NYT: Republicans on Hill Add Voices to Dissent Over Eavesdropping

[sabra]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/11/politics/11wilson.html?ei=5094&en=ed8f46be7d60a12f&hp=&ex=1139634000&adxnnl=1&partner=homepage&adxnnlx=1139628458-vcILYX/Dhy43nDoVSkNiag

Republicans on Hill Add Voices to Dissent Over Eavesdropping

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 — When Representative Heather A. Wilson broke ranks with President Bush on Tuesday to declare her "serious concerns" about domestic eavesdropping, she gave voice to what some fellow Republicans were thinking, if not saying.

Now they are speaking up — and growing louder.

...

Ms. Wilson and about six other Republican lawmakers are skeptical about Mr. Bush's assertion that he has the inherent authority to order the wiretaps and that Congress gave him the power to do so when it authorized him to use military force after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The White House, in a turnabout, briefed the full House and Senate Intelligence Committees on the program this week, after Ms. Wilson, chairwoman of the subcommittees that oversees the N.S.A., had called for a full-scale Congressional investigation. But some Republicans say that is not enough.

"I don't think that's sufficient," Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, said. "There is considerable concern about the administration's just citing the president's inherent authority or the authorization to go to war with Iraq as grounds for conducting this program. It's a stretch."

[babylonsister]

1. Yes, good news! nt

[saltpoint]

2. It's a stretch, alright. It's a total betrayal of the letter & spirit of

the Constitution.

Susan Collins is not my ideal senator but her constituents are probably asking her what the hell's going on with this administration.

I echo their concerns and I'm grateful that Sen. Collins has publicly raised doubts about Dubya's sneaky ways.

The next place where freedom should be on the march should be in Washington, DC.

[rodeodance]

3. when they actually cast a vote and stand with the Dems on this I will be-

lieve them.

[Mnemosyne]

4. I'm with you on this rodeodance.

We have seen these ploys before.

V

[calimary]

5. Always good to keep something like this KICKED

So I'm KICKING!

ANYTHING that spreads dissention in the ranks is GOOD-GOOD-GOOD!

One of the MOST significant things (we were talking about this just last night): If THESE republi-CONS are complaining about it, IT MEANS THEY ARE GETTING COMPLAINTS FROM THE FOLKS AT HOME. LOTS OF COMPLAINTS. AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, THOSE COMPLAINTS ARE COMING FROM OTHER REPUBLICANS.

Repeat - If THESE republi-CONS are complaining about it, IT MEANS THEY ARE GETTING COMPLAINTS FROM THE FOLKS AT HOME. LOTS OF COMPLAINTS. AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, THOSE COMPLAINTS ARE COMING FROM OTHER REPUBLICANS.

If WE complain, it's different. They expect us to complain. We're Dems/liberals/progressives. They expect to hear nay-saying from us. It's annoying, and they have to make note of it, but the more willful among them will just keep us on ignore - like so many of us here on DU have noticed, to our great displeasure and frustration. They don't care what we think, because for the moment, they presume we are in the minority. BUT: IF THEIR OWN ARE NOW COMPLAINING, TOO, THAT'S MUCH MUCH MUCH DIFFERENT. To these people, the opinions of other republi-CONS and Republicans in general DO INDEED make a difference.

Please don't misunderstand - it STILL is CRITICALLY IMPORTANT that we weigh in, even with the enemy camp (for those of us unfortunate enough to have republi-CON senators and congresspeople). We simply MUST. They HAVE TO hear from us, because they HAVE TO BE REMINDED THAT WE'RE HERE, TOO. But they'll take complaints from their own kind A BILLION TIMES MORE SERIOUSLY than they will complaints from us.

The fact that they're uneasy about this now is because they are hearing from their own, and their own are uneasy about this. Bank on it.

An added benefit - this also will give you some notion about how "the folks at home" feel about this. Without having statistics and poll numbers or anything concrete - this should give us a sense of the way the winds are blowing out there in Voterland. This tells us that there absolutely is a LOT of opposition and discomfort about this out there. They are VERY disquieted about this. VERY uneasy and unhappy about this.

And we should use that to our advantage. :evilgrin:

[freethought]

6. Can't believe this administration's attitude!

"Inherent authority!". Sounds almost as if Boy George is thinking he was born with the right to conduct warrentless survellience. "It's part of my heredity! I'm a Bush!".
Okay then, if this spying is legal, why didn't Ashcroft and the acting Attorney General sign off on the program? Solution! Give the Boy King an even bigger lacky of an Attorney General than he has now!

[sattahipdeep]

7. kick

:hi: