Sen. Roberts Backs Domestic Spying

[sabra]

http://mcalesternews.com/opinion/feeds/apcontent/apstories/apstorysection/D8FHOKJG0.xml.txt/resources_apstoryview

Sen. Roberts Backs Domestic Spying


The Associated Press


WASHINGTON —

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts on Friday strongly endorsed the Bush administration's argument that the president has the authority to conduct warrantless electronic surveillance in the U.S. in pursuit of terrorists.

Presidents from George Washington to George W. Bush have intercepted communications to ascertain enemy threats to national security, Roberts, R-Kan., said in a letter to the chairman and ranking Democrat of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"Despite legal analysis by some critics, I am confident that the president retains the constitutional authority to conduct" such spying when the primary purpose is the collection of foreign intelligence information regarding foreign powers, Roberts wrote in his 19-page letter to Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

Leahy is among Democrats who have questioned President Bush's authority to conduct the domestic spying program.

[rodeodance]

1. This was clear in his opening statements at the hearing yesterday! The

hearings are there for the WH to bring out there big guns and to whitewash any wrongdoing by the WH.

[sabra]

3. it's going to be one ugly spectecle.... hopefully the people will rise up?

[Straight Shooter]

2. Fine. Spy on the Republicans in Kansas, then.

As for the rest of us, keep your surveillance out of my private life.

[Kolesar]

4. Gops betting the whole 2006 election on making this a nat'l defense issue

Nothing says that it is going to work again, though. I expect their media is going to do everything that they can to help bush, though.

[jaxx]

5. What the hell is Roberts doing on an "intelligence" committee?

Gawd I am so sick of these assholes.

[bpj1962]

9. Pat Roberts

It gets better. Two weeks ago when asked about domestic spying violating americans rights, Roberts said and I quote "Well dead people don't have rights",. I nearly spit out my soda. I guess the implication is that without domestic spying Al-Queada would have killed the entire population of the US by now. Once again they play to the basic fear of American which is to protect your family. Never mind the man behind the curtain who is taking your rights away.

[FloridaPat]

6. What happened to the story about how the illegal wire taping started

before 9-11?

Anyone who supports * with this in congress should be tried for treason along with *.

[fooj]

12. I'm in full agreement.

Peace.

[Connie_Corleone]

7. Then why the hell are they having hearings??

Don't even have the hearings and let's let Bush spy on us all he wants!!

I just can't take anymore of this.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

26. To white wash the * administration (nt)

[peacetalksforall]

8. I noticed that when Feingold, etc said or asked certain things

the look, body language, tone of disdain by Roberts conveyed a message of utter pain. Poor man, sounds like his prescription for pain was to announce his right wing WH position to the press. As if we couldn't figure it out based on his attempted resistance to recognize any inquiry.

[fooj]

13. He's useless. Fitzgeral is doing the job that he REFUSED to do.

He should be thrown out! Period.

[phoebe]

10. Roberts still not completed investigation into pre-war intelligence

http://coolaqua.blogs.com/coolaqua/2005/07/senator_roberts.html - 2005

snip

If you watched Fridays CIA hearings, you would have heard ex-CIA agents stating that when a leak of a covert agents identity occurs, its is standard operating procedure for the CIA to provide a "Damage Accessement" to the Senate.

Today on CNN, Wolf Blitzer asked Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein and Republican Senator Rat Roberts if they had seen the CIA's "Damage Accessment". Although both Senators are on the Senate Intellegence Committee, Roberts is the Chairman.

Feintstein had a one word answer: "No".

But Chairman of the Senate Intellegence Committee, Senator Pat Roberts, answered with a long evasive answer than never answered the question. So I think we can safely assume that he is sitting on the CIA's Damage Accessement. Transcript:

etc..
more here from 2005

http://coolaqua.blogs.com/coolaqua/2005/11/republican_sena.html

It was only two weeks ago that Democratic Senator Harry Reid shut down an open session of the US Senate to discuss why the Republican Controlled Senate Select Committee on Intelligence had not completed Part II of its investigation into the Bush Administration's use of Pre-War Intelligence.

Only after the shutdown did Republican Senator Pat Roberts (Committee Chairman) agree to resume work on Part II of the Investigation.

But according to Think Progress, Republican Senator Pat Roberts has returned to his old habit of stonewalling. Yesterday, Democratic Senators Feinstein, Levin, and Rockefeller sent a letter (PDF) to Republican Senator Bill Frist stating that no progress had been made on Part II in the last couple of weeks, and that significant work still remained.


