THE DRONE DEBATE IS EXPANDING

The Baton Rouge, Louisiana newspaper ran drone protest photo from Brennan hearing yesterday in Washington

•  Lots of emails flying around this morning congratulating CodePink for yesterday's truth telling protest in DC.  One wrote:  The anti-Drones protests in Washington yesterday also made the front page of El Pais in Spain. They really got the message home.  The CIA is the biggest Security Risk going ... 
• One interesting development is that libertarian elements within the Republican Party are increasingly speaking out against US drone policy.  Just this morning I received an email from one of these organizations and they are running a poll for their members on the drone issue asking: "Do you think Obama should be able to kill American Citizens thought to be affiliated with terrorists without clear evidence?"  They are using the poll to raise funds which indicates to me that they acknowledge their membership base is upset about out-of-control unconstitutional drone assassination policies.
• I was able to watch a bit of the hearing yesterday and noticed our Maine Sen. Susan Collins (Republican) asking Brennan a couple of direct questions on drone policy.  We sent out an email encouraging Mainers to contact her as well as our new Sen. Angus King (Independent) who is also on the Senate Intelligence Committee.  King told MSNBC this morning that, "In the context of 1,000 years of war, drones are more civilized" but then covered his behind by saying, One man [Obama] cannot be "judge, jury and executioner." Collins and King are very likely to vote to approve Brennan but my perception is that Collins was asking some serious questions because she heard from alot of folks across our state.  And some of the folks who were contacting her were probably from the Republican party.
• I know that counting on a positive working "alliance" with Republicans is wishful thinking - but it must be said that many Republicans still believe in Constitutional limits on federal power.  Nothing speaks stronger to the break down of our rights than drones killing American citizens without due process. 
• Below is a segment of the drone discussion on MSNBC including a couple statements by our new Sen. King from Maine.  He calls drones a "very smart artillery shell....a more humane weapon."  
• In the end the video below is a group of talking head functionaries from the corporate oligarchy but it reflects that global citizen pressure is forcing this discussion into the open and they are being made to defend the actions of a cancerous empire.  Keep the heat on them.

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