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Title: Sen. Paul holds floor for hours in filibuster of CIA nominee, over drone concerns
Source:
Fox News
URL Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201 ... a-nominee-over-drone-concerns/
Published: Mar 6, 2013
Author: Fox News
Post Date: 2013-03-06 15:44:36 by Refinersfire
Keywords: None
Views: 576
Comments: 43
Sen. Rand Paul launched into an old-fashioned filibuster on the Senate floor Wednesday as he tried to hold up the nomination of John Brennan for CIA director over concerns about the president’s authority to kill Americans with drones. Paul, R-Ky., is one of several lawmakers – on both sides of the aisle – who has raised concerns about the legal justification for launching drone strikes against Americans overseas. But Paul took to the floor after receiving a statement from Attorney General Eric Holder that creaked open the door to the possibility of using a drone to kill an American inside the United States. “To allow one man to accuse you in secret -- you never get notified you've been accused,” Paul said on the floor. “Your notification is the buzz of propellers on the drone as it flies overhead in the seconds before you're killed. Is that what we really want from our government?” Paul said he’d be raising the same complaints under a Republican president. “No one politician should be allowed to judge the guilt, to charge an individual, to judge the guilt of an individual and to execute an individual. It goes against everything that we fundamentally believe in our country,” he said. Paul, who started speaking shortly before noon, said he will filibuster the nomination “until I can no longer speak.” This kind of filibuster is rare – typically, senators “filibuster” by refusing to grant the majority the 60 votes needed to proceed to a final vote on certain bills. Paul, though, said he wanted to raise the “alarm” about the drone issue. He spoke after receiving letters from Holder on drone authority. In one letter, Holder said the U.S. has never carried out a drone strike against one of its citizens on American soil, and called a situation where such a strike may occur "entirely hypothetical" and "unlikely to occur." However, Holder did not entirely rule out that such a scenario may occur in the future, and indicated that such a strike would be legal under the Constitution. “It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the president to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States," Holder said. Holder said "catastrophic" attacks such as the Sept. 11 attacks or the attack on Pearl Harbor are examples of circumstances where the president could conceivably feel such an action is necessary. Testifying on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Holder agreed that it would be unconstitutional to use a drone on American soil against a U.S. citizen and suspected terrorist who did not pose an imminent threat. Brennan has been a staunch supporter of the administration’s drone program. But, after members of the Senate Intelligence Committee extracted key documents on the program from the administration, the panel on Tuesday voted 12-3 to approve the nomination. Senate leaders were hoping to hold a floor vote on the nomination as early as Wednesday.
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#10. To: Refinersfire (#0)
I wonder if the little jug-eared-communist Halfrican is lying on the floor of the Oval Office kicking and screaming like the brat that he really is because he's not getting his way AND the Senate is slowly turning against him on this nomination?? Hehehehe......
We both know, he can't be happy about what Rand is doing and that it is getting out, he is doing it ;)
Sen Moran has taken the floor to give Sen Paul a much needed break
Sen Durbin took the floor to reject a Sense of Senate, that killing Americans without Due Process was Un-Constitutional, stating that while an important subject, it is one that needs to be taken up in a committee and invited Sen Paul to speak to the committee. Sen Paul expressed his sadness, that in a Sense of the Senate, the Democrat side could not join him to a truly symbolic undertaking.
Sen Cruz is reading Twitters in support of Sen Paul, giving Sen Paul a much needed break.
"The Constitution matters" - Sen Ted Cruz
"If you're in your hot tub in your backyard — just because we have the technology to see you in your hot tub, does mean we can watch you? ... That's something which has really been abused, and we need to fight growth of the surveillance state ... 'Do we want to live in a police state?' is basically what the question is." — Senator Rand Paul, who is currently filibustering until the President will disavow assassinating Americans on U.S. soil. Note: This quote was transcribed live and may not be 100% accurate. - Young Americans for Liberty
Senator Paul is reading from this article www.theatlantic.com/polit...nipulative-letter/273749/
Sen. Rand Paul is reading from this article: www.wired.com/dangerroom/.../holder-targeted-killing/
Sen Lee has taken the floor to asks a cpl questions of Sen Paul, to give him a brief relief...
"If you give up your rights now, don't expect to get them back." "I cannot sit at my desk quietly and let the president say that he will kill Americans on American soil who are not actively attacking a country." "Do we not get the opportunity to explain ourselves in a court of law before we get a hellfire missile dropped on our heads?" "To those who would say it's a battlefield: to hell it's a battlefield. This is our country." "Bush started this, Obama is expanding this. The irony is that Obama ran as the anti-Bush candidate." Quotes of Sen. Rand Paul
Sen John Barrasso has taken to the floor..
Sen Cruz is now reading tweets from members of both parties standing with Rand :)
Words fail me as I am listening to Senator Cruz of Texas, he reminds me how Great America was and will be again.
From Reddit.com This is an inspired speech. I hope Americans are watching this.~ Now, other Senators are taking turns making comments, still with Paul "holding" the floor. So far all Republicans... come on Democrats, it's your turn to provide support. This should be a bipartisan issue.~ This has been going on since 11:47 AM, a senator almost has a full day of work in....we're making progress people~ No matter where you stand in politics, this is something we can all agree on. No Democrat, nor Republican, president/government should EVER be allowed to kill American citizens on U.S. soil. They need to remember that they work for US. It is WE THE PEOPLE, not we the government.~ I don't agree with Rand Paul on a lot of issues. But xxx damnit, I am almost getting choked up at the idea of a guy standing on principle like this.~ Where are all the liberal hypocrites who would be screaming if Ashcroft was saying what Holder is saying? What if it was Bush/Cheney killing Americans with drones? Goddammit! You SHOULD be standing with him.~ Perplexing that Rand Paul has to go through this to ask a Nobel Peace Prize winner whether or not he agrees with killing U.S. citizens on U.S. soil with drones and without due process is acceptable in America. It's a simple YES or NO question... If you don't see this as telling then I don't know how hot the water needs to be turned up before you "ribbit" like the frogs we're being made out to be. Sickening really.~
garthkirkwoodpoetry.tumbl...760023930/stand-with-rand STAND WITH RAND Comes from Kentucky does this Paul Revere, Holding the Senate floor nearly alone To tell this President our laws are dear To us, and we say “NO, NO, NO” to drones, Which threaten Americans inspiring fear. Recall, the White House is only on loan To President Obama who sneers, leers At taxpayers, who pay for him. Let’s phone, E-mail, tweet our Congress: “It’s crystal clear, Clip back his wings, for your impotence atone.”
Sen. Thune is now speaking on the floor...
Sen. McConnell has taken the floor..
Sen. Pat Toomey has taken the Floor... Way to go Pat!
Sen. Durbin is back.. what an azz..
Sen. Johnson has taken the floor..
The RNC Chair has backed Senator Rand Paul and asked all GOP Senators to help extend his filibuster! As Jack Hunter put it: "I'd like to note that Sen. Paul is making an unadulterated defense of civil liberties, using language fitting of most libertarians or progressives, and is being backed up tonight by some of the most conservative Republicans in the Senate and House. I've argued since 2007 that Ron Paul stood for a more traditional and true conservatism. His son is incrementally seeing this truth to fruition. Five years in the making, the revolution continues."
Rep. Tim Scott has taken the Floor...
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Sen. Jeff Flake has taken the floor..
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#12. To: X-15 (#10)
I wonder if the little jug-eared-communist Halfrican is lying on the floor of the Oval Office kicking and screaming like the brat that he really is because he's not getting his way AND the Senate is slowly turning against him on this nomination?? Hehehehe......
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