Are we REALLY under Martial law right now?

[Iwasthere]

At 18:10 mins in:

http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/includes/templates/library/flash_popup.php?pID=281439-1&clipStart=160&clipStop=1360

[aquart]

1. Hard to do when your army is in another couple of countries.

[soothsayer]

8. weds, oct 1 we depoly a brigade to the homeland to quell civil unrest.

bye bye, posse comitatus and the bill of rights. 3rd infantry, I think it is.

[aquart]

17. Anybody ask Obama about that yet?

[TwilightGardener]

2. Martial.

[cherokeeprogressive]

3. That would be Martial Law, and I think not. n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

6. No, it's Marshal Law.

He's the guy that replaced Marshal Dillon.

We're all under him now.

[woo me with science]

14. Nope.

[cherokeeprogressive]

23. Festus for VP?

[Lint Head]

4. The Speaker of the House cannot declare Marshall Law.

The rep was using it as a metaphor to say they have been instructed to stay in Washington until something is done. :dem:

[NoPasaran]

5. No, but I'm listening to Marshall Dylan on the hifi

[melody]

7. Yup, there's a new marshal in town

:)

[kansasblue]

9. info here

The martial law concept in the U.S. is closely tied with the right of habeas corpus, which is in essence the right to a hearing on lawful imprisonment, or more broadly, the supervision of law enforcement by the judiciary. The ability to suspend habeas corpus is often equated with martial law. Article 1, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution states, "The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion, the public Safety may require it."

In United States law, martial law is limited by several court decisions that were handed down between the American Civil War and World War II. In 1878, Congress passed the Posse Comitatus Act, which forbids military involvement in domestic law enforcement without congressional approval. The Military Commissions Act of 2006 possibly rescinds these limits by suspending habeas corpus, but the law is not clear on whether it applies to U.S. Citizens. Since, USNORTHCOM <5> has increased its direct involvement with civilian administration


wikipedia

[soothsayer]

11. coming oct 1...! but i'm sure it's, er, innocent. yeah, right.

[soothsayer]

12. coming oct 1...! but i'm sure it's, er, innocent. yeah, right.

[BlooInBloo]

10. Are you REALLY serious?

[Subdivisions]

15. Rep. Burgess plainly says "I understand we are under martial law

as declared by the Speaker last night."

[BlooInBloo]

16. Wow. DUers really will believe anything.

[Subdivisions]

18. Actually, it's parliamentary procedure. Forces members to vote on

bills.

Edited: I don't know if that's a valid technical term in the House. It could also be a metaphor (see post #4) applied to a parliamentary procedure.

[BlooInBloo]

19. Which is not the meaning that the OP assigned it.

[Subdivisions]

20. True that. n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

13. No, that's just more GOP fearmongering. n/t

[endthewar]

21. In context, it sounds like something that is specific to Congressional members

Sounded like they issued some type of Congressional edict to members of Congress. Probably a procedural issue in order to keep them in session when they had a scheduled vacation to go back and campaign.

[ITsec]

22. Martial law under house rules....

Among the matters the House may be asked to vote on under martial law are a major conference report on pension legislation, a costly bill that would permanently reduce the estate tax and extend certain expiring tax provisions, and a bill that could combine a controversial health insurance proposal with an increase in the minimum wage (there also are reports that the estate tax, minimum wage, and expiring tax provisions may be combined into a single bill). The House Rules Committee on Thursday afternoon reported a resolution that would provide martial law authority in relation to all of these bills.

Under the martial law procedure, longstanding House rules that require at least one day between the unveiling of significant legislation and the House floor vote on that legislation — so that Members can learn what they are being asked to vote on — are swept away. Instead, under “martial law,” the Leadership can file legislation with tens or hundreds of pages of fine print and move immediately to debate and votes on it, before Members of Congress, the media, or the public have an opportunity to understand fully what provisions have been altered or inserted into the legislation behind closed doors. This is the procedure that the Leadership intends to use to muscle through important bills in the next two days.

...more explained here...

http://www.cbpp.org/7-28-06bud-stmt.htm