Nevada Libertarian Congressional Candidate Jim Duensing on the Freedom to Read:
18 Republicans, 191 Democrats, and the only Independent in Congress voted to protect our library and book store records from the prying eyes of federal agents. Before the vote, federal agents need only go to a secret court, the Foreign Intelligence Security Act Court (FISA court), and articulate that they are conducting an investigation and would really like a search warrant for the following people. The court is then obligated to issue the warrant without a showing of probable cause in obvious violation of the fourth amendment’s protection against issuing warrants without a showing of probable cause.
After the vote, the process is identical.
The Freedom to Read Amendment failed by a vote of 210 – 210. The Republican leadership held the 15 minute vote open for an additional 23 minutes, until they could twist enough arms to vote in favor of secret federal spying on reading habits.
Read the rest here, and be infuriated.
Norman Singleton, legistlative director for Representative Ron Paul (R-TX), adds his front row perspective at LewRockwell.com Blog:
The amendment was debated yesterday afternoon and at 3:41 Congress began was was supposed to be a 15-minute vote on the amendment.
However, at the end of 15 minutes, the Sanders-Paul amendment was winning. So, instead of bringing down the gavel and ending the vote, leadership “kept the vote open” while it twisted arms to get Republicans to change their votes.
Like they did during the Medicare votes, the GOP leadership ordered the C-SPAN cameras to remain fixed on a wide shot of the House, so the American people could not see the House leadership browbeat members to abandon the Fourth Amendment and their constituents’ freedom “for the good of the party.”
Score another one for big government all-in-your-business conservatism and its apologists. Ordering the cameras to look the other way was a nice touch. The cowardice of this bunch of draft-dodging (yet self-righteously pro-war), civil liberties shredding, so-called conservatives is astounding. The Bill of Rights loses – again. All Hail The Police State.
Now, show me your papers, comrade…