Civil Liberties Don’t Matter Much ‘after you’re dead,’ Cornyn Says On Spy

[Guaranteed]

Case

By Jonathan Allen

Senators launched new salvos in the battle over national security and civil liberties yesterday as recent revelations of domestic spying continued to color the chamber’s stalemate on an extension of the anti-terrorism law known as the Patriot Act.

“None of your civil liberties matter much after you’re dead,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a former judge and close ally of the president who sits on the Judiciary Committee.

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), who has led a bipartisan filibuster against a reauthorization of the Patriot Act, quoted Patrick Henry, an icon of the American Revolution, in response: “Give me liberty or give me death.”

He called Cornyn’s comments “a retreat from who we are and who we should be.”


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http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/122005/patriot.html

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And isn't this just SUCH a great message to send to our troops overseas, who are supposedly fighting for the freedom of another country?

Yes- this is true patriotism, true leadership from the Republicans. I've never been prouder- to be a Democrat. :)

[Solly Mack]

1. Who does Cornyn plan on killing?

I swear I would accuse him of making a death threat with that statement.

[anotherdrew]

25. sure sounds like a threat to me, they better put his ass on a watch list

[Gman]

30. That's not even a veiled threat

that is a specific threat against the life of anyone that disagrees with him or the rest of the nutcase RW. A United States Senator threatened murder.

[Mountainman]

2. Civil liberties help to determine your quality of life.

"Don't tread on me!" Another fine saying.

[Guaranteed]

Isn't Feingold's response great?

It was exactly what I thought when I heard what Cornyn said this morning- oh, is that what they were saying in the run-up to the Revolutionary War?

[sakabatou]

3. Cornyn should step down

and get a brain... and soul.

[54anickel]

4. Geez, is "death makes it all immaterial" a GOP talking point?

Bush - "History? We'll all be dead".
Cornyn - Liberty? We'll all be dead.

[atommom]

5. That sure as hell sounds like a threat. These lunatics are

getting downright creepy.

[Guaranteed]

7. I don't think it's meant to sound like a threat.

I think it just sounds like a bunch of cowardly, unAmerican bullshit.

[atommom]

13. It sounds like that, too... like the schoolyard bully, about to

turn tail and run. But I still think he's a crazy mofo.

[Guaranteed]

8. You know, actually...

Look at Feingold's response. Although I love them, those are revolutionary words.....

[atommom]

14. They are indeed. I love to see Dems fighting back, finally.

[kskiska]

6. Also flies in the face of New Hampshire's motto

"Live free or die"

[Trillo]

9. Another attack against the U.S. Constitution.

Last time I checked, all its authors were indeed, dead.

[Guaranteed]

10. Nice post.

Yup. I bet it still matters to them.

[ima_sinnic]

11. the widdle repuke sissy cowards are so afraid of "AL QAEDA"

they will even give up their freedoms.

hey cornyn! better check under your bed tonight, b/c the boogeyman's gonna GET YOU!!

dimwit.

[jayfish]

12. Fucking Coward!

I'll take my chances John. I'd rather fight'em over here them let someone else do my fighting over there.

Jay

[jimshoes]

15. And they mean even less after

they've been stripped away from you while you're still living. Do we have to go down that road again?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

16. Cornyn's comments

remind me of appeasers at the outset of the Civil War-what matters if the South secedes-we're still alive. Many a brave soul said that their safety wasn't as important as Union, and many gave "All For the Union". They understood that our country, our Constitution, was something of the greatest importance, something to give their all for.

[madmark]

17. How much is your life worth if you're willing to forego civil liberties?

[Hyernel]

18. Would he think this if Hillary were President?

[DBoon]

19. life is worthless to a slave

nt

[wtmusic]

20. xactly -- "Give me liberty or give me death"

Some principles mean more than life.

[villager]

21. Hey Cornyn, you asshole: "Better to live on your feet,

than die on your knees."

But then, that's a quote more familiar to Americans

[primavera]

22. At last, a Repuke letting some truth slip out

For once, a Repuke is admitting that they don't give a shit about liberty and justice for all; usually, they try to assume a mask of caring, just enough to give their supporters a fig leaf. Now their supporters will really have to ask themselves whether they're prepared to support a party which openly and unashamedly dismisses basic civil rights and legal protections. It'll be interesting to see just how many Americans are really prepared to stand up and say "yes, I'm willing to support a police state in order to give my sorry ass a little extra measure of security."

[ixion]

23. maybe not, but they matter like hell when you're alive

so you can just bite me, Sen Corn-ya.

[TankLV]

24. I don't know why you're/we're all so shocked by all of this.

I remember since I was a kid in the 60's that every fucking time somebody would present the unvarnished Bill of Rights to people and they'd vote OVERWHELMINGLY - by margins over 70% or so - that the BOR was "communist" and "dangerous" and would vote AGAINST THEM!

By over 70% EVERY FUCKING TIME!

So why is it that we are surprised when the sheeple now prefer a DICTATORSHIP of the REPUKES while not supporting one by anybody else!

WAKE UP AMERIKKKA!

[anotherdrew]

26. I will never trust bush's band of thugs and killers to protect me

how does spying of quakers or kids from the yukon protect me?

[area51]

27. Typical John Cornholio

STFU, John, & crawl back under your rock.

[foo_bar]

28. "They that can give up essential liberty...

...to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Ben Franklin

http://www.bartleby.com/100/245.1.html#245.note2

[Demeter]

29. So If Cormyn Will Oblige Us--He Won't Have to Worry

Being dead means having answered your last roll call.

[E-Z-B]

31. Cornyn must really hate our Founding Fathers

[Maven]

32. Start calling this people what they are:

UNAMERICAN.

[freestyle]

33. And if you're dead because of lack of civil liberties.......

Right now, on the say-so of one man, Americans can be subject to secret warrantless searches of their homes and effects, can be placed under constant surveillance and can be dissappeared to possibly never be heard from again. How can we know how many people have been labeled "enemy combatants" and had their lives destroyed? I don't believe for a minute that Jose Padilla was the only one, just the only one we heard about.

[Tyler Durden]

34. I SEE! "Better RED than DEAD!" RIGHT?

Of course as a Socialist I am being faceacious: a little more of THAT sort "Red" would be good for the people in my book.

I am of course referring to Cold War Rhetoric from the 50's when the Soviets looked pretty damned powerful, and the the phrase "Better Red than Dead" was used in as a derision to people viewed by the "Right" of the time as "appeasers."

HOWEVER, now it's just fine to give everything over to FASCIST TOTALITARINISTS, because "None of your civil liberties matter much after you’re dead." He should be sayin None of your civil liberties matter much after they're GONE.

[warrens]

35. Better to live on your knees than to die on your feet

Moral cowards, these Repukes, aren't they?

[mainer]

36. And 30,000+ dead Iraqis might say...

You can't enjoy "Democracy" if you're dead, either.

[POAS]

37. Is this his message to the families

of soldiers killed to bring democracy to Iraq?

[daleo]

38. Remember "better dead than red"

Civil rights supposedly mattered to right wingers plenty, back then.

[0007]

39. Maybe Jack Abramoff will 86 Cornyn when they're both in prison

The pukes must be hard up these days to be trotting John Cornyn out to the podium.

[Mojorabbit]

40. Email or call him....I did

Here is a link to his contact info
http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/contact/index_1.html