Friday, June 10, 2005

 

This Is NOT What Democracy Looks Like!

Watch as GOPolitburo thug James Sensenbrenner (Fsc-WI) purports to gavel to a close a hearing of the Judiciary Committee today, on the subject of . . . wait for it . . . whether to reauthorize the PATRIOT Act, a hideous mishmash of authoritarian paranoia containing several new goodies that would have made Torquemada blush.

When the testimony doesn't go to his liking, he decides he (and the Congress for which he slams the door) has heard enough, and walks out. As do all the other Fasci-uh, Republicans present.

Then something interesting happens. The Democrats stay, and apologize to the witnesses who showed up on short notice at 8:30 a.m. to testify, only to be cut off, repeatedly, midsentence by the rude, imperious Mr. Sensenbrenner.

It all seemed so reminiscent of Bill O'Reilly's meltdown on his AllSpin show, when Jeremy Glick was his invited guest. Mr. Glick's father died on 9-11, but do you think that would have bought his son any respect from Mr. Falafel? No, Bill screamed at Mr. Glick to "Shut up, shut up!" then shouted at his crew to cut off Glick's mike.

So, Republicans who pretend to be our elected representatives, just like Republicans who pretend to be independent journalists, clearly don't "do" free speech and democracy. Worse, they don't seem to know the first thing about how free speech and democracy work, or if they know, they don't care if we keep them or lose them.

Keep this in mind when you're in the voting booth next November.

posted by Michael 8:21 PM