Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., went public about his frustration with the Bush administration, releasing a letter he wrote to Vice President Dick Cheney. Much of the complaint was that Cheney went behind the back of the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman and secretly lobbied the other GOP committee members to block a hearing on the domestic spying program, and that the administration told phone company executives not to testify at any hearings. I’m not so concerned about the lack of protocol as I am with the administration’s efforts to escape any significant legislative or judicial oversight. Here is some of what Specter wrote:
“There is no doubt that the NSA program violates the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act which sets forth the exclusive procedure for domestic wiretaps which requires the approval of the FISA Court. It may be that the President has inherent authority under Article II to trump that statute but the President does not have a blank check and the determination on whether the President has such Article II power calls for a balancing test which requires knowing what the surveillance program constitutes.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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17 Comments
Hmmmm, not bad for a Kansas boy. ‘Bout damn time somebody got on their case, Arlen.
I agree.
Sen. Spector, use every means at your disposal, every procedural and arm-twisting tool, call in some favors. Do what you must (legally) to get the necessary witnesses and documents subpoenaed, and hold the necessary hearings. Hold some behind closed doors, if necessary. I’ll understand. But hold hearings.
We know the program’s out there, so the secret’s out. Let’s get to the bottom of it’s propriety, once and for all.
Frankly, if the president has a solid legal case, let’s hear it. He should not fear hearings.
And if he doesn’t, let’s hear that too.
Oh puleeeeeezzzz!
Sound and fury signifying nothing.
He contradicts himself in one paragraph trying so hard to pander to the base while also pandering to the preznit’s critics.
He starts out tough
“There is no doubt that the NSA program violates the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act”
Then weenies out like a big pussy just in case that might be too strong for any potential voters.
“It may be that the President has inherent authority under Article II to trump that statute but the President does not have a blank check”
WTF? Huh?
He does get gymnastic style points for his contortionist act to have it both ways.
And I noticed BOTH sides of his mouth were moving when he spoke.
Sound and fury, signifying nothing.
GMC- I agree. I really wonder if Bush believes there are 3 separate branches of government, or just one, beneath his throne.
where is the real gmc and what have you done with him?
:)
He’s a RHINO, and everyone knows. It’s bad enough he keeps getting reelected, but worse off, the only reason he even saying anything is because Tuesday night he got attacked on the situation room. (Very fair show, except for the constant republican bashing, and not holding democrats responsible for anything… other than that, pretty fair!) Just one last thing…You want freedom, but don’t want sacrifice, they are not mutually exclusive. If the administration wants to look at my phone calls, go ahead. Stop making such a big deal out of this!
This from crooks and liars on the situation room thing:
“He says the FISA statute has been violated, but won’t say that the President broke the law.
He says the President doesn’t have a blank check, but when Wolf asked him about punishment-he called it a political issue.
Cheney uses Hatch to go behind his back and Arlen doesn’t mind at all. Do you think he is blowing smoke like he usually does or is getting close to actually doing something?”
and in case you didnt know about the cheney part:
“CAFFERTY: What an idiot I am. I actually thought at the time Senator Specter was going to exercise his responsibility to provide some congressional oversight of the executive branch, you know, see if the White House is playing by the rules. Silly me.
In the end, Senator Specter has turned out to be yet another gutless Republican worm cowering in the face of pressure from the administration and fellow Republicans. There are not going to be any hearings. Americans won’t find out if their privacy is being illegally invaded.
You know what the Senate Judiciary Committee settled for instead? Senator Orrin Hatch said he has won assurances from Vice President Dick Cheney that the White House will review proposed changes to the law that would restrict certain aspects of the NSA program.
Dick Cheney is going to decide if it’s OK to spy on American citizens without a warrant. And this worthless bunch senators has agreed to let him do it. It’s a disgrace.
Here’s the question: Should the phone companies be forced to testify about cooperating in a secret NSA spying program?”
But of course, it is NO BIG DEAL.
heheh. was zawqri caught by verizon?
The following link is Cheney’s defense against Specter’s rebuke
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060608/pl_nm/security_eavesdropping_cheney_dc;_ylt=AofIAzmet.e6kemGeEnx9EWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b2NibDltBHNlYwM3MTY-
Well, that’ll be the end of that. ::sigh:: Not that I expected Specter to grow some real ones. Never did like the man. But you know what they say…
Hope Floats
Pentagon sets its sights on social networking websites:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19025556.200?DCMP=NLC-nletter&nsref=mg
RD
I know we all have concerns about privacy in the internet age; me too. BUT . . .
The article speak of “mining” the web for items posted on places like blogs or MySpace, etc.
How one can post something, voluntarily, on a website (like this one) and then complain when others look, including government, escapes me. One does not have a privacy interest in what one makes public voluntarily. Duh.
There are legitimate threats to privacy out there, as much from the corporate world as government (though in the long run, gov’t is the bigger threat). But this isn’t really one of them.
Just sharing as a reminder, GMC. :)
Specter’s MO is that he says a lot that I like, and then wimps out, the latest case being on bringing the telcos before Congress (and “thanks” too, to Diane Feinstein, for agreeing with him!).
Instead, they will rely on Roberts to talk to them in Executive Session–something that will happen after the election, if at all–and we won’t hear word one either way.
Watch for follow-up action. It ain’t happening. I have concerns about the man’s illness (and, yes, compassion), but at this point, what exactly does he have to lose?
Then look at what WE, as a nation, including him, have to lose.
Wake up, Wichita boy. Your conscience is calling.
For instance, GMC would have no problem if his employer, a government entity, monitored his blog activity.
He wouldn’t mind answering any questions about the amount of time that he spends on line or the content of what he posts from his taxpayer-funded work computer.
Good to see that you’re willing to walk the walk as well as talk the talk, GMC.
“and that the administration told phone company executives not to testify at any hearings”
WTF!!! That is the most absured thing I have heard in awhile, and this is proof of the wrong doings of this administration. I guess they do have something to hide.
Can we Impeach on this action alone? How dare they manipulate and control to save their ass.
Im tired of it. When are we going to stand up and say we have had enough!!!
FITZ!