Opposed to the PATRIOT act? Wanna know what you’re up against? Wanna get depressed as all hell? Check out the two videos on this page.

Representative Sensenbrenner (R-WI) abruptly ended a hearing looking into the renewal of the Patriot Act. He refused to yield the floor to Democrats, or to follow rules of order. He refused to allow debate from witnesses who were appearing at the behest of the panel’s Democrats.

So, is this it? Is this the best our democracy can do?

UPDATE: More background and details from Norm Ornstein at The Huffington Post. Geez, Sensenbrenner sounds like a piece of work, don’t he?

Harry S Truman:

“Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.”

Christo. Bennett. One, an engineer of environmental art on a grand scale. The other, an artistic environmental engineer. Can you tell which is which in this brilliant photo blog? Look through the picture series and tell me: Is Christo the real deal, or just a cheeeep reeeeepoff?