Common Cause, League of Women Voters Decry FBI "Intimidation"

[kpete]

Common Cause, League of Women Voters Decry FBI "Intimidation"

FBI Intimidation?

March 23, 2006: In a joint statement released on March 22, Common Cause President Chellie Pingee and League of Women Voters President Kay Maxwell said that the action of an FBI agent in Michigan concerning a recent speech by Pingree at a League event "smacks of intimidation."

"Our country faces many serious threats to our security, but surely none of those threats come from Common Cause or the League of Women Voters," Pingree said. "It is troubling to think that the FBI would scrutinize my remarks about the Patriot Act at a public meeting organized by the League of Women Voters. Surely the FBI's resources could be put to better use."

On March 14, Pingree participated on a panel on open government sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Berrien and Cass Counties, Michigan that received news coverage in the local newspaper on March 17. A week after the panel, an FBI agent contacted the local League president, Susan Gilbert, to raise questions about Pingree's published remarks at the panel. In her brief comments addressing the law, Pingree raised some privacy and secrecy concerns about the USA PATRIOT Act, and praised Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) for their leadership on Freedom of Information issue.

According to Gilbert, FBI agent Al Dibrito said that Pingree's comments on the USA PATRIOT Act were "way off base," and that the League should have invited someone from the federal government to be on the panel and to respond. DiBrito then told Gilbert that she would be contacted by someone from the assistant U.S. attorney's office in Grand Rapids to give her the real story on the Patriot Act.

http://www.commoncause.org/site/apps/nl/content3.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=395891&content_id={4F64D787-4CCE-43CD-8994-E38FDE71EE7D}¬oc=1

[CoffeeCat]

1. How can this happen in our country!?

I feel like I'm reading a passage out of a science-fiction novel--about a country gone mad!

What in the hell?

How can anyone in this country read this and not be terrified and concerned about what our government is doing? I just saw "V" the other night, and the government's actions are pretty close to what was depicted in the movie.

So---someone can't even comment negatively about the fucking precious Patriot Act--without getting a visit from a Federal agent? And the FBI is insisting that someone from the US attorney's office set her straight and "give her the real story on the Patriot Act". Tell me this isn't true?

I'm absolutely astounded.

Many people have spoken out publicly on the Patriot Act. Why was this woman treated this way?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

2. dem lousy terra-ists. In league with Satan, no doubt. Wimin voters, HAH!

A good smack upside the head, send 'em back to the kitchen, that'll teach em. uppity terra-loving broads.


Could it be that Common Cause and the League are a tad sensitive? One has to accept that possibility. On the other hand, the rising reports of misuse, abuse and out and out lawbreaking by this administration and its henchmen cause me to suspect that Ms. Maxwell and Chellie Pingee were right on point.

When the FBI comes to have a chat, and suggests that your comments and published opinion are "way off base", then demands equal time to "correct" the record, I am sorry to say that the only logical conclusion is that the thugs are going out in force and that they seek to control independent forums they have deemed dangerous to their current activities and plans. We are edging ever closer to a police state. My only question - WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE?

Unless of course, I am completely wrong and that the Michigan chapter of the League of Women Voters is actually a branch of active anti-american suicide bombers, intent on sending Cheney and Bush poison-filled cigars and whiskey bottles, IUDs strewn in front of his limo, and bits of ripped up copies of our quaint constitution. Heck, obviously we don't need it anymore. Haven't been using it for 4 years.

[shenmue]

3. After all, they were...

helping people engage in the nefarious activity known as 'voting.'

What do they think they're doing, voting, in America? What do they think this is, a democracy or something?

Two more years of this crappy administration...two more years...

:sarcasm:

:banghead: