H4892/S3081 Enemy Belligerent Interrogation, Detention, & Prosecution Act. A Congressional Bill That Should Raise Concerns.

This legislation sets forth the parameters in which suspected unprivileged enemy belligerents can be held and interrogated. The bill allows for both U.S. Citizens and non-citizens to fall under the provisions of this legislation. Attacks or the purposeful and material support of such attacks that occur in either a domestic or foreign location against American interests, or American coalition partners, are covered by this bill. The definitions of a terrorist act, terrorist, and unprivileged enemy belligerent are also laid out.  The legislation is aimed at “high value” detainees but the definition of a “high value” detainee can be construed to cover a large swath of detainees both current and future.  Also included is a provision for the detention without trial or charges until the ceasing of hostilities in which the detainee was involved or materially supported. 

Thus this legislation relates to both domestic and foreign individuals.  If I am reading the bill right, a citizen who is accused of either committing or supporting an act of violence against the United States or its coalition partners can be held indefinitely without charges or trial.  Therefore, there is a potential conflict with current Constitutional protections and due process.  The section about purposefully and materially supporting such actions is not well spelled out and could be potentially construed to be a variety of activities, including political positions, statements, speeches, etc.  Despite this bill being pushed in increase the security of Americans, the provisions within it have the potential to be used to quash political opposition in the name of controlling/fighting domestic terrorists.  I know it sounds conspiratorial, but that possibility remains due to the legislation’s language.

Both House and Senate bills are virtually identical leaving little need for a conference committee, should they pass their respective chambers as is, so the bill has a better chance of sliding straight through with little in the way of resistance or speed bumps. This piece of legislation will be passed in the name of protecting America from terrorists. However, in my opinion, the justifiable actions to invoke the use of this legislation are a bit sketchy and left intentionally vague.  The big question is whether Obama would sign such a piece of legislation into law should it reach his desk.

US Senate climate bill to be unveiled April 26 - Looks like this could be worse than the House version

* Backers hope for Senate vote in June or July

* Measure could affect states' climate control activities (Adds reaction from American Petroleum Institute)

By Richard Cowan

WASHINGTON, April 15 (Reuters) - A long-awaited compromise bill to reduce U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for global warming will be unveiled by a group of senators on April 26, sources said on Thursday.

The legislative language to be sketched out in 11 days, according to government and environmental sources, is being drafted by Democratic Senator John Kerry, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and independent Senator Joseph Lieberman.

Backers of the environmental bill hope the unveiling will pave the way for the full Senate to debate and pass a measure in June or July if the compromise attracts enough support from a group of moderate Republicans and Democrats.

Republican Senator Judd Gregg told Reuters he was "committed to getting something that addresses our energy needs in a constructive and comprehensive way." He added he did not know yet whether he would support the bill being developed.

President Barack Obama has made climate change one of his top priorities and took steps recently to show Republicans he was serious, including expanding federal aid for building nuclear power facilities and allowing more domestic offshore oil drilling -- initiatives to be included in the Senate compromise.

The White House is also eager to show the rest of the world the United States is ready to take a leadership role on global warming, including to help kick-start stalled international efforts to tackle the problem.

Despite vocal climate change skeptics in the United States, leading scientific groups have been hoping the United States, the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases after China, would take action.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported on Thursday the world's combined land and ocean surface temperatures in March were the hottest on record.

Once the senators formally sketch out their bill, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid will decide the next steps in a year crowded with competing legislative priorities and congressional elections in November.

The bill could face stiff opposition from lawmakers in states with economies heavily dependent on oil and coal.

Lou Hayden, a policy expert at the American Petroleum Institute, said his group would not support the bill unless it went through an economic analysis by the Energy Information Administration, an independent arm of the Energy Department.

The bill is already slated to be analyzed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Congressional Budget Office, which could take more than a month.

BILL MIGHT END STATE/REGIONAL CARBON TRADE PROGRAMS

Kerry, Lieberman and Graham have been working for months on a global warming compromise significantly different from a measure passed last year by the House of Representatives and a bill approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. It also takes many elements from those bills.

Like the House-passed bill and Obama administration policy, it would set a target of 17 percent reductions in smokestack emissions of carbon dioxide by 2020, from 2005 levels.

Point Carbon, an energy markets consulting service, estimated the anticipated Senate bill would result in U.S. gasoline prices rising an average of 27 cents a gallon from 2013 to 2020. The bill is expected to contain a fee on motor fuels.

