McClellan Indicates WH Won't Cooperate with Hearings on Domestic Spying

[AtomicKitten]

McClellan Indicates Administration Won’t Cooperate With Congressional Hearings On Domestic Spying

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), the chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, has pledged to hold congressional hearings on Bush’s warrantless domestic spying program. At today’s press briefing, Scott McClellan made it pretty clear that administration officials wouldn’t cooperate:

Q: And my question is, does the White House take this into account, will it try to talk to them, will it participate in the hearings?

MR. McCLELLAN: Like I said, and the President has said we’ve briefed members of Congress on more than a dozen occasions.

Q: But that’s not what they’re talking about.

MR. McCLELLAN: And in terms of discussions about this, the President talked about this at his end-of-the-year news conference. We shouldn’t be talking about intelligence activities, particularly in a time of war, in a public way. This is a highly classified authorization –

Q: Not anymore. I mean, it’s public now.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, it still is. It still is highly classified. The President has talked in a very limited way about the nature of this authorization and what it’s designed to do, and how it’s limited. And so we will continue to talk with members of Congress —

Q: Will you cooperate with a congressional hearing?

MR. McCLELLAN: — the Attorney General has been talking to additional members of Congress about this authorization, so that they do understand why this tool is so vital in our efforts to prevail in the global war on terrorism.

Q: But will you cooperate with a hearing?

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I’m not going to get into talking about ruling things in or out from this podium. We’ll talk with members of Congress and make sure that they’re briefed and kept informed, as we have been.

This is whole problem. The administration doesn’t recognize that Congress has a role in overseeing the executive branch. They only want to inform Congress on their terms. That’s not oversight, that’s a lecture.

http://www.thinkprogress.org/

[fooj]

1. America! STFU. We'll do as we please.

:cry:

[marmar]

2. of course not...

They're above the law. Hail Caesar!

:evilfrown:

[Vincardog]

3. The whole problem is That aWoL believes an attack on his FASCIST policies

ia an attack on AMERIKA. He believes that just because he can declare something classified NO ONE CAN FIND OUT ABOUT IT. I say FUCK THE DICTATOR.

[stepnw1f]

4. It's Over for You Bush

Buh bye!

[Botany]

12. Bingo

We have a winner.

I worked for Kerry in Ohio .... Phones were tapped, hacked, and computers with 5 & 6 firewalls
were hacked into.

Bush is toast .... it is only a matter of time.

[bluestateguy]

5. Why didn't Mike McCurry use that logic

After the endless hearings on "Filegate', "Travelgate", Whitewater and whether or not government funds were used to answer Socks the cat's mail.

I would have been just fine will Bill Clinton dissolving the Congress permanently and ruling by fiat for 8 years.

[opihimoimoi]

6. I Knew students who left the Class because the Prof was off the wall

but qualified. But in reality,,,,he shouldn't have been there .... period...Gross incompetance...a selfish crooked fraud ...

Bush and CO. are pushing the buttons/levers.... They are in deep denial among other things.

[Double T]

7. The WH won't answer questions about anything they do........

because most of it is probably NOT legal and goes against everything the USA used to represent and hold dear to its heart.

[spindrifter]

8. This will be the death knell.

This issue, the strength of the Presidency vis-a-vis the other branches of government is the crown jewel of the neocons' corona. They will not let this go. Congress and SCOTUS have to hold the Pres.'s and his administration's feet to the fire or we will have been lured over the edge into an imperial presidency, just the one that Ch*ney, Carlyle, Poppie and * are lusting for.

[LSparkle]

10. And I don't think members of Congress will let it go, either

I'm frankly looking forward to this debate because it cuts to the heart of the Constitution -- what did the founders intend when they set up 3 branches (NOT JUST ONE) of government? Bring it on!

[sinkingfeeling]

9. If these hearings do take place, the Senate should subpoena whoever

they want and if Chimpy and company fail to appear, charge them with contempt of Congress. Then get the House off its butt and file impeachment charges.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Jacobin]

13. Then congress needs to stop funding his war games

That's what helped end Viet Nam. Slow down the funding and force a pull out.

That's the only way you'll ever get these bozos out of Iraq. These idiots would stay 50 years if congress would let them.

[AtomicKitten]

14. Q: Why doesn't the MSM EVER mention the permanent bases being built ?

[Vincardog]

15. Because they are the Corporate Controlled Media CCM don't bite the hand

that feeds ya

[Loonman]

16. Why does Bush hate America?

?