Sen. Levin Charging That Obama Asked for Americans be Subject to Life-Long Military Detention.

Daily Kos

In deference to people who do not have broadband connections and cannot easily view videos, here is a transcript because this is too important to not know exactly what Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) said on the Senate floor. Too important to not make abundantly clear what is taking place.

Levin pointed out that the Senate Armed Services Committee had taken pains to specifically exclude American citizens, as the Constitution would require, from the indefinite military detention provisions of the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act,) and that it was the Obama administration which specifically asked that Americans NOT be excluded. In other words, that they be subject to indefinite military detention the same as foreign nationals. The NDAA is now up for a vote.

Sen. Levin (addressing Senate president): "And I'm wondering whether the senator is familiar with the fact that the language, the language which precluded the application of section 1031 to American citizens was in the bill that we originally approved in the Armed Services Committee, and the administration asked us to remove the language which says that US citizens and lawful residents would not be subject to this section?

 Is the senator familiar with the fact that it was the administration which asked us to remove the very language we had in the bill which passed the committee and that we removed it at the request of the administration... that would have said that this determination would not apply to US citizens and lawful residents? I'm just wondering is the senator familiar with the fact it was the administration which asked us to remove the very language [excluding US citizens], the absence of which, is now objected to by the senator from Illinois?"

 What does this mean for us? This in no way excuses congressmens' and senators' treasonous votes passing the unconstitutional legislation. What is does do is expose the game of good-cop-bad-cop that Obama is playing, and shows him for the two-face that he is.

He can no longer say "the Congress made me do it, and they have enough votes to override my veto." So much for Change You Can Believe In.

And in twenty years when effective political dissidents are routinely thrown into military isolation forever without charge or trial, the standard joke among them will be "which party put you in here?"

Once in military custody you can be tortured and driven insane through permanent isolation, be given drugs, and deprived of all contact with family, friends, legal counsel, and the rest of the outside world for the rest of your life. You are entitled to no due process, recourse, or any other rights.

No one knows about this, and if it wasn't for a sharp-eyed American doing her duty and following the proceedings on CSPAN like a hawk, these damning words would be lost in the ether. This is the "eternal vigilance" the Founders were talking about.

Obama is busted as no different than any other Neo-con, a wolf in sheep's clothing, from the mouth of a ranking member of his own party. This final shattering of the "lesser of two evils" strategy played by the masters of both parties is good for Americans of all political stripes. I call on the Democratic Party to renounce Obama and to pass what emergency by-laws may be necessary to effect the nomination of a new party candidate before the Convention. I call on the loyal rank-and-file of the Democratic Party to demand of their leaders why they are not doing so. Some will be angered by these words, but I care not. If we are to walk into this era, at the very least let us walk into it with our eyes wide open.

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