Al Gore is coming on now. c-span1

Hurray!

(I don't have cable)

Watching now . . .

GIVE 'EM HELL, AL.

:bounce:

I'm streaming c-span now. ANd its Bob Barr!

www.cspan.org

the first C SPAN option, not #2 or #3

Coming now...daughter playing xbox on tv...panic...must stream!...and release

It's been two minutes waiting. No one is at mike.

RTSP

PC Users
1. Click on the Start menu button on the Windows' Taskbar.
2. Go to Programs, then Real, followed by RealPlayer.
3. Once the player launches, click on Tools.
4. Select Preferences.
5. Select the Content category.
6. Under Media Types, click the Advanced button on the right.
7. Scroll down on the list of media types, to the listing: Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP).
8. Click on the check box to enable the RTSP media type for your video player.

But the DUers will keep you well informed!

:-)

Did he get whacked by Cheney?

Very strange. The crowd is threatening to take over. :-)

I believe that Barr was supposed to speak via a remote TV connection of some sort. Strange.

Here's AL!

We've got it going at http://www.hoffmania.com. No registration hassles - just hop on and join us.

:hi:

I couldn't understand the shouts.

Was one of the things said. I was there in person, and most of the other comments were too far away from me to hear. But it was just after someone yelled "Impeach Bush" that someone stepped up on stage to introduce Gore: I guess the leaders of the sponsors didn't want things to get out of hand. Also, someone made about 1000 copies of 8-1/2 x 11 signs that read "Impeach Bush and Cheney" that were handed around.

It was an incredible event.

How wonderful for you! :woohoo:

I am not one for envy, but I am so envious, I wish I could make the claim that I was there.

Wow, just wow.

Geez...

Peace.

they said Barr's "connection" is not working.

Gosh, guess who could've sabotaged that? I can't imagine.

Ahhh, the wonders of technology.

It's making this substitute guy quite nervous.

n/t

Undoubtedly an act of SABOTAGE!

:tinfoilhat:

which seems to have come as a complete surprise to everyone.

And it didn't work.

Then, apparently, it wasn't.

And his Dick-to-Bush transmitter created interference.

with the live video feed, mentions that Sen. DiFI is in the audience.

It is imperative that respect for the rule of law be restored to our country.

Put aside partisan differences...demand that our Constitution be defended and preserved.

Woo hoo!!!!!!!! Go AL GO!

:bounce:

Al sounds, and looks great.

was pres

what we know is that Pres. Bush has been breaking the law, repeatedly and consistantly... A Prez. who breaks the law is a threat to our country....Founding Fathers made sure that we ruled through law....the Pres. who ignores congress and judiciary is a threat to our nation.....WOW! Quoting James Madison: The accumulation of all powers, whether of one, a few, or many...may be justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny

Tom Payne: The law is king.

Our democracy is strengthened when we follow the law. The people determine our course, not executive officicals operating in secret without the constraint of the rule of law.

OPenness, truthfulness, accountability keeps our nation from making mistakes. For example, Gulf of Tonkin Resolution based on false information. IWR also based on false information. USA would have been better off knowing the truth--following the rule of law makes us safer.

I'll try and type the important parts as I can....

Lawlessness grows....greater the executive grows....harder for Congress/Judges to do their roles....harder for them to police Executive when they keep things secret....

AG Gonzales said kind of surveillance does require court order. FISA doesn't authorize what NSA has been doing, and no one is saying it does. Admin claims surveillance implicity implied via 911 terror law-but it doesn't hold water because:

Admin knew NSA surveillance wasn't legal, and talked with some members of congress about changing law. When they found out law wouldn't be changed, they went to implict argument.

Congress refused in 911 law to allow domestic spying, and Congressmen said so on the floor during debate.

When Bush failed to get this power, he secretly assumed the power anyway as if congressional authorization was a useless bother......this disrespects Congress and the division of authority.

At the brink of a dangerous breech....disrespect a part of a larger pattern of disregard to Constitution which is deeply troubling.

Example: Pres. says he has inherent power to seize any American citizen with no right to talk to a lawyer and imprison them indefinately without arrest, without informing families, etc. NO SUCH RIGHT EXISTS IN THE AMERICA WE KNOW.

Also Pres. says ok to mistreat prisoners-widespread documented incidents of torture. Over 100 have died...In Abu Graib investigation says 90% were innocent. Violate Geneva, international conventions, and our own laws against torture.

Pres. says has authority to kidnap people in foreign cities and to send them to other countries for torture.


>Is Al going to call for impeachment?<

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Text_of_Gore_speech_0116.html

OR http://www.algore-08.com/

Here's more from the speech

Does a Pres. have these powers-eavesdrop, torture, imprison, etc? If so, are there any acts that can be prohibited?

Our normal safeguards have failed to contain executive power is deeply troubling. Failure due in part by Exe. who dissembles, obfuscates, etc.

For example, after appearing to support anti torture legislation, Bush said he reserved right not to comply. Padilla case mentioned.

Constitution at great risk. Stakes for our democracy higher. These claims of new executive power must be rejected and balance of power restored.

Now going into the history of checks and balances, and how important they are.

The principal opponant of democracy is concentration of power in one man or group who ignore the rule of law. Lincoln recognized democracy was a rare thing that needed to be preserved.

