First session of Congress sees re-introduction of federal hate crime, anti-bullying acts

A new piece of legislation set to be re-introduced in Congress by the Democrats under the guise of anti-bullying would reprimand schoolchildren for verbal criticism of their peers in any context, including sexual orientation, religion or simply expression of an opposing idea. The bill echoes federal hate crime legislation about to be debated as Congress enters its first session tomorrow.

The Antibullying Campaign Act of 2005 was rendered obsolete after the recent expiration of Congress but Fox News radio reports that its most ardent champion, Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, is set to initiate its reintroduction.

The bill outlines a $300 million dollar federal program to target bullies who harass other kids about their sexual orientation, gender identity or religion. (more…)

With Congress back in session on January 3, the federal “hate crimes” bill could be reintroduced any time. The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith introduced the same legislation last January 6, three days after Congress convened.

This is the most dangerous legislation ever to come before Congress. It leads directly to an end of free speech. Once free speech is gone, there is little to prevent the loss of all our other freedoms. The new Democrat-controlled Congress has all the votes it needs to quickly run this Orwellian bill through committee in the House and Senate and pass it. Unless they lose their nerve, thrown back by massive protest from the American people.

Extraordinary action must be taken NOW to back down ADL and intimidate them from even introducing the hate bill in this session. (more…)

Ending the occupation will reduce violence, immediately save more than $100 billion and respect the wishes of the American people. Why is Washington, DC ignoring the obvious?

If the election results did not make the message clear, polls since the election have done so. Support for sending additional troops to Iraq is at 11% according a December 15-17 poll by CNN. The same poll found that 54% of Americans want the troops home by the end of 2007 and 67% oppose the war. Yet in the Capitol there is talk of adding new troops and almost no talk of getting out of Iraq. Representative government is failing to represent the voters.

Why is the leadership of both parties in Washington, DC failing to discuss getting out of Iraq—rapidly? They say a U.S. exit will lead to an escalation of violence, a blood bath or civil war. But the truth is we can design a rapid exit from Iraq that reduces the risk of violence. How? (more…)

When the Military Commissions Act, which among other things suspended habeas corpus for suspected terrorists, went to the Senate floor in September, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) noted, “Surely as we are standing here, if this bill is passed and habeas corpus is stricken, we’ll be back on this floor again” after the courts reject the legislation.

We may not have to wait that long. Earlier this month, we saw the first inkling that the MCA might be revisited in 2007, but it now appears almost certain that the law will be re-examined by the new Democratic Senate.

Senate Democrats plan to revisit one of the most contentious matters of 2006: deciding what legal rights must be protected for detainees held in the war on terrorism.

In September, Congress passed a bill that gave President Bush wide latitude in interrogating and detaining captured combatants. The legislation prompted more than three months of debate — exposing Republican fissures and prompting angry rebukes by Democrats of the administration’s interrogation policies. (more…)

The US Department of Justice’s (USDOJ) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) opened a review of the USDOJ’s role in the National Security Agency’s (NSA) warrantless wiretapping program on November 27, 2006, according to a letter from the OIG to US Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) obtained by Atlanta Progressive News.

APN first reported on the apparent game of “hot potato” several federal agencies appeared to be playing after the call for an investigation by Congressional Democrats in January 2006.

US Reps. Lofgren, Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), and 36 other lawmakers wrote a letter to the USDOJ’s Inspector General Glenn A. Fine in January requesting his office open an investigation into the NSA wiretapping program. Lofgren and others had requested other agencies investigate as well. (more…)

During a Sunday morning interview on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nevada, Dem) indicated that he would back a short-term surge of more US troops sent to Iraq, as reports indicate that President Bush may be contemplating such a plan.

“If the president calls for adding more troops to Baghdad, adding more troops to Iraq, will you oppose it?” Stephanopoulos asked.

Reid said that he’d “go along” with such a plan if it’s “part of a program” to get the United States out “by this time next year.”

“If it’s for a surge, that is, for two or three months and it’s part of a program to get us out of there, as indicated, by this time next year, then, sure, I’ll go along with it,” Reid said. (more…)

SAN FRANCISCO — Federal agents continue to eavesdrop on Americans’ electronic communications without warrants a year after President Bush confirmed the practice, and experts say a new Congress’ efforts to limit the program could trigger a constitutional showdown.

High-ranking Democrats set to take control of both chambers are mulling ways to curb the program Bush secretly authorized a month after the Sept. 11 attacks. The White House argues the Constitution gives the president wartime powers to eavesdrop that he wouldn’t have during times of peace.

“As a practical matter, the president can do whatever he wants as long as he has the capacity and executive branch officials to do it,” said Carl Tobias, a legal scholar at the University of Richmond in Virginia.

Lawmakers could impeach or withhold funding, or quash judicial nominations, among other measures. (more…)

Exploits fear of sexual predators and basic misunderstanding of Internet to attack blogs critical of the warmongering agenda he fronts for

Republican Senator John McCain has introduced legislation that would fine blogs up to $300,000 for offensive statements, photos and videos posted by visitors on comment boards, effectively nixing the open exchange of ideas on the Internet, providing a lethal injection for unrestrained opinion, and acting as the latest attack tool to chill freedom of speech on the world wide web.

