who invaded Israel committed crimes against humanity and murdered masses”
Anything after that…waste of breath.
What a dork…”WAIT, WAIT, the atrocities weren’t THAT bad!!” They just returned babies that were taken hostage fool. Was that made up too?
There was a total of 1 baby killed in the raid.
Here we were of course treated to the 40 babies beheaded lies over and over and over again.
Now you will pretend none of you said, and demanded it be denounced.
Of course I never denounced anything, because I KNEW YOU WERE ALL LIARS AND IDIOTS FULL OF ESTROGEN UNABLE TO SEE STRAIGHT.
Never jabbed never tested, but you once, again, got bested. Not by me I saw you see while you screamed out widlly.
There once was a tool named Shakdi
Killing semites is what makes him feel happy
He watches fake news
Laughs over dead Jews
But when Arabs get killed he feels crappy
There ya go, now we’re both clever little punks, aren’t we?
I’m just pointing out all your lies that have been discovered so far, and of course instead of admitting it like a man, you attack and scream more lies as insults.
I’m not a punk and haven’t been, but I don’t mind insults so long as you have some points or data, which you don’t. Just admit it son, bib boy lied a lot and so did you fools by extension and biden, and now you’re busted, and like the demoncrats you can’t own up. I immediately pointed out the incubator babies lies in the iraq kuwait war drama when the 40 beheaded farce was spewed forth.
Some people learn, others are idiots forever. That’s your category, huh ?
I’m not surprised but it is disappointing so many here are swayed by lies so long as they fit their side of the aisle. Then they stick to them when they know better. You do know better, don’t you ?
A snippet of one part of a response based on films.
“1 Hamas terrorist used an Israeli woman’s cellphone to call his parents “Father I am in…I just killed 10 jews, their blood is in my hands, thank god, tell mom, your son is killing jews.” The man (dad) and woman (mom) he is talking to just yell & reply “kill, kill, kill.”
Shakdhi can say what he wishes and demonstrate what a blood thirsty A$$ he is, but a lot of the horror is on film that can be seen. In the meantime Israel has changed the sector of operations and is using a new tactic of moving people locally from the area of fighting. No other army in the world announces where they will attack so that civilians can get out of the way.
https://twitter.com/SpencerGuard/status/1731761693737308427
The death count is beyond 16,000, so there were many no announcements and many murders of civilians, far more than murders of opposing army.
You are a screwball. The IDF has tried to save as many non-combatant lives as possible while Hamas is killing them by using them as shields and not permitting them to get to safety. You have no proof of the number, and neither does anyone else, but we have the videos of Hamas barbarity, including chopping heads off.
Everyone reading you knows you play the part of a fool.
More propaganda and mostly dead gazans, 20 to 1 plus so far, probably 90 % civilians.
No crybaby crap propaganda works dummy. Your side are the bloodthirtsy monsters that wipe out entire populations far beyond what is called for after you torture them for decades, openly.
There is no chance you have a leg or any point to stand on. Stop your stupidity and supporting massacres of populations because you say they are evil. You’d better hope the region doesn’t erupt on your a$$es because this ain’t the 60’s or the 70’s anymore.
Time to go home. Long past.
“You’d better hope the region doesn’t erupt on your a$$es because this ain’t the 60’s or the 70’s anymore.”
Says the idiot who was just whining about Jdams. You dont think we have enough missiles to get the job done? Moabs? Tomahawks. 2000 lb bombs and B52s. Precision guided weapons.
Patriots and thaad. You’re right, its definitely not the 60s and 70s anymore.
All the hostages taken to gaza reported excellent treatment, unlike all tortured political prisoners released from israel – another shame for the liars in the game.
BTW – NO BABIES WERE RETURNED, THEY WERE ALL BEHEADED AND BURNED, REMEMBER YOU SCREAMING IT FROM THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS ?
I do.
YOU FOOL.
“All the hostages taken to gaza reported excellent treatment”
LMAO
You really should say this sh!t out loud before you post it.
Do you see anything wrong with that statement?
Here let me help you, with a little hint, mr oxy-MORON
“All the hostages taken to gaza reported excellent treatment”
Excellent treatment is leaving them in their f*cking homes, you twat.
