Sen. Lindsey Graham appeared to confirm this week one of the greatest fears for civil libertarians in the aftermath of the burning of the Qu’ran (Koran) by Rev. Terry Jones. With Muslims murdering innocent people as a protest to the book burning, Senator Graham has called for Congress to go hold people accountable for such acts. The message is clear and predictable: if someone’s exercise of free speech has caused problems, limit the free speech.
Continue reading “Graham: “Free speech is a great idea, but we’re in a war.””
Category: Congress
Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger
It seems like everywhere you turn there is a story about the how bad the deficit is and how the government must make drastic cuts to save the economy and reduce the deficit. The Tea Party is clinging to their demands for $100 Billion in budget cuts or they say they will shut down the government. “Rep. Mike Pence (R) of Indiana, a tea party favorite in Congress, urged taking a hard-line on budget cuts – and if that meant a shutdown, then so be it. “If liberals in the Senate would rather play political games and shut down the government instead of making a small down payment on fiscal discipline and reform, I say, shut it down,” Congressman Pence said, eliciting a chant of “Cut or shut! Cut or shut!” from the crowd. Republicans worried about blame for a shutdown might not be so happy with Pence for that.” Christian Science Monitor Continue reading “Tea Party Versus the Middle Class”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
John O. Brennan is Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, and Assistant to the President. In remarks made at the Brennan Center for Justice, NYU School of Law, Brennan presented a forceful public call for the closure of the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center and the use of the federal courts to try some of the detainees there. Key word: some.
Continue reading “Brennan Slams Congress for Encroaching on Obama’s Authority”
President Obama has continued his attack on basic constitutional and legal principles with an astonishing new order that allows investigators to not only hold domestic terror suspects for longer periods but to deny them Miranda rights under a strained interpretation of the public safety exception. Obama had attempted to get this change from Congress but was rebuffed. He has now again adopted a tactic of his predecessor and acted unilaterally to trump recognized constitutional rights.
Continue reading “Obama Orders Limits on Miranda Rights For Domestic Suspects”
Submitted By Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger
I know what you may be thinking. What is that crazy title all about? It wasn’t discussed much in the Corporate Mass Media, but this past week was dubbed, Sunshine Week. Sunshine Week was supposed to celebrate “open Government practices”. I for one, wasn’t convinced that our government had any “open” practices. The Freedom of Information Act was passed in 1966 and it was designed to allow individuals the right to find out exactly what government was doing on our behalf. The Act has been amended on several occasions and it has aged with mixed results. Continue reading “Just How Sunny is Sunshine Week?”
At a time when the American people overwhelmingly oppose our continued military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, President Obama has responded by committing the United States to another war. Today, the U.S. attacked Libyan forces with over a hundred cruise missiles hitting the capitol and surrounding areas. With the two wars already draining the United States of billions a day, these cruise missile attacks alone will cost hundreds of millions in both the equipment and commitment of forces.
Continue reading “Missiles Away! Obama Commits U.S. To Third Military Campaign”
Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw) Guest Blogger
Over the past few weeks and months, we have read repeatedly about how politicians are upset that the government is doing nothing about jobs. We hear it from the Right and we hear it from the Left, but the unemployment rate is still around 9.0% with many out of work Americans no longer looking for work. With this background, I was incensed when I read about a Minnesota legislative proposal to bar citizens on public aid from having more than $20.00 cash in their pocket at any time! Continue reading “Is This The America That We Want?”
The Obama Administration has again yielded to a powerful lobby over objections from citizen groups. We have been following the increasing draconian and excessive copyright claims made in the United States. Now, President Obama wants to make it a crime — a change long sought by the Chamber of Commerce and so-called “copyright hawks.”
Continue reading “Obama Yields To “Copyright Hawks” and Lobbyists To Seek Criminalization of Copyright Violations”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
The Republican-controlled House Energy and Commerce Committee is paying off a debt. The debt is financial and campaign support from some of the nation’s worst polluters. The payoff is the “Energy Tax Prevention Act“, which, with an audacity that only Republicans seem to pull off, simply and blatantly redefines what constitutes an “air pollutant.”
Here is today’s column in the Los Angeles Times (Sunday) on the recent remarks from Justice Clarence following criticism for his disclosure violations and alleged conflicts of interest.
Continue reading “Justice Thomas’ Dangerous Conceit”
Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger
With the constant news reports highlighting the economic woes of the State and Federal governments and the important battle in Wisconsin and other states over the claim that workers need to sacrifice a little more to help out their state governments, it is interesting to learn just how much big corporations pay in Federal Taxes. Would it surprise you if I told you that many of our largest corporations pay zero Federal taxes? Continue reading “Big Corporations and Federal Taxes”
Some of us have raised objections for the last two years on President Obama’s conflicting positions on gay rights. Now, White House Spokesman Jay Carney was able to nail down concretely the President’s position on gay marriage: he is still “grappling” with it.
Continue reading “Grappling . . . Grappling . . . I’ll Let You Know: Obama Remains Undecided on Gay Marriage”
For two years, some of us have been criticizing President Obama for his Administration’s opposition to same-sex marriage and the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy in federal courts. The Justice Department has now announced that it has decided to reverse its position and refuse to further defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Continue reading “Obama Administration Refuses To Defend The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)”
We have been discussing the failure of President Obama and both parties to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while our cities and states continue to sell off property and shutdown vital programs due to a lack of money (here and here and here and here and here). Rep. Ron Paul again showed his mettle this month and again called for an end to the Afghan war. In legislation proposed with Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina, Paul sought to withdraw funding for the war at a savings of more than $116 billion a year by ending the war in Afghanistan.
Continue reading “House Overwhelmingly Rejects Ron Paul’s Effort To End Afghan War and To Save $116 Billion Annually”
Submitted By Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw) Guest Blogger
Professor Turley has recently discussed the ethical problems raised by Supreme Court Justices Scalia and Thomas by their attendance and participation in fund raisers for conservative groups. In addition, Justice Thomas’ wife has also come under criticism for working for a lobbying group that benefitted from the Citizen United decision. With all of the potential conflicts of interest that these Supreme Court Justices are involved in, it looks like someone is finally attempting to rein in the Justices and make them subject to the Judicial Conference’s Code of Conduct which all other Federal Judges have to adhere to. Continue reading “Ethics and The Supreme Court”