Someone please send Dodd info on S1959 Violent Radicalizat'n/Homegrown Terrorism Act(He is unaware!)

[seafan]

Senator Chris Dodd is being interviewed right now on the Ed Schultz Show. Ed is live in an Iowa town hall meeting.

A questioner from the audience just stood up and asked Dodd what he thought about this bill. Dodd was completely taken by surprise. He WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT! He even asked the questioner if he knew who had sponsored it!

This is unacceptable. Someone in his constituency, please call or e-mail his office.

S.1959
Title: A bill to establish the National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Collins, Susan M. (introduced 8/2/2007) Cosponsors (1)
Latest Major Action: 8/2/2007 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:S.1959:


This is what the questioner in the audience was concerned about...just WHO is going to be named as an *offender*?

SEC. 899A. DEFINITIONS.

`In this subtitle:

`(1) COMMISSION- The term `Commission' means the National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism established under section 899C.

`(2) VIOLENT RADICALIZATION- The term `violent radicalization' means the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating ideologically based violence to advance political, religious, or social change.

`(3) HOMEGROWN TERRORISM- The term `homegrown terrorism' means the use, planned use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual born, raised, or based and operating primarily within the United States or any possession of the United States to intimidate or coerce the United States government, the civilian population of the United States, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.

`(4) IDEOLOGICALLY BASED VIOLENCE- The term `ideologically based violence' means the use, planned use, or threatened use of force or violence by a group or individual to promote the group or individual's political, religious, or social beliefs.

[Tom Joad]

1. it was largely the initiative of homegrown terrorist Jane Harman of California

the sweetheart of warmakers everywhere.

[MADem]

2. Why should he need to be aware of a fucking bill in COMMITTEE???

Many bills DIE in committee.

The time to see the bill, if you aren't the one sponsoring or cosponsoring it, is after it comes out of committee and before it comes up for a vote.

It's not like there are only a FEW bills floating around the Senate. The paper there is like a blizzard.

[seafan]

4. We at DU are aware of this bill and none of us sit on any Senate committees or serve as a Senator.

His staff is not serving him well. He is running for president, and he should have already been briefed on this by his staff/campaign.

[MADem]

5. Well, I am one of the "we" and I pay attention, but it ain't on my radar.

When it comes out of committee, IF it does, it likely will be on my radar. Until then, it's idiotic to read a bill and commit its provisions to memory, when it could be changed SUBSTANTIALLY between now and when it finally hits the floor.

YMMV, and that's fine--but you won't convince me of the neccesity for Sen. Dodd to have committed the elements of this endeavor to memory at this stage of the game.

[bdamomma]

3. Did he or they even read the Bill?

they are notorious for not reading Bills. I would love to pose that question to Biden or Dodd.

[reprehensor]

6. I'm afraid that this bill will be Omnibussed next week.

And because of its bi-partisan support (i.e. nobody read it) it won't raise an eyebrow, unless people who disagree with the Bill call their Senators and tell them not to support it.

[reprehensor]

7. Let me re-phrase that...

I SUSPECT that Lieberman will try to have this Bill slipped into this upcoming Omnibus;
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/29202

[EnviroBat]

8. I couldn't believe that crap when I heard it on Schultz's show today.

WTF? This guy has to have heard of this! It's only one of the most threatening pieces of shit legislation to come down the hill lately.