On Wednesday, a Senate source told Reuters the legislation would prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating carbon dioxide emissions. It would also end state and regional carbon-trading programs, such as the one several Northeastern states participate in, to be replaced by a national carbon reduction policy. [N14150360]

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, with 10 participating states from Vermont to Maryland, has raised over $582 million for state efficiency and climate programs, said Environment Northeast, a Boston research group.

Peter Shattuck, a carbon markets policy analyst there, said shutting the program could create concerns among the states over lost revenues.

A group of nine senators, mostly from Midwestern manufacturing states, urged Kerry, Graham and Lieberman in a letter on Thursday to take into account jobs in their states.

"Without such a plan, we are concerned that the legislation will ultimately be unsuccessful," Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown and others wrote. (Additional reporting by Timothy Gardner in Washington and Ros Krasny in Boston; Editing by Peter Cooney)

via alertnet.org

Looks like this may be worse than the House version. I better get the House version read and reported on before this abomination appears.

Posted via web from conservativedynamics's posterous

Via Gateway Pundit: GOP Official & Boyfriend Savagely Beaten In Politically Motivated Attack – Including Broken Leg, Jaw, Concussion… Media Silent

Allee Bautsch and her boyfriend Joe Brown

The governor’s office said Monday that Allee Bautsch suffered a broken leg and her boyfriend suffered a concussion and fractured nose and jaw in the alleged incident. (KSLA)

A Republican activist and her boyfriend were savagely beaten in New Orleans on Friday for wearing Sarah Palin pins.
Free Republic reported:

Allee Bautsch, chief campaign fundraiser for Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, and her boyfriend Joe Brown, were savagely beaten Friday night in New Orleans after leaving a Republican party fundraising dinner by a group of thugs who reportedly targeted the couple because they were wearing Sarah Palin pins.

Bautch’s leg was broken and Brown incurred a broken jaw and nose as well as a concussion.

The Hayride reports that a source who visited Bautsch at the hospital the day after the attack says they were told the couple was attacked for wearing Palin buttons:

Two people at the Brennan’s event have now confirmed that the protest had largely broken up by the time it ended, but we also understand from someone who visited Allee Bautsch in the hospital Saturday morning that she and Brown were followed and attacked expressly because they had Palin pins on (she heard one of the attackers say “Let’s get them, they have Palin pins on” – so the attack WAS politically motivated as its victims understood it. It was not a mugging, it was not an argument gone wrong and it was not a bar fight.

The story of a Republican and her boyfriend being viciously attacked for wearing Palin buttons has yet to make national headlines, unlike say, unfounded rumors of nasty words being said by Tea Party protesters.

Related… Anarchists took to the streets in New Orleans on Friday to protest the SRLC, marching to the Hilton Hotel, where a banner was hanging from the roof which said “We won’t pay for their crisis. Become the crisis!” —- The march then headed to Brennan’s Restaurant, where a $10,000 a plate SRLC dinner was in progress.

Later today the Governor’s office sent out this email. The authorities are still investigating the violent attack–

Friday night, the Governor’s campaign fundraiser, Allee Bautsch, and her boyfriend were involved in an altercation in the French Quarter with a group of people.

While there were protestors around at that time, we are not aware of any evidence that the individuals involved in the altercation were protestors.

Allee’s leg was badly broken in the incident, she has had surgery, and she is facing a recovery time of two to three months. Her boyfriend had a concussion, and also a fractured nose and jaw. They are both expected to fully recover.

NOPD is investigating the incident and we are refraining from further comment to allow them to fully investigate and ensure justice is done. Our prayers are with Allee. She is a strong person and we are sure she will make a speedy recovery.

Thanks,

Kyle Plotkin
Office of Governor Jindal
Press Secretary

And, here is another update on the protest that was sent to me today after I published this report:

I am the photographer for the LA GOP and I was at the Brennan fundraiser. When I left about one hour or so after all 3 of the governors left the crowd of protesters had grown. The were very nasty, signs were vulgar using the “F” word. As I left the restaurant I was yelled at – there was a family visiting the restaurant with a baby stroller – they had nothing to do with the fundraiser and they were being heckled using the “F” and “MF” words.. A couple of them made comments to me.
Thanks, Eric

UPDATE: Here is a photo of the crowd outside of Brennan’s–

photo credit: © Eric Miller

And, here is video of the protesters by Jeff Blanco at Inside Louisiana News chanting “Fight Back!”:

In their latest update- The Hayride still insists that the attack was politically motivated.

via gatewaypundit.firstthings.com

No surprise that the MSM is quiet on this. Those who were attacked are evil Republicans not loving, harmless liberal progressives. This is a perfect example of MSM hypocrisy at its grandest. The accusation of a few mean words spoken by a Tea Party protester gets hours of air time with every liberal in sight wringing their hands in desperation at these fringe radicals. However, those who support all that the left stand for attack and brutally beat two individuals solely based on pins they were wearing and not a peep. What more can be expected from the MSM. I wonder how long it will be before some of the liberal talking heads (Olberman, Maddow, Mathews, et al) will claim that these two either deserved what they got or brought it upon themselves because they were Republicans and supported Palin.