No, excellent treatment is demanding they all leave then carpet bombing the entire place, going in shooting any movement on sight, and saying “Well, we tode you to be weavin’ before we took merikkka bombs and wiped everybing out, but you didn’t abandon everything so we could steal it, not we gots rubble and fear, but yourz all dad or gone, so WE ARE KEEPING IT. from the river tothe sea ~!
roflmao you idiot !
No, excellent treatment is leaving them in their f*cking homes, you twat.
Make the bed, and whine when you have to lie in it. Its been the Arab and Persian way for thousands of years. Yea, i said Arab because u f*cks were pulling this sh!t before Islam.
For the longest time I thought there existed less than 5 paid DNC trolls on here. In time I saw a reoccurring writer’s voice with the usual suspects: Fishwings, bug, YNOT, Justice Holmes, and Peter Shill (aka Svelaz / Wally / Bob / Natacha / Gigi / Enoch Poor / Tom Nash / Anonymous factorial, etc). I was wrong. There is only 1. The recent napalm explosion on this forum, escalated disgracefully by Tom / Jimmy, has revealed sloppiness by the Media Matters paid troll, David Brock’s successor, Angelo Carusone. The comments of late by Carusone on here, reveal a desperation that tie together his many sockpuppets into one identity.
Carusone’s Media Matters is being sued by Elon Musk for ….
Musk’s X Corp filed a federal lawsuit in Texas against Media Matters of America last week, charging the liberal censorship group with contract interference, business disparagement, and interference with prospective economic advantage.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/fairness-justice/why-elon-musk-is-right-to-take-on-media-matters
Professor Turley is the leading academic constitutional lawyer in the nation who is critical of Hillary and now Biden. Given Carusone’s legal battle with Twitter, it follows he is also creating chaos on Res ipsa loquitur as well, to take down both Elon Musk and Turley.
Carusone’s verbiage on his twitter account @GoAngelo, reads just like the DNC troll on this forum. His one goal as I have stated time after time was to take control of the topics in the comment boxes by any means necessary, just like Media Matters does elsewhere on the internet. I know how Marxists work better than most having experienced it firsthand. Their’s is a fanaticism that rivals anything else. It is important to recognize Marxism, and be wise to their tactics, namely Psy-ops.
Most of us visit this website for Professor Turley’s articles. The comments were always secondary and fun and games. Now they are inconsequential at least to me. Turley’s articles however are more important than ever.
Fin
I’ll try to address this politely, because I sense a turning point here. You may not care for my methods, but my goal was always to drive out this perverse commenter or at least convince him to change his ways. I don’t know how much truth there is to what you are saying, nor do I much care. If it’s all one guy, so be it, and all the better.
But if the goal is simply organized discussion for the sake of entertainment (we know that no minds are being changed here), then people like EB must be kept in line. His antics began the degradation and only his rehabilitation will improve the condition. He seems to think you want to rule the world lol. I sincerely hope not, because more often than not, you bore me to tears LOL.
Wow Professor, this comment section has become an open sewer since I last posted here. I think I will go back to the New York Post & WSJ. This should get cleaned up.
BYE
So now what? You mean that holding someone’s hands behind their back while you punch their face is not Marquis of Queensbury? We must include the lowbrow in public debate because they are taxed just like everyone else. Isn’t that right Ms Lee?
Turley, have you read the comments from the Trump cult that you feed? Maybe you should, only then would you understand “the age of rage”
name calling will get you nowhere here, you little kunt.
The “age of taking the shaft with a smile” is over sweetheart, understand that?
Typical coward. push and push and push and when the push back comes, you cry like a baby.
PS: You knew this would happen, that is the point of all your antics. You’d better hope there are enough stupid, anti-depressant addled white suburbanites to get your votes or overlook your cheating, again. Because when the truth surfaces, and it will, there should be hell to pay – better gather your coins and hide now, baby.
What an embarrassing Clown voters in Texas elected to send to the congress in the form of Ms. Lee. There had to be someone more intelligent than that lady.
Too many American residents have no idea what it means to be a Civil Libertarian. All people who considered themselves honest intellectuals were Civil Libertarians. Now we have many Fish Wings who have only ever known, “My side, right or wrong”. That is why we may not be able to preserve the republic. They would pee in a Ming vase.