BYRD:Who is responsible for this dangerous & unconstitutional policy?

[kpete]

-- Sen Byrd (D-WV) gave a scorcher of a speech on the Senate floor today.

December 19, 2005 Senator Byrd: No President is Above the Law

byrd2006.com
Senator Byrd

Americans have been stunned at the recent news of the abuses of power by an overzealous President. It has become apparent that this Administration has engaged in a consistent and unrelenting pattern of abuse against our Country's law-abiding citizens, and against our Constitution.




The practice of domestic spying on citizens should halt immediately. Oversight hearings need to be conducted. Judicial action may be in order. We need to finally be given answers to our questions: where is the constitutional and statutory authority for spying on American citizens, what is the content of these classified legal opinions asserting there is a legality in this criminal usurpation of rights, who is responsible for this dangerous and unconstitutional policy, and how many American citizens' lives have been unknowingly affected?

http://www.byrd2006.com/news/news.cfm?ID=40

[FSogol]

1. K&R. Sic 'em Byrd! n/t

[converted_democrat]

2. Give'em hell Byrd!!!! n/t

[fasttense]

3. Wow what a speech.

"Now comes the stomach-churning revelation through an executive order, that President Bush has circumvented both the Congress and the courts. He has usurped the Third Branch of government -- the branch charged with protecting the civil liberties of our people -- by directing the National Security Agency to intercept and eavesdrop on the phone conversations and e-mails of American citizens without a warrant, which is a clear violation of the Fourth Amendment. He has stiff-armed the People's Branch of government. He has rationalized the use of domestic, civilian surveillance with a flimsy claim that he has such authority because we are at war. The executive order, which has been acknowledged by the President, is an end-run around the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which makes it unlawful for any official to monitor the communications of an individual on American soil without the approval of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

What is the President thinking? Congress has provided for the very situations which the President is blatantly exploiting. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, housed in the Department of Justice, reviews requests for warrants for domestic surveillance. The Court can review these requests expeditiously and in times of great emergency. In extreme cases, where time is of the essence and national security is at stake, surveillance can be conducted before the warrant is even applied for.

This secret court was established so that sensitive surveillance could be conducted, and information could be gathered without compromising the security of the investigation. The purpose of the FISA Court is to balance the government's role in fighting the war on terror with the Fourth Amendment rights afforded to each and every American."

[pberq]

4. K&R

[katinmn]

5. Kick!

:)

[theHandpuppet]

6. Kicked and recommended!!

That's my Senator!

[Burried News]

7. "Outrage" ... indeed

"These astounding revelations about the bending and contorting of the Constitution to justify a grasping, irresponsible Administration under the banner of "national security" are an outrage. "

[The Witch]

8. Byrd doesn't use adjectives like that lightly

He can see the danger we're in and he's gonna fight. Loveya, Dean!

[texpatriot2004]

9. Indeed Senator Byrd, who is? nm