The violence that may very well start a second civil war will not come from the right. It will be the thugs and anarchists from the left that will push everything over the edge. The easiest way to get rid of dissent is to terrorize them to the point where they are too scared for their own safety to speak out.This was the same thing that happened in Germany during the 1930's and the Soviet Union from 1917 on. Hate to remind the liberals, but the Nazi's were socialist leaning (google their name if you don't believe me) not a right-winged organization. Stalin even spoke favorably of Hitler and the Nazi Party for a while. Oh, and lest we forget, many in the FDR Administration were great admirers of Hitler and the Nazis as well.

I hope those who did this barbaric act are caught and punished to the fullest extent of the law. My prayers will be with Ms. Bautsch and Mr. Brown for their full and complete recovery.

Posted via web from conservativedynamics's posterous

What Happens When You Back a Donkey With Nothing to Lose Into a Corner?

After the passage of the immensely unpopular healthcare reform bill, much has been said and written about the pounding the Democrats are going to take in November.  Democratic Congress members and Senators are retiring in never before seen numbers rather than face their angry constituents and a tough re-election battle.  Even Democratic strategists and supporters are lamenting the strong potential for the sweeping of Democrats from the majority position in Congress. 

While there is much pleasure being taken regarding this prediction by those who are opposed to the direction the Democrats are taking this country, there is one big question that remains.  What happens when you back a donkey with nothing to lose into a corner?

The Democrats in Congress have shown a propensity for willingly and arrogantly ignoring the will of the people in their push to implement their agenda come hell or high water.  They passed the so-called healthcare reform bill despite the majority of Americans rejecting it in poll after poll.  Their main argument was that Americans would learn to love it once they understood what it entailed and how they would benefit.  If the Democrats were willing to do this before it became clear there could be a major political power shift coming in November, one can only wonder what will happen now.

I have heard a considerable number of conspiracy theories over this very subject, from stolen elections through electoral fraud to the cancellation of elections after a staged terrorist event on American soil to a brown shirt-style suppression of opposition candidates.  I really think these are just wild accusations from really angry, imaginative individuals.  Could it happen?  Possibly.  But, not only would it be highly unlikely for such activities to be successful on a national level, I still have enough faith in the American people that they would not stand for such behavior.  And I honestly don’t think Democratic leaders are dumb enough, powerful enough, or deranged enough to even seriously consider attempting such a wild move.

What does worry me is what they will do with the knowledge they are likely going to lose exclusive power in November.  With many Democrats not willing to face their constituents in a bid for re-election, they have nothing to lose and no one to answer to.  Basically they are nothing more than kids in a candy store looking for the ultimate sugar high.  There is nothing to stop them from passing and implementing some of their more radical policy dreams in their push for greater central government control over the lives of the American people. Their drive to change the cultural, ideological, and philosophical landscape of this great country can proceed at full speed ahead with no speed bumps, traffic cops, or red lights to impede their progress.  Is there a legislative scorched earth strategy being put into place by Democratic leadership in an attempt to get some of their most radical policies put into law before being swept from power? Will they try to ram through Cap and Trade?  Or will it be some other, more draconian, environmental policy?  Will there be an immigration reform bill that gives amnesty, or citizenship, to all those who are currently in this country in violation of established law?  Will there be further attempts to take over the financial sectors?  Will there be a value added tax forced upon the American people in an attempt to pay for the skyrocketing federal spending spree? All of these legislative issues are currently in circulation in various congressional committees with nothing standing in the way of their passage.  Of course, there should be no illusions that if any of these bills be passed President Obama would be more than happy to sign them into law as quickly as they can get to his desk and he can grab a pen.

In the end, what happens when you back a donkey with nothing to lose into a corner?  America pays heavily with its culture, political landscape, and institutions permanently and irreversibly changed.  With the Democrats having nothing to lose and no one to answer to, anything becomes a real possibility.  What remains to be seen is how much damage will have been done once the dust has settled.

Posted via email from conservativedynamics's posterous