Wonder if the new Downing Street memo will light a fire under Roberts' behind or more stonewalling to come?

[dchill]

20. A shorter way of saying it...

Roberts has a vested interest in finding Bush's "Homeland Spying Program" not only completely "legal", but extraordinarily patriotic. Which, of course, makes anyone who disagrees with Good King George's actions extraordinarily treasonous.

[hang a left]

11. Two Words.

Independent Prosecutor

[OneBlueSky]

14. you know we're in trouble when the Congress is . . .

debating whether illegal wiretapping and domestic spying is actually illegal . . .

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

28. I agree

So much for checks and balances

[LynnTheDem]

15. NOT LEGAL. Plain black & white English. bush VIOLATED THE LAW.

It's really that simple. And the vast majority of US legal experts have said so. Repeatedly.

[Up2Late]

16. Senate intelligence chair endorses domestic spying (Reuters)

(Senate intelligence? Need I say more?)

Senate intelligence chair endorses domestic spying

Fri Feb 3, 2006 05:10 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican chairman of the Senate intelligence committee on Friday endorsed President George W. Bush's domestic surveillance program and said the White House was right to inform only a handful of lawmakers about its existence.

In a letter to the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas expressed "strong support" for a program that has raised an outcry from Democrats and some Republicans who believe Bush may have overstepped his authority. The panel is to hear testimony Monday from Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on the issue.

Roberts said he believes Bush's use of warrantless surveillance is legal, necessary, reasonable and within the president's powers.

"I am confident the president retains the constitutional authority to conduct 'warrantless' electronic surveillance," he said in the 19-page letter addressed to the judiciary panel's Republican chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, and its senior Democrat, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

(more at link below}

<http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=11096141&src=rss/domesticNews>

[MasonJar]

17. Pat Roberts is one of the main reasons that we must win back

the Senate. He is a whore and a slut.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

29. Absolutely

But tell that to the Greens and others pissed off about Sam Alito.

[0007]

18. I can't believe how cunning and protective of junior as is Roberts

[DeepModem Mom]

19. An outrage! Legislative Republicans are robots! Our system...

has broken down, under these people.

[Up2Late]

22. Ever tried to sit through one of these "Congressional Investigations?"

Republicans make along speech praising his work, telling him they don't think he did anything wrong.

Then, the Democrats ask a bunch of tough questions, which he avoids answering.

Then, the Republicans make another bunch of speeches saying how Wrong the Democrats on the panel are for making such accusations and asking such tough questions...

This is a good indication that this one with AG Gonzales is going to be another complete and utter farce.:banghead: :mad:

[DeepModem Mom]

30. That would be my expectation. nt

[dchill]

21. Never mind. It's OK - Bush can spy!

Senate Intelligence Chairman: Bush Can Spy

By PETE YOST, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 14 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts said Friday the Bush administration's domestic spying is within the president's inherent power under the Constitution, and he rejected criticism that Congress was kept in the dark about it.

The program is "legal, necessary and reasonable," the Kansas Republican wrote in a 19-page letter, taking a particularly expansive view of the president's authority for the warrantless surveillance.

"Congress, by statute, cannot extinguish a core constitutional authority of the president," Roberts wrote.

This from the same guy who is STILL sitting on the CIA Intelligence Estimate and the Phase II report on pre-war intel. No politics involved there, noooooo...

[pfitz59]

23. Roberts' voting record....

http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=H1421103&type=category&category=Conservative

A wee bit to the right!

http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=H1421103

more info.....

Roberts is nuts!

[PBass]

24. As someone pointed out on the Daily Kos

Roberts is not a lawyer and he never went to law school. Whatever he "thinks" is legal is totally irrelevant...

We have courts, whose sole purpose is to figure out exactly what is legal, and what is not legal.

[Up2Late]

31. Very Good point!

That comment deserves another...

Welcome to DU! :toast:

Hope mine is not you first.

[Theduckno2]

25. Sure, they worry over "activist" judges......

But when the President breaks the law, effectively rewriting the law to suit his wishes, Sen. Roberts, a legislator, meekly acquiesces. Pathetic.

Funny though that this letter became public on the Friday before the Superbowl. I would think that this could have been released earlier in the week to garner more mainstream media attention. Maybe Bushco is getting worried that things aren't going their way and this was done in a bit of desperation..

[EndElectoral]

27. Think he would have done that if Kerry was Prez...transparent