On Capitol Hill, a hearing on the expansion of the Patriot Act took an unexpected turn Friday when Republican House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner cut off the microphones during a hearing called by Democrats. Sensenbrenner cut short the hearing after the witnesses denounced President Bush’s so-called war on terrorism as well as the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. All of the witnesses had been selected by Democrats. After Sensenbrenner ended the meeting, he had the mics cuts as Democratic members tried to continue questioning witnesses. Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi said “It is quite ironic that at a hearing on the impact of the Patriot Act on civil liberties, the Republicans attempted to suppress free speech.”