In Desperation, Gonzales Smears Gore

[samhsarah]

Here’s Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on the Larry King Live show last night:

I would say that with respect to comments by the former vice president it’s my understanding that during the Clinton administration there was activity regarding the physical searches without warrants, Aldrich Ames as an example.

I can also say that it’s my understanding that the deputy attorney general testified before Congress that the president does have the inherent authority under the Constitution to engage in physical searches without a warrant and so those would certainly seem to be inconsistent with what the former vice president was saying today.

The issue with the Bush’s warrantless domestic wiretapping program is that it violates a federal criminal law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Despite what Gonzales is implying, the Clinton administration never violated FISA and never claimed they could violate FISA. Here’s why:

more at: http://thinkprogress.org/2006/01/17/gonzales-smears-gore/

[FormerDittoHead]

1. Republican fall back position: two wrongs make a right...

even when they have it WRONG!

[Arkansas Granny]

2. Their favorite message: Clinton did it, too!

[FormerDittoHead]

14. THAT - after 8 years of telling everyone he's the Antichrist! n/t

[LizW]

16. Is that really what they're going on?

Clinton did it?

Do these people do NO RESEARCH?????

It takes about a 30 second Google search to learn that what Clinton did in the Ames and Hanssen cases was legal at the time.

And I thought the company line was that it was LEGAL, anyway? What, are they backing off that now?

[FormerDittoHead]

17. 30 Seconds more research than Tim Russert does.... n/t

[tkmorris]

18. Of COURSE they know better

Saying things that are true is not the business they are in. Their job as they see it is to get the public to believe a lie. They are distressingly successful at doing so, largely due to the compliance of the corporate media in disseminating their version of reality.

[Zodiak]

19. And weren't Ames and Hansen ACTUAL spies?

versus the millions of Americans Bush ostensibly spied on that were NOT working for a foreign government?

I do not like warrantless searches, but I do not mind them so much when it is only two cases and both of them uncovered actual spies.

Keep digging, Gonzales, because this shit is not going to fly.

[Arkansas Granny]

23. Of course they don't do any research. It's so much easier to let

Rush and the rest of the RW smear machine tell them the truth. If you look it up yourself, you might get some info from a liberal site and they can't be having any of that. They might actually learn something that would conflict with their narrow beliefs and their heads would explode.

[blm]

13. Gonzales KNOWS he's lying, and why he qualifies with "my understanding"

to prevent getting hammered LEGALLY.

Why are freepers and media too dumb to know this?

[xiamiam]

3. pitiful..transparent...old tired repug motto..divert, distract, destroy..

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

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

[Beam Me Up]

10. Then why bring up the subject of nationality?

[maxsolomon]

20. because of the history of central american right wing

i assume.

honduran conservatives have a long reputation as utilizing death squads, etc.

but i'm not the poster of that so i'm just guessing.

[fasttense]

5. That is how they appease their repuke masses

They say oh well, so and so did it too. See it's not so bad to have illegal spying, because it has been going on all along. See it's not so bad to torture people because even in WWII they did it (illegally). It's not so bad to have secret prisons and whisk away citizens to unknown locations with no chance of a trial because the Communists did it too.

We can do any corrupt and illegal action because someone, somewhere, has done it before.

[kentuck]

6. Gonzalez has shown his hand...

He has no intent of cooperating with a Special Counsel. The Congress will have to appoint the counsel above his objections, and the objections of the White House. But will the Congress do that? Not likely, unless under duress.

The Democrats should put the pressure on them - at least ask for the Special Counsel. Silence will get them nowhere. We will see if the Democrats pick up the ball and run with it.

[abluelady]

7. Was Wondering

Did Larry King say anything to show that Gonzalez was wrong? He should be taken off of TV. He has all these "big shots" come on because he only asks them softball questions. What a waste of an hour?
We have to just keep saying, "they are lying."

[xchrom]

8. blah blah blah clinton blah blah blah clinton blah blah blah clinton

blah blah blah clinton blah blah blah clinton blah blah blah clinton blah blah blah clinton

[Pirate Smile]

9. Why Gonzales is wrong: (we need one more vote for GP)

"Despite what Gonzales is implying, the Clinton administration never violated FISA and never claimed they could violate FISA. Here’s why:

1. Prior to 1995, FISA did not cover physical searches. (With Clinton’s signature, the law was expanded to cover physical searches in 1995.) The search of Aldrich Ames home occurred in 1993. It did not violate FISA.

2. Deputy Attorney General Jamie Gorelick testified in 1994 that the President could conduct warrantless physical searches, before FISA required physical searches to be conducted pursuant to a warrant. Gorelick was arguing that the President could conduct warrantless physical searches in the absence of Congressional action. At no time did she suggest that, after Congress required the President to obtain a warrant, the executive branch could ignore the law, nor is there any evidence the Clinton administration failed to comply with FISA.

The fact that the Attorney General of the United States is resorting to such obvious deception shows that they have no real answers. The administration is getting desperate and grasping at straws.

[stevedeshazer]

11. An excellent example...

...of how the Regressives take stuff out o context and mislead by only telling part of the story.

I'm sure Sean Hannity will be all over it today. :eyes:

[quiet.american]

21. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. n/t

[Loonman]

12. Republicans are slimy, weaselly filth

Can't even duck and cover on this one....

[Free the Press]

15. um, AG claims two wrongs make a right? Alito, is this a precedent to you?

Even if the AG was correct, instead of dishonestly hiding behind semantics, a couple of isolated incidents applicable to a couple of individuals are not a legal basis for a comprehensive and nationwide denial of the right to privacy.

If the AG isn't employing faulty logic and extremism, then, I dare say, there is no such thing.

[Uncle Joe]

22. Too bad, Bush's Attorney General never studied

FISA law, or he would have known that prior to 95, physical searches were legal, Aldrich Ames happened in 93.