McCain: I'd Spy on Americans Secretly, Too

[jakem]

If elected president, Senator John McCain would reserve the right to run his own warrantless wiretapping program against Americans, based on the theory that the president's wartime powers trump federal criminal statutes and court oversight, according to a statement released by his campaign Monday.



McCain's new tack towards the Bush administration's theory of executive power comes some 10 days after a McCain surrogate stated, incorrectly it seems, that the senator wanted hearings into telecom companies' cooperation with President Bush's warrantless wiretapping program, before he'd support giving those companies retroactive legal immunity.

As first reported by Threat Level, Chuck Fish, a full-time lawyer for the McCain campaign, also said McCain wanted stricter rules on how the nation's telecoms work with U.S. spy agencies, and expected those companies to apologize for any lawbreaking before winning amnesty.

But Monday, McCain adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin, speaking for the campaign, disavowed those statements, and for the first time cast McCain's views on warrantless wiretapping as identical to Bush's.

either the Administration nor the telecoms need apologize for actions that most people, except for the ACLU and the trial lawyers, understand were Constitutional and appropriate in the wake of the attacks on September 11, 2001. <...> We do not know what lies ahead in our nation’s fight against radical Islamic extremists, but John McCain will do everything he can to protect Americans from such threats, including asking the telecoms for appropriate assistance to collect intelligence against foreign threats to the United States as authorized by Article II of the Constitution.

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/06/mccain-id-spy-o.html

[ingac70]

1. More of the McSame. n/t

[SemiCharmedQuark]

2. Blech. He looks like Donovan after he chose poorly in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade"

[Occam Bandage]

3. Hey, yet another policy on which McCain no longer differs from Bush. Color me shocked.

And to think I considered supporting him in 2000. What a weasel.

[Fire_brand]

4. Obama needs to hit him on this now

[gcomeau]

5. You know, sometimes I almost think he *wants* Obama to win...

"Hey everybody! Vote for me and I'll secretly listen in on your phone calls!"

[williesgirl]

6. I wondered when I posted that statement. At least he won't be running as a Dem-Lite! rec'd

[City Lights]

7. Of course you would, McCane.

You and bush are like conjoined twins. Two sides of the same coin. Twin sons of different mothers. Take your pick.

The only way "change" and your name should be mentioned in the same sentence is if we're talking about your Depends.

You suck, Johnny McInsane, and you're going to get your ass handed to you!

[ingac70]

8. Kicking

[Bake]

9. Then he's already daring Congress to impeach and remove him

Before he even (sic) takes office.

Bake

[renate]

10. k&r

Wow. :wow:

[windoe]

11. McCain's vision of America is a nightmare

and he will have dictatorial powers, of which he will use and take to the next level-I have no doubt.

I believe in having at least two parties in the US, each keeping the other in check, but the Republicans are nothing like they once were. The Republican party has been infiltrated by sociopaths, and they need to restructure themselves to get any credibility as true Americans. For right now, their agenda is Fascist and this has not even been acknowledged by them as far as I know.