HAPPENING NOW: Senate Dems presser introducing free speech bill, citing Trump "attacks on liberal organizations"

[bigtree]

watch: (rewind to beginning if in progress)

also:

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

[Johnny2X2X]

1. I am still stunned

Here on DU, we all predicted this type of thing was coming, but it still is stunning to watch it happen in real time in America.

What happens next is people who criticize Trump start getting taken to jail.

[KS Toronado]

3. Listened to the entire broadcast

Not once did I hear the words Fascist or Fascism used, very thing that's taken over the entire repug
party and they are attempting to take over this country with it.

How do we get our elected officials to start using those words before it's too late?

[bigtree]

4. lol

...I listened to the entire presentation, too.


Maxwell Frost:

This is about silencing criticism of Donald Trump who believes that he's a king. Donald Trump doesn't want a democracy. He wants a throne. And his cronies are clearing the way. The president and his lap dogs here in the United States Congress, the vice president, the FCC chair, the attorney general, secretary of state, and congressional Republicans are implementing a dangerous agenda to punish their opposition.

Fascism is not on the way. It is here."

Let's make certain we've not just shooting down actual legislative efforts because of peeves over some word or some phrase we may think is right for the time isn't being used by serious legislators advancing national initiatives that don't just involve Democratic activism or just our own advocacy.

And, ffs, try to represent them correctly.

This bill confronts the administration and republicans where they stand, completely. Listen to it again and tell us what you support about this important Democratic initiative.

[ancianita]

6. EXACTLY. Thank you. Maxwell Frost is a total badass, so please donate because the FL's oligarch vultures are circling

him, Moskowitz, and every Democratic congressional candidate.

Let's make certain we've not just shooting down actual legislative efforts because of peeves over some word or some phrase we may think is right for the time isn't being used by serious legislators advancing national initiatives that don't just involve Democratic activism or just our own advocacy.

And, ffs, try to represent them correctly.

This bill confronts the administration and republicans where they stand, completely. Listen to it again and tell us what you support about this important Democratic initiative.

When Democrats DO "DO SOMETHING," we mustMUST support them and never forget this:

Democrats on their worst day are far better than any Republicans on their best day.

[KS Toronado]

9. Thanks don't know how I missed that

Was it said more than once?

[Cha]

7. Thankfully Maxwell Frost DID.. it's reported

in a reply to you.

[betsuni]

5. Thank you!

[joshdawg]

8. Schumer says this has to go to the courts.

Fine. Let's see what the rwnj's on the Supreme Court have to say about freedom of speech, if and when it gets to them.
Hmmmmm.

[bigtree]

10. the interesting thing is how this was supposed to be a rw concern

...about Biden supposedly coming after them for their speech.

I'm wondering when they're going to realize that cracking down on the 'left' is going to be ephemeral, and makes it a certainty that Democrats will use the same anti-sedition initiatives to target republicans when they regain power.

Surely the court can reason that out. Right?

[joshdawg]

13. I'd like to think that they would, but.........

knowing the makeup of this SCOTUS, there is the possibility, much like the "immunity" case, that there might, just might be at least five giving trump some imaginary leeway to circumvent the First Amendment in his favor.
I'm hoping that won't be the case.

[NameAlreadyTaken]

11. Can we add "Freedom of Speech" to

the Constitution of the United States of America? Would that be doable? Or a non-starter? Surely there would be someplace in the Constitution to fit that in nicely?

[bigtree]

12. lol

...it was a bit surreal watching them hurrying together this extra step, likely to ensure the courts will recognize at least their side of Congress' intent.

You could hear that in Van Hollen's remarks...

"We shouldn't have to be here today. The First Amendment is crystal clear. The government may not use its power to squash political disscent. That is textbook first amendment. But that is what President Trump has been doing since the beginning of his administration. And now they've announced their intention to dramatically step up that effort."