Rockefeller Questions NSA's Authority (Sen. Roberts nixed his proposal)

[Wordie]

Senator Rockefeller submitted an investigative proposal Thursday, but Republicans, led by Intelligence Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), voted to adjourn without considering it. Roberts said that the proposal might be considered if efforts to work with the White House to resolve questions about the program and to create legislative solutions do not succeed.

Sen. Rockefeller's proposal asked that these questions be investigated: whether NSA engaged in spying activities after 9/11, before the President's secret spying program began; how intelligence collected as part of the NSA program is retained; operational procedures of the program; concerns raised by federal judges; and operational technology, among other questions.

Rockefeller Questions NSA's Authority

By KATHERINE SHRADER, Associated Press Writer Fri Feb 17, 9:37 PM ET

WASHINGTON - The top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee wants the panel to look into whether the National Security Agency was eavesdropping without proper authority in the weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks.

...Rockefeller wants the full committee to understand the NSA's activities — "including any warrantless surveillance" — that took place between the suicide hijackings in 2001 and the initiation of President Bush's controversial surveillance program.

Rockefeller also wants the panel to investigate how that may have supplemented intelligence collected and analyzed before the attacks. That line of inquiry is the first of 13 questions Rockefeller circulated to committee members as part of his motion to investigate.

More members of Congress are also expressing interest in weighing in on the program. Sen. John Warner (news, bio, voting record), R-Va., told reporters that he's had conversations with members of the "Gang of 14" — centrist senators who defused a showdown over judicial filibusters last year — about whether they should consider reviewing laws relating to the president's program. But, he said, they haven't reached a decision.

Associated Press writer Liz Sidoti contributed to this report.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eavesdropping;_ylt=Aizv4_hqstTITLlngBtOQC3B4FkB;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

[bullimiami]

1. how about the most important question? is it actually being used to

only look for real terrorists or are they lying and using it for political and other purposes.

i think they are lying.

[Wordie]

5. He may be asking that question, too. The article didn't have a list of all

his questions (I believe it said there were 13).

[rodeodance]

2. nominate

[rodeodance]

3. simply put-Roberts/Repugs are allowing the WH to dictate how this

will be investigated-and even if will be.

......Roberts said that the proposal might be considered if efforts to work with the White House to resolve questions about the program and to create legislative solutions do not succeed.

[Wordie]

4. I signed the PFAW petition...everyone should keep pressure on these guys!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=106x26934

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

6. Roberts is Stonewalling...

... kick

[Wordie]

7. I think he is covering for the Bush administration.

More attention needs to be given to Rockefeller's proposal, imo. I'm going to email Tweety and KO with it.

If anyone else thinks of other tv hosts who should also be advised of this, so that they might cover it on their programs, please email them.

[rodeodance]

8. so the Dems just got shoved aside AGAIN.

......Senator Rockefeller submitted an investigative proposal Thursday, but Republicans, led by Intelligence Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), voted to adjourn without considering it

[rodeodance]

9. nominated.

[rodeodance]

10. WH "their bar for agreeing to any legislative changes would be high."

....Roberts told the Times that he does not believe much support exists among lawmakers for exempting the program from the control of the FISA court. That is the approach Bush has favored and one that would be established under a bill proposed by Sen. Mike DeWine (news, bio, voting record), R-Ohio.

White House officials have said their bar for agreeing to any legislative changes would be high. They have signaled they are open only to legislation that would "further codify" in law the authority the president insists he already has without Congress' approval, something officials believe would be accomplished with DeWine's proposal.

Bush also has been cool to expansive debate about the program, saying Friday that the discussion going on now is "too bad, because guess who listens to the discussion? The enemy."

Roberts has defended Bush's program, which was revealed by the Times in a story in December. Bush says the program to monitor electronic communication between the United States and international sites involving suspected al-Qaida operatives is vital to anti-terrorism efforts.