Current TV's Keith Olbermann spoke to Human Rights First's Raha Wala about the extremely dangerous threat to our civil liberties that the United States Senate is considering in the defense authorization bill where citizens of the United States could
December 1, 2011

Current TV's Keith Olbermann spoke to Human Rights First's Raha Wala about the extremely dangerous threat to our civil liberties that the United States Senate is considering in the defense authorization bill where citizens of the United States could be held under military custody, all in the name of our so-called "war on terror."

Carl Levin's support of this bill astounds me quite frankly and who would have thought Dianne Feinstein of all people would turn out to be one of the Senators speaking out against the bill.

Here's more on Obama's veto threat -- Obama Threatens Veto of Defense Authorization Bill :

The debate over terrorism suspects on Thursday divided Democrats, with Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., squaring off over the language with Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., Senate Intelligence Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

Democratic opponents of the provisions, who offered a series of amendments to strike or water down the language, appear to face an uphill effort to find the votes to amend the detainee language as almost all Republicans and most Armed Services Committee Democrats support it.

By moving ahead with the bill without a deal—the White House threatened to veto the bill earlier Thursday—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., reduced the leverage and ability of opponents to force changes. Feinstein said she isn't confident the bill can be amended, saying only that she strongly opposes the provisions. She declined to comment on Reid’s decision to press ahead with the bill but several Democratic aides said his move caught Democratic opponents of the provision by surprise. The aides said Reid told Democrats he is eager to move ahead with the bill in the face of pressure from Republicans and his own desire to clear “must pass” bills that are ready for the floor.

The Obama administration threatened to veto the major defense authorization bill because of language paving the way for many terror suspects to be put under military custody, a sharp escalation of its battle with Congress over the future course of the war on terror.

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