Specter Questions Patriot Act in Hearing

[Khephra]

WASHINGTON -- Raising the gavel with a grin, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter opened his first hearing Thursday by allowing more criticism of the Bush administration than his predecessor and by questioning some of the Patriot Act's police powers.

snip.....


He permitted multiple rounds of questions -- and criticism for the White House -- from senators of both parties, while Hatch had usually allowed only one round at such hearings.

Specter also agreed to let two law school professors and a human rights advocate testify against Gonzales.

He questioned extending some of the police powers in the Patriot Act passed by Congress after the Sept. 11 attacks, particularly language requiring judges to issue warrants without making police or prosecutors justify them.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-specter-gonzales,0,4990485.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[davidinalameda]

1. guess the neocons were right about him

he's not one of them

sure ain't one of us but not too bad as far as Repukes go

[damntexdem]

6. Old-style GOP.

He just ain't with the program.

But he doesn't have the guts to really oppose it.

[PA Democrat]

2. Falwell and Robertson will probably issue a fatwah

against Specter.

[AlCzervik]

3. I think they already have.

[aikido15]

4. Yikes...his e-mail will be...

packed by nightfall with evangelical hell hounds!

[Supersedeas]

23. when the fascists hit the face -- expect hate mail/hate calls/bad press

[nashville_brook]

30. then we should write too and thank him

i know it *feels* creepy... ;)

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

5. Way to go Arlen!! He may not be as 'paper trained' as the zealots want

Ya, they made him sit up, beg, and roll over to get the judiciary chair after his comments in November. But I suspect he's chomping at the bit at having to do so. In PA, he is definitely the lesser of two evils...and sometimes not such a bad guy.

[Cornjob]

7. Arlen has a bad habit...

of talking a good game.

Don't worry, he'll grease the skids for Gonzalez in the end.

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

10. I heard Biden say 'tough questioning, but probable confirm'...

Are any of the Dems going to object?

[WhiteTara]

17. Biden is scum!

To tell a Nazi that he is "the real deal" like
that's a good thing made me want to puke!

[malachi]

27. Right on the money. Numbnutz does this all the time, but when

it comes time to vote he always votes whatever way the chimp wants him to vote.

[Cervello]

8. Off Topic

But isn't Sen. Specter the one who came up with the magic bullet theory for the JFK assassination? Or am I thinking of someone else?

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

9. You're right, he was on the Warren commission. nt

[femme.democratique]

12. Don't forget him getting Ira Einhorn, crazed murderer, out of jail

so that he could escape to Europe to evade justice for decades!!!!

[Lugnut]

24. I'm still hung up

On the trashing of Anita Hill. I don't think I'll ever forgive Arlen for that.

[struggle4progress]

11. kick

[Tweed]

13. double kick

[gardenista]

14. kick for Khephra

[proudbluestater]

15. I think the article gives him more credit than is due.

When I saw him he was badgering Ted Kennedy about how many questions he had left and how much longer "this is gonna take." Upmost on his mind seemed to be the idea that this hearing was only going to be allowed to go one day.

Excuse me? We are talking about a guy who thinks torture is fun and entertaining. We are talking about a Patriot Act that severely limits our civil liberties.

We are talking, hypothetically, about the "what if there is another attack" and how that will FURTHER curtail our civil liberties even though WE the PEOPLE are not responsible for any attacks, past, present, or future; this administration is responsible. Let them see their rights get curtailed before ours.

I was not impressed with Specter. The Rethugs think they own it all, even down to how many questions a senators is "permitted" to ask of a nominee not fit to be dogcatcher.

[susanna]

16. kick

[miss_kitty]

18. kick for Khephra

[Stand and Fight]

19. Kick

:kick:

I have to agree with other posters. Specter will do as his masters in the GOP have commanded. He will confirm the dog Gonzales. The implications of all of this are most grave.

[Misunderestimator]

20. kick

[Scout]

21. kick

[waywest]

22. kick

nt

[Massachusetts]

25. Kick

:kick:

[sonias]

26. repuke orc rot is manifesting itself

(snip)
Specter wore a bandage on his nose from the removal of pre-cancerous tissue but was in good humor, accepting congratulations from numerous senators during the hearing.
(/snip)

Specter is too far gone to save. This is all for show. He's no different than McCain. They claim to be independent from rubber stamping this administration, but eventually they fall in line behind the giant trolls at the front.

Sonia

[mwdem]

28. Kick...

:cry:

[Gloria]

29. He had a bandaid on his nose last week...what next? Was it a

warning??? Will they dispose of him????

[FarLeftRage]

31. For Kheph...

:cry:

[Acryliccalico]

32. Kick n/t