Lieberman Proposes Stripping Terrorists of American Citizenship

[TomCADem]

Source: CBS News

As some Republicans in Congress continue to criticize the administration for its decision to read Miranda rights to alleged attempted terorrist Faisal Shahzad, independent Sen. Joe Lieberman is proposing a plan to avoid reading those rights to suspects like Shahzad. The Connecticut senator, who typically votes with Democrats but is hawkish on national security issues, wants to see a new law that would strip people like Shahzad of their citizenship and, subsequently, their Miranda rights.

Lieberman is planning to introduce a bill that would allow the government to revoke the citizenship of an American who joins a foreign terrorist organization, the Hill reports. The proposed legislation would amend current law that strips a person's citizenship if they fight with a foreign army.

"I think it's time for us to look at whether we want to amend that law to apply it to American citizens who choose to become affiliated with foreign terrorist organizations, whether they should not also be deprived automatically of their citizenship and therefore be deprived of rights that come with that citizenship when they are apprehended and charged with a terrorist act," Lieberman, head of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said on Fox News.

Earlier in the day, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said it was a mistake to read Shahzad, a 30-year-old naturalized American citizen from Pakistan, his Miranda rights, while Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) said it was questionable whether Shahzad should face criminal charges, even though he is a citizen.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20004192-503544.html

---

Wny stop there? Why not child molesters or do Republicans have some secret respect for child molesters? Or, Wall Street scoundrels like Bernie Madoff? Just strip people of their citizenship, and law enforcement becomes a lot easier.

Yup, the Tea Bagging crowd is certainly doing its best to fight to save our freedoms.

:sarcasm:

[AlphaCentauri]

1. K/R for your comment TomCADem

[X_Digger]

2. What Darth Leiberman fails to recognize..

.. is that anyone in our jurisdiction, citizen, resident alien, illegal alien- all have many of the same protections provided by the bill of rights.

Plyler v. Doe

“The illegal aliens who are plaintiffs in these cases challenging the statute may
claim the benefit of the Equal Protection Clause, which provides that no State
shall ‘deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.’
Whatever his status under the immigration laws, an alien is a ‘person’ in any
ordinary sense of that term… The undocumented status of these children vel non
does not establish a sufficient rational basis for denying them benefits that the
State affords other residents.”


Wong Wing v. U.S.

“The fourteenth amendment to the constitution is not confined to the protection of
citizens. It says: 'Nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property
without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the
equal protection of the law.' These provisions are universal in their application to
all persons within the territorial jurisdiction, without regard to any differences of
race, of color, or nationality; and the equal protection of the laws is a pledge of
the protection of equal laws.' Applying this reasoning to the fifth and sixth
amendments, it must be concluded that all persons within the territory of the
United States are entitled to the protection guarantied by those amendments,
and that even aliens shall not be held to answer for a capital or other infamous
crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, nor be deprived of
life, liberty, or property without due process of law. “


Yick Wo v. Hopkins

the Court ruled that the 14th Amendment's statement, "Nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws," applied to all persons "without regard to any differences of race, of color, or of nationality," and to "an alien, who has entered the country, and has become subject in all respects to its jurisdiction, and a part of its population, although alleged to be illegally here."

[WheelWalker]

13. + 1 x 10 to the 99th

[SoapBox]

3. Start with this: "Should Rep. Peter King be stripped of his citizenship?"

...Hey Joe, let's start with this traitor!

http://www.thepoliticalcarnival.net/2010/05/should-rep-peter-king-be-stripped-of.html

[NYC Liberal]

4. So Lieberman thinks domestic terrorists are ok?

"a bill that would allow the government to revoke the citizenship of an American who joins a foreign terrorist organization"

What about Timothy McVeigh? Or the homegrown terrorist "militias" that we've seen Teabaggers proposing? Those are okay?

Oh and there's the issue of it being borderline (or maybe blatantly) unconstitutional.

