Hagel: Bush “Can’t Unilaterally Decide That A 1978 Law Is Out of Date"

[kpete]

I tuned in to Stephanopolous' show halfway thru. Someone whose name I couldn't recall was talking about the illegal spying, that IF there is a reason the FISA act is inadequate, the president should come to congress; congress will work WITH the president.

Congress and the president are co-equal branches of government and the president cannot assume these duties all by himself. Hearings on this will soon start and - I'm willing to listen to him - but from what I know now he broke the law.

In short, I thought this person must be the Perfect Democrat!

To my surprise, it was Chuck Hagel!
http://www.haloscan.com/comments/firedoglake/113852208360105771/


Hagel: Bush “Can’t Unilaterally Decide That A 1978 Law Is Out of Date…And He Will Violate The Law.”
Karl Rove wants the American public to believe only one political party disagrees with Bush’s warrantless domestic spying program. But Hagel added his name to the bipartisan list of senators who question Bush’s authority to conduct the program:

HAGEL: I don’t believe, from what I’ve heard, but I’m going to give the administration an opportunity to explain it, that he has the authority now to do what he’s doing. Now, maybe he can convince me otherwise, but that’s OK.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But not yet.

HAGEL: Not yet. But that’s OK. If he needs more authority, he just can’t unilaterally decide that that 1978 law is out of date and he will be the guardian of America and he will violate that law. He needs to come back, work with us, work with the courts if he has to, and we will do what we need to do to protect the civil liberties of this country and the national security of this country.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/01/29/hagel-criticism/

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Hope Hagel follows up

Maybe him and Spector can initiate impeachment proceedings? If they think the President is breaking the law then they need to put their money where their mouths are.

[Olney Blue]

2. Hagel also disagrees with Rove and Bush's political strategy.

I have to say that I admired him for being truthful about this topic. He said
he has worked with Dems on th hill and rejects this "pre-9/11" accusation.

[zann725]

3. And Hagel previously owned one of the voting machine co's., right?

I assume he still has 'stock?'

If Hagel's speaking, other Repugs are listening...seriously, I would think.

[liveoaktx]

10. VIDEOS of both clips on CanOFun

On Bush's illegal wiretapping

On Rove's Pre-9/11 Campaign Strategy

[Olney Blue]

12. Thanks, liveoaktx!

[Atman]

4. He needs to "...work with the courts..." Yuppers. The ALITO court.

Everything is going according to plan! hehehehehhehe.

[Neecy]

5. He's one of the few Republicans who make sense...

He rejected the concept that the GOP 'owns' the security issue and condemned Rove's tactics in this area.

At least he makes sense, more than I can say for his compatriots.

[JeffR]

6. He makes more sense

Than some Democrats. Sad, but true.

[Cocoa]

7. has Hagel been swift boated yet?

[jmowreader]

13. Why bother?

Swiftboating: the promulgation of intentional lies to bring down a person.

We don't have to lie about Hagel. He WAS a high officer at ES&S when ES&S machines counted the election that sent him to the Senate.

[Vinnie From Indy]

8. An earlier poster has it right

Guys like Hagel will work with a right wing court so carefully constructed over the last few decades. Alito is merely the finish work and they will be open for all of BushCo business. One must NEVER FORGET that the Third Reich threw the cloak of "legality" on it's horrific agenda. It must be nice to have been the head guy at a voting software systems company that has such a huge role in counting our votes.

I do welcome sanity coming from the lips of the GOP whenever it happens and I keep hoping that so many people I know that vote GOP will see the light before it is too late.

[truth2power]

9. I heard Bush say this..

about the law being "out of date" a couple of days ago.

At the time I thought, "Wah??" He doesn't want to follow a 25 year old law, yet the Constitution, 250 some years old, has to be strictly interpreted. When it serves his interests, of course.

I swear - these people think like 4 year olds, and the Murikan public laps it up. :eyes:

[linazelle]

11. The administration's impending response: "My bad"

They are making a case to start flooding the media when it is apparent that they have broken the law that Bush "thought" the order for war was an order for imperialism.

:popcorn: Second act due to begin any time now...