Randi Rhodes on Air America is reporting that, after being denied the ability to present a single witness in the hearing on the Patriot Act, Democrats invoked the rarely used Rule II to extend the hearing and call their witnesses today. Well, evidently Judiciary Committee Chair James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin so hated what he was hearing from detainees and librarians that he gavelled down witness midsentence, cut the microphones, would not recognize Democratic members calling points of order, then shut off the CSPAN lights and cameras and illegally adjourned the hearing without a vote. Another Republican member of the committee ordered the court reporter to stop typing. Democratic congress members including Sheila Jackson Lee were berated, called irresponsible. CSPAN evidently didn't know what to do, they'd never seen such a thing hapen. It will be on
http://www.therandirhodesshow.com as soon as they can get video.
This is what this country has come to under these people. It is no longer a democracy.
Oh, and after the Conyers meeting last week, Democrats have been told they may no longer use any meeting rooms for such meetings.