Specter plans to press Gonzales on legality of spying program

[sabra]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/13715166.htm

Specter plans to press Gonzales on legality of spying program


WASHINGTON - A top Republican lawmaker put the White House on notice Wednesday that so far, President Bush's justification of the domestic snooping program just doesn't wash.

As Bush again insisted the National Security Agency's program was necessary, Judiciary Committee
Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., warned Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in a letter that he will have to prove the NSA's warrantless wiretapping inside America is legal.

...

Specter, who plans to convene hearings into the domestic eavesdropping program next month, posed 15 questions to Gonzales showing he doesn't buy Bush's claim that the Constitution's presidential war powers and Congress' post-Sept. 11 resolution gave him any right to bypass U.S. courts to eavesdrop.

"On the surface, it appears to conflict very directly with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but let's hear from the attorney general and give him a chance to state his case," Specter said Wednesday.

[Gman]

1. I want to believe Spector is righteously upset about the wiretapping

then I wonder if this isn't part of a grand stage for Bush/Gonzales et al to just perform more of their act on why they didn't break the law. Or, even worse, why they broke the law but its ok.

[0007]

8. Yeah, kind of like the way professional wrestlers shout their

rhetoric at each other, while the crowd sits quietly and drinks in every word.

[Gman]

14. Very good analogy

[Sperk]

2. another dog and pony show for the public? I'll believe it when I

see it.

[Nomen Tuum]

3. Sure

Specter is living proof of IOKIYAR!

[pinkpops]

17. I give up - whats IOKIYAR?

[Nomen Tuum]

20. IOKIYAR = It's OK if You Are Republican

In other words, Arlen will do his usual wimp out to his Nazi masters.

[jimshoes]

4. C'mon Arlen,

You owe us one for that Magic Bullet Theory of yours and you know it.

[enough]

5. Here we go again.

The Arlen Specter puppet show, with Arlen in his GRAVITAS suit . He's such a useful stooge.

[librechik]

6. the real danger is the Pukkkes changing the investigation from Judicial

to Intelligence committee. Specter may perform like a true patriot running the judicial committee. After all, he just had a near death escape, perhaps he is worried about his place in history.

But we know Pat Roberts running the Intelligence committee will take the issue and bury it where the sun don't shine, like everything else that passes through his hands.

I hope I'm wrong, but there may be a last minute shift. And that would be bad.

[HereSince1628]

7. Is there a provision for the presentation of an opposing view?

Or do only R's get an opportunity to run tape on a pro-Bush moment?

[leesa]

9. I can just hear him, " You don't agree with this idiotic notion that there

is anything WRONG with what our Glorious King did, do you?"

[Judi Lynn]

10. They are so OBVIOUS at times like that they should be embarrassed.

Not a trace of subtlety. They are so backwards they must believe their great skill is fooling everyone, not realizing people find them idiotic, comical, and, of course, dangerous.

"Don't pay any attention to those mean ol' godless, immoral, minority-lovin', gay-protectin', abortion cravin' Democrats, and tell us what _{George Bush} wants you to say."

[wordpix]

11. Specter's likely to get nothing out of Gonzo, that good * lapdog. Woof!

[Bjornsdotter]

12. Arlen "Magic Bullet Theory" Specter?

Excuse me if I don't quite believe in Specter's ability to ferret out the truth.

Cheers

[pinkpops]

16. Yup - he sure caved on Alito. Party first, Arlen?

[antonialee839]

13. Gonzales doesn't have a case Arlen, and you know it.

Quit the pontificating and put an end to this BS now.

[pinkpops]

15. The way for Specter to tell Gonzales that it is illegal would be

to impeach Gonzales. That would send a message to Bush.

[Auntie Bush]

Not to worry! The Rethugs will ad in something to make spying legal

in the P. Act in the middle of the night. Why not...they add stuff when no one is looking all the time. Remember the health care bill?
I forgot exactly what but maybe someone with a younger brain remembers.

[Auntie Bush]

18. Not to worry! The Rethugs will ad in something to make spying legal

in the P. Act in the middle of the night. Why not...they add stuff when no one is looking all the time. Remember the health care bill?
I forgot exactly what but maybe someone with a younger brain remembers.

[cyberpj]

19. I keep feeling this is a ploy - Repub hearing: 'oh, THAT explains it!" OK.