Specter: If Warrantless Spy Program Illegal, Impeachment a "Remedy"

[AtomicKitten]

Specter: If Bush Broke The Law With Warrantless Spying, Impeachment Is A Remedy
http://thinkprogress.org/2006/01/15/specter-impeachment/

Today on ABC’s This Week, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) — who plans to hold hearings on Bush’s warrantless domestic spying program — upped the ante. He said that if it is determined that Bush broke the law, both impeachment and criminal prosecution are legitimate remedies:

STEPHANOPOULOS: There was a lot of talk about that at the Alito hearings, and listening closely to you I certainly seem to take away that you believe the president does not have the right, does not have the inherent power under the Constitution to circumvent a constitutional law, and as far as you are concerned, the FISA law is constitutional, isn’t it?

SPECTER: Well, I started off by saying that he didn’t have the authority under the resolution authorizing the use of force. The president has to follow the Constitution. Where you have a law which is constitutional, like Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, there still may be collateral different powers in the president under wartime circumstances.

That’s a very knotty question that I’m not prepared to answer on a Sunday soundbite. But I do believe that it ought to be thoroughly examined. And when we were on the Patriot Act and found the disclosure of the surveillance, I immediately said the Judiciary Committee would hold hearings, and I talked to the attorney general, and we’re going to explore it in depth, George. You can count on that.

STEPHANOPOULOS: You know, if the president did break the law or circumvent the law, what’s the remedy?

SPECTER: Well, the remedy could be a variety of things. A president — and I’m not suggesting remotely that there’s any basis, but you’re asking, really, theory, what’s the remedy? Impeachment is a remedy. After impeachment, you could have a criminal prosecution, but the principal remedy, George, under our society is to pay a political price.

The non-partisan Congressional Research Service concluded “that the administration’s justification for the warrantless eavesdropping authorized by President Bush conflicts with existing law and hinges on weak legal arguments.”

Video at Crooks and Liars: http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/01/15.html#a6718

[Fridays Child]

1. I agree and, by the way, it IS illegal.

Now, where do you stand on coathanger abortions, Arlen?

[Kber]

7. Arlen is pro-choice

and has been for many years, if not his whole political career.

[Fridays Child]

10. Then he needs to reject Alito.

[EVDebs]

11. During Reagan years Alito had a chance to stop some stuff

...but did he ? Rex 84 and Operations GardenPlot and CableSplicer which would have detained dissenters during wartime for example. They wanted to lock up all the liberals. I don't think they realized it was over half of the country !

[Skip Intro]

2. I can' t help but wonder if Specter is just getting the repukes "in front"

of the thing.

If you can't stop an investigation, take it over, corrupt it, assure the outcome will be in your favor.

Isn't that part of their methods?

[AtomicKitten]

3. nail on head

Nobody seriously thinks the Republicans would do in one of their own. But the Dems better start hitting this issue hard because it is highly exploitable.

[gratuitous]

4. Ah, the big "if"

Of course, the only way folks will determine if it's illegal is to have one of those, you know, investigation thingies. And until the Republicans, who control both houses of Congress, decide to look into this, that determination won't be made, now will it Arlen?

[AtomicKitten]

5. yahtzee!

Americans are catching on!

[enough]

6. This is Pure Specter -- doing what he does best, convincing democrats

that he is reasonable, rational, thoughtful, moderate.

Look at what he said. If the president has broken the law, impeachment is a remedy. It's meaningless, and Specter will never do anything other than what he always does, talk "reasonably" and act for the regime. He is and always will be one of their most useful stooges.

Please see the earlier thread on this:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x144792#145321

No need to reiterate what was said there.

[second edition]

8. Don't trust Specter, he talks a good talk, but doesn't carry through.

He disappoints most of the time.

[sarcasmo]

9. I couldn't believe I just saw him say it on CNN.

I was waiting for someone to post the actually article, Thanks.