Bush: I Am Not A Crook; DNC Compares Bush Mentality to Nixon

[sabra]

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=59831

Bush: I Am Not A Crook; Democratic National Committee Compares Bush Mentality to Nixon

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- At today's news conference, President Bush was asked whether his explanation about his domestic spying program was comparable to President Nixon's assertion that, "When the President does it, that means that it is not illegal." This quote from President Nixon in 1977 first resurfaced in a Democratic National Committee web video that was released on January 6, 2006.

"Democrats believe that we should spy on terrorists and aggressively fight the War on Terror," said Democratic National Committee Press Secretary Josh Earnest. "We reject President Bush's Nixonian above-the-law mentality."

To view the video and hear Nixon's quote, go to: http://a9.g.akamai.net/7/9/8082/v001/democratic1.download.akamai.com/8082/video/ads/20060106_wiretap.wmv

Congressional Research Service: Bush's Domestic Spying Program Legally Questionable And May Have Violated National Security Act. Two reports by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) question the legality of President Bush's domestic spying program. The first report, released on January 5th, 2006, argued that "the (Bush) administration's justification for the warrantless eavesdropping authorized by President Bush conflicts with existing law and hinges on weak legal arguments." That report "rebuts the central assertions made recently by Bush and Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales about the president's authority to order secret intercepts of telephone and e-mail exchanges between people inside the United States and their contacts abroad." The second report, released later that month by the CRS, indicated that the Administration's policy of limiting its briefings about the program only to congressional leaders, and not "all members of the House and Senate intelligence committees," may "have violated the National Security Act." (Washington Post, 1/6/06 & 1/19/06)

[LSparkle]

1. Yahoo! I've been reminded of the "enemies list" since this began

About time someone called Asshat on it!!!

[LizW]

2. Great minds think alike!

Someone here at DU noted earlier that this was Bush's "I am not a crook" moment.

[sabra]

3. LOL - I think it was me :-)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=246709&mesg_id=246709

[tridim]

4. Great.. Now do something about it DNC! n/t