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Big Ups Al Franken... FINALLY!


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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

I was happy to see Norm Coleman lose, they've been grooming him to be president for years now. I think that's why he was putting up such a fight.

 

I knew something was up when the papers were making an obvious effort to tie his identity to JFK in various ways, that's a classic way to prime someone for prez. And then when he was a speaker at the Republican convention in St. Paul, I knew that there were plans.

 

I wonder if he'll still try even though his record is flawed.

 

Go to hell Norm.

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Al Franken Related...

 

Military burial that cut corners riles Franken

 

Cpl. Ben Kopp's family had the option

of waiting two months for full military

honors or going without them.

 

By Eric Roper, Star Tribune

 

Last update: August 14, 2009 - 11:17 PM

 

WASHINGTON - Sen. Al Franken squared off

with Arlington National Cemetery officials

this week after a Minnesota soldier killed in

Afghanistan failed to receive all the

trappings of a full military funeral because

of limited resources.

 

Minnesota's newest senator attended the

burial last week of Rosemount native Cpl.

Ben Kopp, 21, who died in mid-July after he

was wounded by Taliban insurgents. Before

the funeral service, officials at the cemetery

in Arlington, Va., informed Kopp's mother

that her son's coffin would not be escorted

by a horse-drawn caisson -- a traditional

carriage used in military ceremonies --

because none was available until October.

 

Although his family had the right to a

caisson, Kopp's body was transported in a

hearse because his mother, Jill Stephenson,

did not want to wait two months.

 

"To say to a parent, 'There's such a backlog

on these requests that you're going to have

to wait two or three months to bury your

son or your daughter' is cruel," Franken said

in an interview. "If the family wants [a

caisson], they should be able to have it."

 

Earlier this week, Franken sent a searing

letter to the cemetery's superintendent, John

Metzler, demanding that steps be taken to

expedite full-honor military burials. Franken

and Stephenson would like to see more

caissons made available.

 

"This is an intolerable and undue burden on

a family that is already mourning the loss of

a loved one, and the perception left by this

incident is unbecoming and unacceptable,"

the senator wrote.

 

Franken noted that the family's grief was

amplified when they saw what appeared to

be an empty caisson unit practicing near

Kopp's burial plot, which Stephenson said

felt like "a slap in the face." Arlington

officials have since said the unit was not

practicing, but returning from another

procession.

 

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote a similar

letter to Arlington after being contacted by a

friend of the family.

 

"In the midst of what I have going on in my

life -- you know, losing my only child -- I

need somebody to advocate for me,"

Stephenson said. "And I'm very grateful that

they're doing that."

 

Col. Dan Baggio, a spokesman for the

Military District of Washington, which

oversees the units responsible for the

caissons, said families wait an average of

two months to use one of Arlington's two

caissons.

 

In 2009, a new policy extended full-honor

burials to all soldiers killed in action, and

Arlington officials added more time slots to

keep the same average wait time.

 

Baggio said that they are now discussing

ways to improve those wait times.

 

"We're going to take a close look at it,"

Baggio said.

 

As of Friday, Franken's office had not heard

back from Arlington about whether any

action will be taken.

 

Kopp's funeral was also attended by Defense

Secretary Robert Gates, marking the second

time the military commander has done so in

his current position. Given the atmosphere

and nature of the event, however, neither

Stephenson nor Franken approached Gates

about the caissons.

 

The Rosemount High School graduate's

death was widely publicized, because Kopp

was an organ donor. His heart was

transplanted into Judy Meikle, an ailing

woman from Chicago. Stephenson said she

now communicates with Meikle almost every

day via e-mail.

 

"It really is an amazing thing to be involved

in," Stephenson said, referring to the heart

transplant. "It honors Ben's memory and

gives me an opportunity to honor his

memory and for him to go on living."

 

link here:

 

http://www.startribune.com/politics/state/53260872.html?elr=KArks:DCiUocOaL_nDaycUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUU

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  • 1 month later...

Al Franken Reads the 4th Amendment to Justice Department Official

By Daphne Eviatar

 

Just in case he wasn’t familiar with it, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) decided to read the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution to David Kris, assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, who was testifying to the Senate Judiciary Committee today to urge reauthorization of expiring provisions of the USA Patriot Act.

