Specter: If Bush broke law, impeachment is a remedy

[kpete]

Specter: If Bush broke law, impeachment is a remedy
by kos
Sun Jan 15, 2006 at 08:47:02 AM PDT
Specter ups the ante on ABC's This Week:



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.

http://www.dailykos.com/

[Greeby]

1. "If"?

:wtf:

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Thi8nk 1973

this is incredible and a giant step.... you see the translation of this to the exceutive is... time for you to start packing your bags...

[FreedomAngel82]

12. I'm not going to hold my breath but

I do hope something comes out of the NSA hearings whenever they're supposed to start them.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. I think they are setting the stage

I don't know bout where you live, but these days I can say the I word with no fear.

[charlyvi]

2. Sure, Specter says this.

While also throwing softballs at Alito, who will possibly rule on any executive power cases that might come up before SCOTUS. And we all know how Alito feels about the "Imperial Presidency". Seems like Specter is playing both sides of the fence. Cozying up to the wingnuts with Alito and trying to maintain his pro-choice, moderate, checks and balances credibility. It's not working with me. Thanks for nothing, Specter.

[madokie]

3. At least he is using the 'I' word, cautiously but uttered it nonetheless

The rove machine will kick in now for sure, poor old arlen thinks he just had won a hard battle with cancer, wonder what he'll think about the swiffboaters. Remember he used the word impeachment today

[liveoaktx]

6. VIDEO

political price

[Wordie]

23. Yeah, if Specter is truly concerned about unconstitutional expansion

of Presidential powers, the person to be more worried about, imho, is Alito. At the most, we have two more years of Bush, impeachment or no. But if Alito, who is the guy who thought up the signing statement, is placed on the bench, that is decades.

Why, if this is such a concern for Specter, is he planning to vote for Alito? Even if Bush were to be impeached, the Dems would lose overall with Alito on the bench.

[peekaloo]

4. Pardon my cynicism but I'm sure he'll come up with a

"single impeachment theory".

:-(

[AX10]

5. It's what Arlen says here. When it comes time to impeach...

Spector will be a good little Repub and defend Bush on a bunch of made up "technicalities".

[Rainscents]

8. Specter... If you truly concern for liberty and freedom, why the

hell you said, you are going to vote for Alito? You are nothing but RW scum!

[mom cat]

9. Exactly. Alito used his position for economic gain (Vanguard) and

now he wants more power to abuse? Arlan Specter is just trying to look moderate by wispering the I word. His vote for Alito proves otherwise.

[jillan]

18. I had the same thought going thru my head while listening to that

this morning.

[fooj]

10. This says it all for me...

and I'm not suggesting remotely that there's any basis...

Oh, really?

Peace.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

11. Excuse me - I'm happy to hear anyone use this word

and ESPECIALLY any member of the Republican party. Maybe he can set a good example for the strangely silent Democratic Party that seems to be selling me down the river every time I look around.

[durablend]

17. He's just being a gas bag (as usual)

Anything he says is rubbish, especially this.

His (non) stance on pro-choice by guaranteeing a vote for Scalito says it all.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. Why aren't the Dem "leaders" saying the same thing?

And more about the need to impeach the Criminal-in-Chief?

[DoYouEverWonder]

14. If Bush broke the law - ha, ha, ha

Of course, in Arlen's world you are not allowed to indict a sitting president, even thought they argued the other way when it came to Clinton, but since you can't indict a sitting president, then you can't prove he committed a crime. A perfect catch-22.

[bigtree]

15. He's a stalking horse

He'll never admit that Bush broke the law

[lindisfarne]

16. Problem is: Cheney has to go before Bush is impeached. Cheney as

Pres. is even worse than Cheney as Vice Pres. and Bush as Pres. (yes, it's only marginally worse as Bush is to a large degree a puppet but still, it's worse).

[951-Riverside]

20. As I tell every operative that posts this fear mongering BS....

its the principle that matters, Bush is an idiot and he makes our country look bad but just look on the bright side Cheney will only be serving 1.5 years max.

[Reverend_Smitty]

22. Exactly, nothing like seeing Shrub take the walk of shame

out of the White House. If for nothing else it will give me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. But I'm speaking as if this will ever happen...one instance I wouldn't mind being proved wrong

[RazzleDazzle]

21. kpete at it again -- here's the permalink, folks

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/1/15/10472/0158

shame on you, pete. shame on you. It takes no more effort to post the permalink than the kos home page. None. This item is already more than halfway down the page. It won't be long before you'd REALLY have to go searching for it.