McCain’s proposal, called the “Stop the Online Exploitation of Our Children Act,” encourages informants to shop website owners to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who then pass the information on to the relevant police authorities. (more…)

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Sen. John McCain said Thursday that America should deploy 15,000 to 30,000 more troops to Iraq to control its sectarian violence, and give moderate Iraqi politicians the stability they need to take the country in the right direction.

McCain made the remarks to reporters in Baghdad, where he and five other members of Congress were meeting with U.S. and Iraqi officials.

“The American people are disappointed and frustrated with the Iraq war, but they want us to succeed if there’s any way to do that,” McCain, a possible 2008 presidential candidate, said at a news conference at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq’s heavily fortified Green Zone.

The Arizona Republican said five to 10 more brigades of U.S. combat soldiers must be sent to Iraq. Brigades vary in size but generally include about 3,000 troops, meaning he was recommending 15,000 to 30,000 additional forces. (more…)

John McCain has made clear that he doesn’t like the blogosphere.

Now he has introduced legislation that would treat blogs like Internet service providers and hold them responsible for all activity in the comments sections and user profiles. Some highlights of the legislation:

• Commercial websites and personal blogs “would be required to report illegal images or videos posted by their users or pay fines of up to $300,000.”

• Internet service providers (ISPs) are already required to issue such reports, but under McCain’s legislation, bloggers with comment sections may face “even stiffer penalties” than ISPs.

• Social networking sites will be forced to take “effective measures” — such as deleting user profiles — to remove any website that is “associated” with a sex offender. Sites may include not only Facebook and MySpace, but also Amazon.com, which permits author profiles and personal lists, and blogs like DailyKos, which allows users to sign up for personal diaries. (more…)

At 4:10 p.m. EDT today (December 13, 2006) Neil Cavuto interrupted his “business news” show with this:

Alright. I just want to bring in this alert that’s come into our newsroom right now. U.S. Senator Tim Johnson, he’s a Democrat of South Dakota, has, we’re getting reports that he had a stroke at his office today and is being hospitalized. That’s all we know at this point. Nor do we know the 59 year old’s condition. This happened just today.
Keep in mind that the new senate takes over on January 4 and it’s right now 49 Democrats, 49 Republicans and 2 Independents, but ostensibly it will be a Democratic body.

We don’t know how the fallout from all of this or, again, the severity of Senator Johnson’s condition. We’ll keep you posted.

At 4:14 p.m. EDT Fox aired the FOX NEWS ALERT graphic and Cavuto said: (more…)

Today on Fox On Line Bill Hemmer spoke with Major Garrett, who was reporting from the hospital where Senator Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota) had undergone emergency brain surgery.

Major Garret seemed a bit peeved at the way he was being treated. Apparently he said absolutely zero information was coming out about the Senator’s health and he was barred from the George Washington University hospital Starbucks because he was a reporter. He said this was not unprecedented but it was highly unusual.

The segment then talked about Senator Harry Reid speaking and saying that he had seen the Senator and that he looked good, very good, but he wasn’t going to describe his medical condition. Major Garrett said that Republicans were giving their best wishes but were not challenging his ability to fulfill his obligations (Comment: My goodness, I hope not, he just got sick yesterday) but if his condition turns grave and he would actually die, things could change and shift the balance of the power. (more…)

John McCain has made clear that he doesn’t like the blogosphere.

Now he has introduced legislation that would treat blogs like Internet service providers and hold them responsible for all activity in the comments sections and user profiles. Some highlights of the legislation:

– Commercial websites and personal blogs “would be required to report illegal images or videos posted by their users or pay fines of up to $300,000.”

– Internet service providers (ISPs) are already required to issue such reports, but under McCain’s legislation, bloggers with comment sections may face “even stiffer penalties” than ISPs. (more…)

The incoming Democratic chairman of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee promised on Wednesday to combat what he denounced as President George W. Bush’s war-time trampling of American rights.

“We have a duty to repair real damage done to our system of government over the last few years,” Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont said in outlining his panel’s agenda for the 110th, Democratic-led Congress, which is set to convene on January 4.

“Americans’ privacy is a price the Bush administration is willing to pay for the cavalier way it is spawning new databanks. But privacy rights belong to the people, not to the government,” Leahy said.

Leahy made the comments in a speech entitled, “Ensuring Liberty and Security Through Checks and Balances,” to be delivered at the Georgetown University Law Center. (more…)

United States Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the incoming chairman of the Judiciary Committee has informed RAW STORY that he will subpoena a controversial detainee treatment memorandum if his request that the Justice Department submit it to him is not met.

Leahy indicates that the document—acknowledged to exist in November by the Justice Department after a FOIA request by the ACLU—should have been sent to him many months ago, when he asked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to provide him with all memos concerning detainee treatment.

That memo—a companion of sorts to the infamous Bybee memorandum, which broadened the range of permissible detainee questioning techniques—is said to outline actual interrogation procedures that have been approved by the Executive Branch. Many suspect that some of the procedures will be found to be forbidden by the Geneva Convention against Torture. (more…)