Calling for Treason Charges

From the "you can't be fucking serious" department...this will leave you staring at the screen in utter disbelief. Some idiot former military guy wants to bring treason charges against a sitting congressman for disagreeing with the Bush administration's foreign policy. Naturally, he gets quoted by Agape Press:

Retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Buzz Patterson, an analyst with the David Horowitz Freedom Center, says during the Civil War era President Lincoln took far more drastic measures to preserve the union than any the Bush administration has taken in the war on terror. Lincoln suspended Habeas Corpus and actually jailed or sent out of the country American congressmen who were voicing anti-American views at the time, Patterson notes. "The last time we put anybody into jail in this country for treason or sedition," he says, "was World War II. We have not prosecuted anybody for treason or sedition since then." Yet the U.S. is obviously in a war now, the defense expert contends. "We obviously have people who are crossing the line," he continues, "and I would even go as far to say Congressman Jack Murtha fits that bill, as far as I'm concerned." America will not survive as a civilization, Patterson warns, unless U.S. leaders face not only the evils of terror and Islamofascism from without but also the evils of treason and sedition from within -- evils that support the Islamofascist agenda.

Yes, someone who works at a place with the word "freedom" in the title is demanding that we imprison legislators for voicing an opinion contrary to the President's agenda. God, why can't stupidity like this be painful?

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David Horowitz Freedom Center. Nuff said. The place is chock full o nuts.

Beat me to it, Ted. "David Horowitz Freedom Center" is what many mistakenly call an oxymoron; I say it's a paradox, because an oxymoron is a rhetorical device and that implies intentionality.

"David Horowitz Freedom Center" is so self-contradictory that it ought to explode like a matter/antimatter collision.

To quote one of Bush's more infamous phrases: "Bring it on." The more publicity these idiots get now, the worse the Republicans will do in November. Fine by me.

Did I detect a smirk on your face while you were writing the words "David Horowitz Freedom Center," Ed?

How about Ann Coulter? Hasn't she crossed the treason line, too?

Lincoln suspended Habeas Corpus and actually jailed or sent out of the country American congressmen who were voicing anti-American views at the time, Patterson notes.

I assume he's talking about Clement Valladingham. If so--surprise, surprise--he's grossly simplifying history for the purposes of facile political rhetoric. Vallandigham was arrested in Ohio, and jailed, tried, and convicted by a military court. The law he violated was not a statute or a presidential order, but a military order, General Order Number 38, issued by General Burnside. In theory, Burnside had the authority to do so as commander of the military administrative district of the Department of the Ohio. We can certainly argue about the constitutionality of setting up military administrative districts within U.S. territory--I suspect that armed insurrection is the one scenario where it would be appropriate--but it's just misleading to imply that Lincoln himself was having Congressmen arrested on the steps of the Capitol for uttering opposition political speech.

All that said, call me crazy, but I see a slight difference between a legislator calling for an end to a foreign war in which the United States is embroiled and a legislator calling for an end to a civil war fought to put down an armed insurrection within the country.

By Andrew_Wyatt (not verified) on 22 Aug 2006 #permalink

The Bush Administration's concept of "freedom" is a sad example of duplicitous hypocrisy:

Bush: Expand freedom 'in all the world'
CNN, January 21, 2005
...During the first wartime inauguration ceremony in decades, Bush indirectly referred to the Iraq war, saying that "because we have acted in the great liberating tradition of this nation, tens of millions have achieved their freedom. And as hope kindles hope, millions more will find it."
"We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: the survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world," Bush said.
[ Like the citizens of our "allies" Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, etc.? ]
"So it is the policy of the United States," he said, "to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world."
[ Like the democratically elected officials Hamas, the Islamic Brotherhood, Hezbollah, etc.? ]

No, he's certainly right to say that Lincoln acted unconstitutionally not only in the arrest of Valladingham, but in his treatment of the copperheads as well, and several other things. Lincoln deserves to be condemned for those things. The last thing we should do is repeat those mistakes.

why can't stupidity like this be painful?
I can assure you, it most certainly is!
Or did you mean painful for the person committing the stupidity?

I didn't expect the Cultural Revolution.. Or Lysenkoism..

But that is what these well funded extremists are trying to send America into.. something we should all be aware of.

During the Cultural Revolution, an entire generation of Chinese lives were ruined because of some perceived political impurity or 'bad family background'.

Compare right wing extremists with left wing extremists?

Why not - they clearly are cut from the same rotten cloth of hatred for all of *normal* humanity..

These people are against everything this country stands for. Don't fall for their hate and fear agenda..

