Sham

I'm pretty bent out of shape right now. Fuckin' pissed is the right way to put it. I expected some shell games at today's hearing with Orrin Hatch. I expected them to try to stack the bets a little, but not nearly to the extent that they did.

We had a panel of SEVEN people total. Only five of us knew the others were going to be there. Five people and a total panel of seven... We also did not know that we were the "second" panel for the day and that some Deputy Attorney Yadda-Yadda and some other Utah Homeland inSecurity Hoodey-Hoo was going to be there.

Looking at the lineup of the seven I did expect, I figured that they would "stack the deck" and put at least one of the government-can-do-no-wrong apologists as the last of the speakers.

Here's what they actually did: first, two attorneys (both obviously FOR the USAPA's provisions) gave testimony and question and answers for an hour. The questions Hatch asked them and, for the most part, their responses were obviously pre-planned and possibly scripted. Not to mention they have untold resources for preparing thier testimonies that none of us had.

Then our panel spoke. Interspersed in the panel were two "pro-USAPA" people. I'd expected that. In fact, I even expected the lineup to be basically what it was.

However, the questions to us, after the five minutes a piece commentary, was short and not very leading. Not to mention he virtually demanded that we show him how the powers of the Act had been abused. Hello! That's all "national security," how we are supposed to frikkin' know what they're doing? jesus.

At least I got my question about the FISA warrants answered.

The whole event today was a sham. A complete con made to make those of us who were against Hatch's wishes look like nay-saying morons while those who are for it looked shiney and upright. No doubt they had weeks to prepare their in-depth testimony while the rest of us had not even seven days...

I hate government.

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