History shows other times when executive has overstepped the line-Adams' Alian and Sedition Acts-but they were redressed and balance restored. Lincoln suspended habeas corpus-Wilson's Palmer raids, Japanese internments-in each case, when conflict and turmoil susided, regained its equalibrium. But there are reason for concern this time around-we might not be able to get back to the balance we need.

We are told by Bushco that war footing will last the rest of our lives. Reasons for keeping this illegal power will last forever....

Need to be aware of sophistication of eavesdropping/data mining...significant vulnerability of privacy of innocent individuals-shifting balance of power to the state and away from people.

Terror strike threat is real. But pres. can take unilateral action when a real and present threat is there. But it cannot be used to jsutify a gross and excessive power grab resulting in a gross imalance of power between the branches of government.

This administration came to power in the thrall of a legal theory that unitary executive (unilateral is a better term) is ok. Under this theory , pres. actions as commander in chief or in foreign policy cannot be reveiewed by other two branches. He uses these as an excuse to get more power.

Effort to rework Constitution to a lopsided powerful executive with a subservient judiciary and congress. And foreign policy is no longer based on moral authority but on brute power and intimidation and control. Silence / censoring opposing ideas. Demand conformity among all executive branch authority. CIA analysts who didn't think Saddam was linked to 911 were pressured with no promotions, etc.

FBI under Hoover also were pressured to conform. In exactly the same way, the CIA endorsed a false view of Al Qaeda and Saddam to keep their jobs.

Quoting Orwell about this now....

Sooner or later a false belief bumps up against solid reality, usually on a battlefield. 2200 soldiers have lost their lives....when power is unchecked and unaccountable, it leads to abuse and mistakes and incompetance, dishonesty is encouraged and rewarded.

Last week, Cheney tried to defend eavesdropping by saying if they had conducted program before 911, we'd have the hijackers. But we did have this information, but because of incompetance in the handling of this information, it was never used to protect Americans. An Executive branch responds to its mistakes by asking for more power.

If the pattern of practice of unchecked power is not challenged, it will become a perminant part of our system--and the next president might not agree with system/values/

Instinct to expand power and establish dominance has been seen in courts and congress. Bush has tried to thwart judiciary by keeping cases out of their hands, by appointing judges who agree with unitary presidency. FISA was bypassed. Judicial appointments-Judge Alito supporter of unitary executive. Whether you support his confirmation or not, we must all agree he will not vote as an effective check on executive power, nor will Roberts. Threat by majority of senate to stop filibuster-legislation to restrict what courts may rule upon. Bush has shown contempt for judiciary and has sought to evade...

Worst damage is to legislative branch. The decline of congress is as shocking as the rise of the executive. Oversight in congress is now almost unknown. Appropriation bills not passed as bills but as a single giant measure that members can't read. Minority parties shut out of conference committees, etc. Too few incumbants have real challenges, and the whole money process is controlled by Bush so they don't want to do anything to him. Bush has co opted congress's role, with congress being a willing accomplice....look at the eavesdropping...Bush says he talked with Congress....he talked to two.....they weren't given the fact....Dems as well as repukes should share blame for not doing anything about this. Many did, but in congress as a whole the enhanced role of money and reduced reason and debate has opened corruption.

Abramoff scandal just the tip of the iceberg. Pitiful state of congress main reason Bush has so much power.

Call upon Congress to act independent and coequal branch and live up to your oath to protect the Constitution...crowd going wild!

There's another player whose role must be examined to understand the dangerous imbalance--we the people are still the key to democracy's survival. We must examine our own role in allowing this to happen (DUers have been standing up for the Constitution, Al!)-

It was the people in the states that refused to ratify the Constitution until the Bill of Rights was added.

Concern and hope---

TV-distracting and absorbing-entertaining itself rather than informing and educate. Disenthrall ourselves from TV- political ads are the main way people find out about things-constricted role of ideas has encouraged Bush that it can and should control flow of information. Power to maintain secrecy in its operations part of this.

Example: Medicare prescription-instead of debate on factual data, Bush withheld facts and blocked testimony that would have told the truth about cost estimates. Entire initiative is now collapsing across the country. Americans have been left down. Example: Scientific facts on global warming was censored by a political...one NASA scientist has been ordered by Bush not to talk to anyone in the press, must list in a book who he talks with. Example: consistantly resorting to politics of fear to short circuit debate and drive ahead its agenda without regard to consequences. Quotes Eisenhower as saying this is wrong-opens door to politics of destruction.

Is our congress in more danger now than when we were fighting the British? When the Cuban missile crisis happened? The Nazis? An insult to imply that we have more to fear than our forefathers did. We have a duty to defend life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Vital in our current circumstances that immediate steps be taken to protect our Constitution:

Bob Barr-the president has dared Americans to do something about it. For the sake of the Cosntitution, I hope they will.

A special council IMMEDIATELY appointed to investigate breaches of law (wiretapping) done by Bush...using Fitzgerald as an example.

All memebers of congress should support this-should be a political issue if anyone says we don't need special council.

2. New whistleblower protections should be in place for those in Exe. branch.

3. Both houses of Congress should hold substantial hearings.

4. New powers asked in Patriot Act should not be allowed without Congressional safeguards.

5. Any telecommunications company who provides information to Bush on domestic should stop this immediately. Freedom of internet should be kept-our democracy depends upon it.


Reasons for hope-we will reestablish our democracy by the people. I can feel it in this hall, he says. Perhaps a new spirit is rising among us....and pray that our own inner being will be sensitve to its guidance for we need a new way out of the darkness....