By Arundo Hilla (not verified) on 22 Aug 2006 #permalink

everytime i see the 'freedom is not free' bumberstickers i just want to counter with one that says 'freedom is not freedom' ...

but that's probably too perplexing.

Ick(E) -

Can you imagine what the Right wing in the US would be sating if it were a democratic administration that had lied to start the war in Iraq and was concurrently running vast budget deficits AND spending freely?

(Never mind the whole 'Osama still alive/free' bit.)

Conservative radio shock-jocks would be dropping dead from apoplexy. Impeachment hearings would be in full cry. You wouldn't hear the end of it. The double standards are amazing..

Anyway, how's this for prophecy:

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28784?issue=4228&special=2001

By Andrew Dodds (not verified) on 23 Aug 2006 #permalink

We live in an interesting time when those who most use the word "freedom" and "liberty" are those most opposed to it. I don't know anything about the David Horowitz Freedom Center, but its name makes me suspicious. Call it "Russell' rule": Any organization that has "freedom" or "liberty" in its name is trying to masquerade the various ways in which it actually opposes personal freedom. Liberty University is the stellar case in point.

War is Peace...
Freedom is Slavery...
Ignorance is Strength...

By Nebogipfel (not verified) on 23 Aug 2006 #permalink

No, he's certainly right to say that Lincoln acted unconstitutionally not only in the arrest of Valladingham, but in his treatment of the copperheads as well, and several other things. Lincoln deserves to be condemned for those things. The last thing we should do is repeat those mistakes.

Oh, I'll agree on that score. The worst constitutional breaches of the Bush administration--to date at least--pale in comarison to some of Lincoln's brazen actions.

By Andrew_Wyatt (not verified) on 23 Aug 2006 #permalink

The worst constitutional breaches of the Bush administration--to date at least--pale in comarison to some of Lincoln's brazen actions.

And thanks to Johnny Booth, each new generation of powermongers can point to The Great President Lincoln and say, "See, we're not nearly as bad as Lincoln, and everyone loves him!" Or as Sondheim put it,

But traitors just get jeers and boos,Not visits to their graves.While Lincoln, who got mixed reviewsBecause of you, John, now gets only raves.

By Johnny Vector (not verified) on 23 Aug 2006 #permalink

And thanks to Johnny Booth, each new generation of powermongers can point to The Great President Lincoln and say, "See, we're not nearly as bad as Lincoln, and everyone loves him!"

And if you point out Lincoln was fighting a civil war, attempting to save a union; they'll just tell you that Bush is fighting a civil war every bit as serious as the one Lincoln was fighting and the enemy within THIS time is working in secret, right out there in the open, in the Democratic Party and the PTA.

And libertarians, like Ed?

Liberals.

And possibly total fags, as well.

Which is just as worse.

It amazes me that a right-winger would throw around abviously trumped up charges of "treason" with the Valerie Plame episode still simmering, and people possibly actually guilty of treason sitting in the White House.

By somnilista, FCD (not verified) on 23 Aug 2006 #permalink

http://factcheck.org/article415.html

I can't say enough good things about what Brooks Jackson did with my original TRUTH FROM AN HONEST MAN pamphlet I loaned him.

My great, great, grandfather, who I am named in honor of, made the supreme sacrific for our country in Lincoln's Union Army serving Stonewall Jackson his only defeat in the Civil War.

Cliff Hancuff
The World of Journalism Is Flat, Too

"Retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Buzz Patterson"

"Buzz" got schnookered into using that "Moonie" quote, too.

CHAPTER THREE

The Politics of Treason II: Hillary Clinton At The Front

"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled or hanged"

-Abraham Lincoln

(page 65)

I forgot to include the book title:

Reckless Disregard

Cliff Hancuff
The World of Journalism Is Flat, Too

>> It amazes me that a right-winger would throw
>> around abviously trumped up charges of
>>"treason" with the Valerie Plame episode still
>> simmering, and people possibly actually guilty
>> of treason sitting in the White House.

Read the LONG letter I wrote to Diana Irey, et al, that includes:

"Subj: Rovian Architecture Unplugged: The Waller/Romerstein Edition
Date: 8/4/2006 4:34:47 P.M. Eastern Standard Time
From: JournalismIsFlat
To: ireydl@co.washington.pa.us"

Then look for who loaned Waller his copy of the 1863 TRUTH FROM AN HONEST MAN pamphlet.

http://community.cnhi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4871074/m/664107374

Cliff Hancuff
The World of Journalism Is Flat, Too