The "I" word hits Sunday Morning TV

[Rose Siding]

Specter made some sounds about bush's good faith being mitigating, somehow, which is the quote that was picked up by the AP. Then there's this, from Think Progress

Specter: If Bush Broke The Law With Warrantless Spying, Impeachment Is A Remedy

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.

[DeepModem Mom]

1. So why the hell is Specter voting for Alito, who will approve...

this spying, I think it's safe to assume?

[Wise Doubter]

3. Dog and Pony.....n/t

[Rose Siding]

5. Specter's useless, but I'm still encouraged that the point was raised

Impeachment isn't even an option with this Congress, but it has to be discussed in order to develop a public that broadly views bush's actions as criminal. Too many are willing to kiss liberty goodbye. The WP political editor wasn't even willing to poll about impeachment until it had been talked up.

[Avalux]

2. I heard watched this interview -

at the end, Specter was asked if (theoretically), he would he be willing to take the impeachment process as far as necessary. Specter tried to say impeachment wasn't going to happen, but then said if - "if" - it came to that, he would follow it through.

I then wondered why Specter bring up impeachment at all - unless it could be a very real possibility.

[wryter2000]

4. Easy for him to say

Impeachment starts in the House. He can sit over in the Senate spouting off all he wants, but if the repub sleazoids in the House prevent any kind of hearings, Specter will never have to sully his hands with it.

[Im with Rosey]

6. I have zero respect for talking points

especially those made by repugs. B-U-T, since Specter has been so nice to supply "Impeachment is a Remedy", I say let's run with it! The idiot is the sickness, IMPEACHMENT is a REMEDY.

[hootinholler]

7. He also said he hadn't heard impeachement being called for.

or words similar. I think we should fill him in.

-Hoot