Sensenbrenner Watch today points out how Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) has been speaking out of both sides of his mouth. In this case, the suburban Milwaukee congressman has been speaking out against activist judges while at the same time leveraging the judiciary to act in ways inconsistent with the Constitution and established case law.

On another Sensenbrenner note, F. Jim's recent tantrum during hearings on the USA Patriot Act puzzled me somewhat since just over two years ago, he was staunchly opposed to renewing the portions of the act that expire at the end of 2005. From the April 17, 2003 Craig Gilbert article:

House Judiciary Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. said Thursday that he would fight any effort now to make permanent many of the expanded police powers enacted after the Sept. 11 attacks as part of the USA Patriot Act.

"That will be done over my dead body," said Sensenbrenner in an interview.

With the sunset provision kicking in at the end of the year, it's time for Sensenbrenner to say whether he still believes that should be the case.