Kerry Nails Bush: President Fails to Explain Why He’s Above the Law

[kerrygoddess]

John Kerry Nails Bush: President Fails to Explain Why He’s Above the Law
January 23rd, 2006

In a statement responding to Bush’s speech today, which he used to defend his domsetic spying program, John Kerry nailed Bush (again) saying Bush “spoke for nearly two hours, but failed to explain why he considers himself above the law”…

“One of the few things I enjoyed hearing in Judge Alito’s confirmation hearings was his statement that no one, not even the President, is above the law. If only the man who nominated him for the Supreme Court took those words to heart. Today the president spoke for nearly two hours, but failed to explain why he considers himself above the law. The president has yet explain why the secret FISA courts are not good enough or fast enough, or tell Congress what changes need to be made in the law. It’s time for a real investigation to get to the truth.

“What we know beyond any doubt is that Osama bin Laden was wanted ‘dead or alive’ four years ago, but he’s still alive and threatening America. The President says keeping weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of terrorists is our top priority, but the independent 9-11 Commission gave his Administration a D for their efforts. He says he will treat countries who harbor terrorists like terrorists, but Iran has been the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism every year of his presidency and he has done virtually nothing about it. When it comes to our national security, hollow rhetoric will not make America safe.”

Bush called the domestic spying program a “terrorist surveillance program” today, and said with his usual snide smirk and trademark chuckle…

“You know, it’s amazing that people say to me, ‘Well, he was just breaking the law.’ If I wanted to break the law, why was I briefing Congress?” Bush said with a chuckle.

As I posted here on the 19th, James Risen explained Bush’s briefings with Congress in his book State of War.

MORE & LINKS - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=1724

[boobooday]

1. "terrorist surveillance program"

First of all, I'm shocked that he could even pronounce such a complex sequence of syllables.

Second: Quakers? If it is a terrorist surveillance program, I'd like to know WTF they are doing targeting groups founded on principles of NONVIOLENCE rather than the guy who keeps showing up on the video tape vowing to kill us?

[Der Blaue Engel]

4. It was written out like this for him:

TEAR-IST SIR VALENCE PRO GRAM.

[boobooday]

6. LOL

Actually, they seemed to have him dosed up pretty good. He was feelin' NO PAIN, that was clear.

[patrice]

2. Why no Warrants?

Because he's been spying on Republicans too and he didn't want them to find out?

[NanceGreggs]

3. Feingold alreadt pulled a 'Gotcha!' moment on this one ...

"If I wanted to break the law, why was I briefing Congress?”

Well, Russ Feingold had a reply to this idiocy WEEKS ago: "Briefing ANYONE doesn't change the law. If I told every single person in the country that I intended to sell heroin, that WOULDN'T make selling heroin legal, would it?"

[kerrygoddess]

7. The more Gotcha Moments

the better don't you think. Jane Harman has pulled a few too, of late on this.

[TankLV]

8. Aside from the fact that he DIDN'T in any way shape for form brief anybody

NO Democrats were briefed, that's for sure.

[Der Blaue Engel]

5. Go Kerry!

:loveya:

[elshiva]

9. Thanks, kerrygoddess.

OMG, I hate that stupid Dubya smirk and chuckle, har, har Ah'm breaking Da Law...