 

Franken, who opened by acknowledging that unlike most of his colleagues in the Senate, he’s not a lawyer, but according to his research “most Americans aren’t lawyers” either, said he’d also done research4 on the Patriot Act and in particular, the “roving wiretap” provision that allows the FBI to get a warrant to wiretap a an unnamed target and his or her various and changing cell phones, computers and other communication devices.

 

Noting that he received a copy of the Constitution when he was sworn in as a senator, he proceeded to read it to Kris, emphasizing this part: “no Warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

 

“That’s pretty explicit language,” noted Franken, asking Kris how the “roving wiretap” provision of the Patriot Act can meet that requirement if it doesn’t require the government to name its target.

 

Kris looked flustered and mumbled that “this is surreal,” apparently referring to having to respond to Franken’s question. “I would defer to the other branch of government,” he said, referring to the courts, prompting Franken to interject: “I know what that is.”

 

Kris explained that the courts have held that the law’s requirements that the person be described, though not named, is sufficient to meet the demands of the Constitution. That did not appear to completely satisfy Franken’s concerns.

 

Today’s Judiciary Committee hearing has so far proceeded much the way yesterday’s House Judiciary Committee subcommittee hearing did, with Democrats (except the Justice Department witness) expressing skepticism that the current law adequately protects Americans’ civil liberties and Republicans emphasizing the need to have all possible tools for law enforcement available because another major terrorist attack could occur at any time.

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How is he a communist? Explain in your own words and not simply repeating rhetoric you heard from some talking head.

 

Do you know what the Fourth Amendment is? Here, I'll post it here-

 

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

 

It would seem to me that most communists would SUPPORT the spirit and terms of the PATRIOT Act and be against the Fourth Amendment....remember, the Soviets were really big on internal security and secrecy. So what exactly is the difference between the PATRIOT Act and the KGB? Again, in your own words and try to keep the use of the word "terrorist" to a minimum, please.

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fuck al franken

 

can i get a ban on "x5v1s?" that person fucking blows. i've been becoming less and less intolerant of complete and utter morons.

 

dude i have mad train flicks i contribute ......and at least i try .... pussy liberal ...oh please ban him hE DISAGREES WITH MY OPINION ....what a clown ...grow a sack lets debate the downfall of america and why franken is a joke ...you watch he'll grandstand on the senate floor and act a fool ..real bad before too long ..he's a joke you'll see:D

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welcome to 1984 are you ready for the 3rd world war you too will meet the secret police..they'll draft you and they'll jail your niece ...

 

 

 

 

 

the patriot act is unconstitutional.period......... . and in soviet controlled Russia they never had a voice for opposition the used their hammer to crush there voices .... i oppose the patriot act ..

I'm afraid of big brother but he,s already here ... .....

..anyway im well versed in politics ..maybe im wrong but your still a leftest ...

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the patriot act is unconstitutional.period......... . and in soviet controlled Russia they never had a voice for opposition the used their hammer to crush there voices .... i oppose the patriot act ..

I'm afraid of big brother but he,s already here ... .....

..anyway im well versed in politics ..maybe im wrong but your still a leftest ...

 

Franken used the Constitution (specifically the Fourth Amendment) to point out the hypocrisy of the PATRIOT Act to one of its supporters...you know, that same document they were both sworn to uphold when they took public office? Except your boy from the attorney general's office couldn't do much better than say "LOLWUT" and lamely pass the buck to the courts (who, BTW, he works for in some capacity).

 

I'm not a Democrat nor am I as far left as you probably assume everyone on here is (besides you, of course). I probably wouldn't agree with a lot of things Franken supports, but he's making some damn good points and I believe he's a lot more principled than most of the people in the Senate...and he's willing to take a chance and speak out against the status quo. That deserves respect.

 

Also, I'm not sure if you're aware of it but...as a Linux user you're supporting some rather collectivist ideals.

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..having a computer is support ?... ? you think that really ? not knowing anything but seeing my screen shot ... pretty judgmental of ya ?

 

Based on what I know about Linux (a bit), it's centered around cooperative/collectivist ideals in that it's a group effort that's free to use, distribute and modify by design- read the GPL sometime.

 

Also, I believe it's a damn sight less judgmental than saying "So and so is a communist and a fraud and a joke and a bad dresser, secret police, America is doomed, blah blah blah" when the guy was in fact ATTACKING the "secret police" with the Constitution.

 

So how is Franken worse than, say, Joe Wilson?

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