GOP Senators Threaten to Stall Floor Activity

Tensions High During Muslim Hearings

A Congressman was brought to tears at an emotional and tense House hearing Thursday on radicalization among Muslim Americans, setting the tone for the panel's Democrats, who spent much of their allotted time protesting that the hearings were being held.

Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim to be elected to Congress, fought his emotions as he shared the story of a Muslim 9/11 victim at the Homeland Security Committee hearing.

"Mr. Hamdani bravely sacrificed his life to try to help others on 9/11," the Minnesota Democrat said. "Hamdani was a fellow American who gave his life for other Americans. His life should not be identified as just a member of an ethnic group or just a member of a religion, but as an American who gave everything for his fellow Americans."

Ellison's remarks early in the four-hour hearing weren't the only show of emotion. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) offered the sharpest criticism, calling the inquiry a "waste of time" before panel Chairman Peter King (R-N.Y.) said her time was up.

For the hundreds of people who lined up hours before the hearing to watch the proceedings, the partisan debate that ensued may have been a lesson on how Capitol Hill works.

Muslim advocacy and civil rights groups raised concerns that the hearings would be a "witch hunt" against American Muslims. Instead, Thursday's hearing was mostly a partisan debate over whether such hearings are appropriate. Those watching the hearing had been warned that interruptions would not be tolerated, but audience members still applauded as lawmakers traded partisan shots.

Republicans defended King, who said he held the hearing to highlight rising radicalization among American Muslims and a lack of willingness in that community to report it.

Democrats guided witnesses to question that premise. Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca did so, saying he was "overwhelmed" by the Muslim community's interest in working with him. "I believe Muslims are cooperating much more outside of organizations as well as inside," he said.

Rep. Loretta Sanchez dueled with another witness, Muslim conservative Zuhdi Jasser, over his criticism of civil rights groups that advise Muslims to seek legal counsel before speaking to federal law enforcement.

"By what legal principle do you assert that any minority should waive that American principle?" the California Democrat asked.

Republicans criticized their counterparts for cloaking the debate in political correctness by questioning the constitutionality of targeting a specific group. Several Democrats suggested a broader hearing that would look at extremism of all kinds.

"I cannot help but wonder how propaganda about this hearing focusing on the American Muslim community will be used by those who seek to find a new generation of suicide bombers," said Rep.Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the panel's ranking member.

But Rep. Paul Broun said such arguments miss the point: that al-Qaida and other organizations are successfully radicalizing youth in Muslim American communities.

"We need to know exactly who our enemy is. We need to focus on that enemy and not let political correctness deter us from that," the Georgia Republican said. "I think political correctness is also an enemy."

Senator urges US spy chief be fired

A US senator called Thursday for US spy chief James Clapper's ouster for branding Russia and China "mortal" threats to the United States and saying Libya's Moamer Kadhafi would defeat an uprising against his rule.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham cited two previous public missteps by the national intelligence director, notably a February comment that Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood was "secular," and said the latest comments were the "final straw."

"Three strikes and you're out," Graham, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told Fox News television, pointing to Clapper's comments on China and Russia in testimony to the panel.

Other senior senators broke with Graham's call for Clapper's removal, and the White House said it had "full faith and confidence" in him -- even as it sharply disputed his prediction about the conflict in Libya.

US President Barack Obama's national security advisor, Tom Donilon, told reporters that Clapper's Libya analysis was "static and one-dimensional" and said it left out prospects that world powers may help Kadhafi's opposition.

And Donilon's deputy, Ben Rhodes, pointed out that "obviously China and Russia are nations with large nuclear arsenals and large armies" but stressed that Washington had been "building cooperative relationships" with both.

"When you look at the issue of intent to be an adversary to the United States, that leads you to focus on nations such as North Korea, organizations such as al-Qaeda," said Rhodes.

Asked about Kadhafi's hold on power in the face of an armed uprising and calls from the United States and key allies for him to leave, Clapper had told the armed services committee: "Over time I think the regime will prevail."

"With respect to the rebels in Libya, and whether or not they will succeed or not, I think frankly they're in for a tough row," he said.

Asked what country posed the greatest threat to US security, Clapper said Russia's nuclear arsenal poses "potentially a mortal threat to us. I don't think they (the Russians) have the intent to do that."

And the Chinese "too pose, potentially, from a capability standpoint, a threat to us, -- a mortal threat."

In both countries "the intent is low, but they certainly have the capability," said Clapper, who agreed that the United States poses a potentially mortal threat to Russia and China.

In a written statement, Graham said Clapper's comments on Kadhafi were "not helpful to our national security interests" and "will make the situation more difficult for those opposing" the Libyan strongman.

"Some of his analysis could prove to be accurate, but it should not have been made in such a public forum. If he felt the need to say what he did, then they should have moved into closed session," said Graham.

"Unfortunately, this isn't the first questionable comment from the DNI director. However it should be the final straw," the lawmaker said.