Voting in a foreign election, serving in a foreign army, or swearing allegiance to a foreign government used to be automatic grounds for losing U.S. citizenship. But a 5-4 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1967 made it all but impossible for someone to lose U.S. citizenship unless he or she wants to give it up.

The case involved a naturalized American citizen originally from Poland, who moved to Israel in 1950. Beys Afroyim tried to get his U.S. passport renewed in 1960, but the State Department turned him down. Afroyim had voted in Israeli elections, which meant he had automatically lost his U.S. citizenship, the department said.

The Supreme Court said the 14th Amendment effectively elevated citizenship to a constitutional right and ruled that it can be lost only if renounced.

[Gormy Cuss]

6. +1

Lieberman is such a tool.

[fishwax]

5. Lieberman is a disgrace

Just think -- if it weren't for Ralph Nader, Lieberman might be president now :hide:

[sabbat hunter]

7. Even if

They stripped them of their citizenship, that would take a hearing or a trial to do so. Prior to that they still would be US citizens and deserving of miranda rights.

[Downwinder]

8. Not everyone has dual citizenships like Lieberman does. n/t

[Behind the Aegis]

17. Lieberman doesn't have dual citizenship.

[provis99]

30. how the heck did the rumor that Lieberman had dual citizenship ever start?

It's all over the internet, yet as far as I know, Lieberman is solely an American citizen, the same as every other Congressman.

[Behind the Aegis]

31. Because he is a Jew.

The claim is made about a number of Jews, especially if they are pegged as "pro-Israel." The fact is most politicians are only citizens of the US, even if they possessed citizenship with another country, most renounce it (the other citizenship) prior to running, some after election. It is also related to the "right of return" (RoR) allowed to Jews in regards to Israel. Most people don't even understand RoR and this just adds to the myth. However, it (dual loyalties) started long before the birth of Israel. Jews were often seen as 'fifth column' in almost every nation where they resided. In Russia, they were socialists trying to bring down communism, at the same time, in other countries, they were communists trying to bring down socialism or capitalism. Whatever the "other" was, they were accused of supporting said movement. Sadly, it is now, "every Jew is a citizen of Israel and is more loyal to Israel", especially if said Jew doesn't hate, criticize, condemn, and/or lambaste Israel in the designated manner. What makes Lieberman (and of course there are plenty of others calling for this odious law, but we don't hear accusations of dual loyalty about them) an easy target is, plainly, he is a "pro-Israel" Jew. What I find disappointing is similar laws in various countries though out time have almost always been applied against Jews, but one can't expect that simply because said person is part of an oft-maligned group s/he will see the parallels and back away from the bad thing. It would be equivalent, IMHO, to a prominent African-American politician promoting something that could be easily identified as "pro-slavery."

In short, (well, in long), the charge is based on an old anti-Semitic canard of 'dual loyalty' and has been prevalent since the Roman Empire and is easily accepted because sometimes, some forms of bigotry aren't as obvious and are readily believed.

[unkachuck]

39. thank you....

....for your thoughtful explanation....but traitor-joe is still a wanker, dual-citizenship or not....

[Behind the Aegis]

40. no prob.

I wasn't asked to prove he wasn't a wanker! ;)

I know I wouldn't take that challenge as it is hard to disprove something that is likely as true as the sun rising in the east.

[proteus_lives]

32. Will you admit you're saying that because he's a Jew?

[defendandprotect]

42. Lieberman has "dual citizenship" . . . ???

I knew that Rahm Emmanuel did -- US/Israel --

[Behind the Aegis]

44. Neither do.

Stop reading those hardcore conspiracy sites.

[Jefferson23]

9. This man is a living nightmare and embarrassment in my state.

[Cleita]

10. Didn't the other Joe, like in McCarthy, propose the same thing

back in the fifties? Many people lost their jobs and careers because they could have affiliations with communists and I believe some American citizens were executed on account of it.

[Thor_MN]

11. Well, OK, but after all the special elections to replace GOP elected officials,

will there be enough money left over to actually deport them?

