It's not often that I find myself on the same side as Hollywierd liberals, but this is one of those times. Senators have got their panties in a bind because Hollywood hasn't jumped on the smoking temperance movement. They say that all those smokers in films and TV and making kids light up. And if the movie industry won't clean up their act and jump on the anti-smoking bandwagon, lawmakers may just use the police power of the imperial federal government to make them.

Some lawmakers are going so far as to say you either stop fictional smoking or we'll use lethal force to make you stop; First Amendment be damned.

They urged Valenti to consider measures to decrease smoking in movies, warn parents about it by amending the rating system or run public service announcements about the risks.

Most said they were reluctant to pass a law forcing Hollywood to take such steps, but Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said that would happen if the movie industry didn't act.

"I think the ball is in your court, Mr. Valenti," he said. "I guarantee you if something isn't done by the industry, there's certainly going to be efforts" by lawmakers.

Here we have another liberal lawmaker threatening to "guarantee" they'll violate someone's rights. Ordinarily, I wouldn't feel threatened because such action is clearly a violation of the U.S. Constitution. But lately the legislative, the executive and the judicial branches of government have all been failing to uphold the Constitution, and I keep waiting for someone to wake me up and tell me the nightmare is over.

It may sound extreme, but an unjust law should not be obeyed, and Jack Valenti should tell Senator Wyden to "bite me". Where does he get off trying to intimidate artists into what they can and cannot put into their work? This nanny-government crap is going to damned far. Wyden and others are willingly violating their oaths of office by not protecting and upholding the Constitution and the laws of this great nation. When a sitting U.S. Senator uses intimidation and threats to violate someone's God-given, Constitutionally-protected rights, he should be taken to task. If Wyden's colleagues won't do it, then Valenti should.