NYT: Accord in House to Hold Inquiry on Surveillance (GOP dispute)

[sabra]

http://nytimes.com/2006/02/17/politics/17nsa.html?hp&ex=1140152400&en=847d7f4d81d903fa&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Accord in House to Hold Inquiry on Surveillance

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 — Leaders of the House Intelligence Committee said Thursday that they had agreed to open a Congressional inquiry prompted by the Bush administration's domestic surveillance program. But a dispute immediately broke out among committee Republicans over the scope of the inquiry.

Representative Heather A. Wilson, the New Mexico Republican and committee member who called last week for the investigation, said the review "will have multiple avenues, because we want to completely understand the program and move forward."

But an aide to Representative Peter Hoekstra, the Michigan Republican who leads the committee, said the inquiry would be much more limited in scope, focusing on whether federal surveillance laws needed to be changed and not on the eavesdropping program itself.

The agreement to conduct an inquiry came as the Senate Intelligence Committee put off a vote on conducting its own investigation after the White House, reversing course, agreed to open discussions about changing federal surveillance law. Senate Democrats accused Republicans of bowing to White House pressure.

[yellowdogmi]

1. Thanks for posting this.

At least if we watch we can point out who pulled the plug and let this country go down the drain. These evil chumps really make me mad. I am trying to express myself with out swearing and am having trouble doing it. :grr:

I posted it in the Michigan Forum with a call to action. I hope that helps. Here is the link.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=159x5563

[Placebo]

2. What a bunch of bollocks.

So now the rule of thumb in DC is:

If you break the law, nevermind being held accountable—we'll just change the law so now you're in the clear!

:wtf:

[deacon]

3. they just need to ask a simple question - are you pro dictatorshipt or

not?

[Nothing Without Hope]

4. NYT: "Accord in House to Hold Inquiry on Surveillance" (Senate NO, HR YES)

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/17/politics/17nsa.html?hp&ex=1140238800&en=36843e33d850eee1&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Accord in House to Hold Inquiry on Surveillance

By ERIC LICHTBLAU
and SHERYL GAY STOLBERG
Published: February 17, 2006

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 — Leaders of the House Intelligence Committee said Thursday that they had agreed to open a Congressional inquiry prompted by the Bush administration's domestic surveillance program. But a dispute immediately broke out among committee Republicans over the scope of the inquiry.

Representative Heather A. Wilson, the New Mexico Republican and committee member who called last week for the investigation, said the review "will have multiple avenues, because we want to completely understand the program and move forward."

But an aide to Representative Peter Hoekstra, the Michigan Republican who leads the committee, said the inquiry would be much more limited in scope, focusing on whether federal surveillance laws needed to be changed and not on the eavesdropping program itself.

The agreement to conduct an inquiry came as the Senate Intelligence Committee put off a vote on conducting its own investigation after the White House, reversing course, agreed to open discussions about changing federal surveillance law. Senate Democrats accused Republicans of bowing to White House pressure.

(snip)

So the Senate has caved to the Rove blackmail and rejected an inquiry on NSA spying
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2114527

and Senator DeWine has put forward his blatantly whitewash bill to circumvent it:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2460473
thread title (2-14-06 GD-P): Dewine (R Ohio) to introduce NSA whitewash bill. Hearings to be canceled?
Comment/excerpt: “Dewine's bill will:
1.Maintain the curtain of secrecy over the NSA Domestic spying program as it has operated since Feb 2001;
2. Set up a fig leaf of congressional ‘authorization’ for Bush's current program;
3. Eliminate any input from the Judicial Branch of government by exempting Bush from the 1978 FISA Act
4. (And most important) Kill the currently scheduled bipartisan Senate inquiry, allowing the Rove to craft the 2006 campaign around their so-called ‘Terrorist Surveillance Program’ ".

But for now, an inquiry by the HOUSE appears possible, and the major question is its scope.

Let's blast our senators AND representatives to DEMAND accountability!!!

[rodeodance]

5. k and r

[HereSince1628]

6. The house's hearing is not a probe into warrantless domestic spying

it is to be about constructing enabling provisions to let the Junta continue on continuing on.

[worldgonekrazy]

8. Maybe

This WaPo article really makes it seem like it could go either way at this point. There seem to be two camps among House Republicans:

1) Those that want to determine if the law was broken by this program

2) Those that want to change the law so that this program does not break it

If Democrats are unified in wanting a real investigation (and they goddamn well better be), then we might actually get a real investigation in the House by getting a few of the Republicans in the first camp to go along with it.

Edited for clarity

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. 2) does not preclude 1)

:grr:

[stop the bleeding]

11. NWH - I love your posts and just wanted you to know n/t

[Nothing Without Hope]

7. Since they combined my thread with the earlier one, I get to vote for it!

...and kick!

[neverforget]

9. Why don't they just pass a law saying that Bush/Cheney are above the law?

And while they're at it, why don't they just disband Congress completely? Hell all they do is cover for Bush.:banghead: :banghead: :grr:

[Placebo]

10. At this point, they might as well.