[Democat]

12. Why do Republicans support American citizenship for child molesters?

Great point.

[davidpdx]

14. Lieberman is a windbag on his last gasp

You can't pass a law that supersedes the constitution and takes away due process. As much as I dislike the people doing things like the guy in NY, they still have rights.

[Q3JR4]

15. Huh.

I wonder if this will pass given that there is a democrat in the white house who may start looking askance at those old sign wielding red state welfare queens.

Q3JR4.

[Webster Green]

16. He's useless, and totally insane.

I hope he's not in the Senate much longer. He's a disgrace.

[JDPriestly]

18. Lieberman is just trying to please a certain audience.

He is just blustering to appeal to people's basest instincts.

Some others would hurl a blistering epithet.

Lieberman just hurls.

[moonbatmax]

19. Naah...

He just makes everyone ELSE hurl. :puke:

[Festivito]

20. How does it work? You don't know until you try him, then, thereafter no rights?

Oh! You mean the government can decide you might be and deny you your rights.

Yup, ole Fes traveled once years back and might have been inculcated. Take his rights away.

Or, he didn't travel, ever. But, he has had access to a payphone and was seen with a cellphone. So, take his rights away.

BTW, why stop at Miranda rights? Can we just shoot him?

[ET Awful]

21. Hmmm, so if someone is apprehended and charged . . . .

Gee Joe, no need for actually proving a case, just arrest and charge them, then you won't even have to show that you have any evidence. Yeah, I can't see that going wrong at all.

[X_Digger]

22. Yah, he doesn't seem to think these things through.

I wish we could say that it's hyperbole and bluster, but he appears to be serious.

:crazy:

[Zero Division]

23. Wow, that power would NEVER be abused in our system.

:sarcasm:

[Chemical Bill]

24. Didn't Germany do that with Jews? n/t

[Wednesdays]

25. "Terrorist" = Anyone the wingnuts don't like

:scared:

[Demeter]

26. Why not Unregistered Agents of Israel?

Careful where you point that double-edges sword, Mr. Lieberman.

[harun]

28. +1

[proteus_lives]

34. Dual-loyalty smears.

Great way saying "F@#king J@w" without having to say the words, huh?

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

35. i'm a jew and Lieberman and Israel can both go to hell

[proteus_lives]

36. Keeping rooting for other team then.

Maybe you'll see the destruction of Israel. How happy that would make you.

[NeoConsSuck]

37. Curious, what 'other team' are you referring to?

[proteus_lives]

45. Anyone and anything anti-Israel.

He belongs to a subset of DUers who are knee-jerk anti-Israel.

[defendandprotect]

43. Do you mean you don't support Israel at all . . . or simply not right wing Fundi Israeli hawks?

[yurbud]

27. does the Senate ever censure anyone anymore a la Joe McCarthy?

When he finally went farther than his colleagues could stomach, they censured him to show the public he was outside of the bounds acceptable debate for the Senate.

I know most Democrats buy into the stupid fucking war on terror--but most in McCarthy's day backed the Cold War and were still able to say McCarthy was out of bounds.

Lieberman is a disgrace. He is the purse dog of the financial elite, so everyone has to look the other way when he eats off our plate, but when he shits in the dessert, you have to finally say something.

[struggle4progress]

29. Yeah, that's the ticket: let's strip away all a person's rights the moment the government accuses

the person of "being a terrorist." What could possibly go wrong?

[fascisthunter]

33. I Propose on Dropping his Cowardly ass in Afghanistan

[BigAnth]

38. That shoud put a real dent in terrorist activity.

Just think of all the potential terrorists who will forego their dastardly deeds due to the deterrent effect of possibly losing their American citizenship. This is really brilliant. Why wasn't this done years ago? It probably would have prevented the Ft. Hood shootings among other things. Tim McVeigh would surely would have given his bombing scheme a second thought if he knew that he was facing losing his citizenship.

[defendandprotect]

41. Could we PLEASE strip Lieberman of his membership in Senate???