Official Senate Committee Hearing - Electronic Surveillance - Thread 13

[Viva_La_Revolution]

First 10 NSA Hearing threads - Feb. 6 2006 "Gonzo gets Grilled"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=320&topic_id=660&mesg_id=660

Thread 11
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x336279#336446

Thread 12
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x337036#337092

For the guys….





And for the girls…

[helderheid]

1. YOU SO TOTALLY ROCK VIVA!

[Lochloosa]

3. Second that!

[myrna minx]

10. Third that!

:bounce:

[Sydnie]

15. fourth that! n/t

[More Than A Feeling]

2. Has anyone talked about the reports of the spying on political opponents?

I haven't seen the whole hearings.

[mod mom]

9. Why not bring up the Quakers Peace Meeting!

[Viva_La_Revolution]

25. Those would be those "other programs" that Gonzo refuses to talk about

remember.. he's only answering questions about "this" program. :mad:

[Tinksrival]

4. Aaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggggg!

[MuseRider]

5. Thank you so much

for manning these. I am only getting to watch/hear a bit so now I can keep up or go back and see what I missed. I did that last week too. You should get a little tiara/crown to wear during these threads! :applause: THANK YOU!

[myrna minx]

Have you tapped calls between 2 american phones.

No answer.

[helderheid]

13. This has been going on illegally since jan 2001. LIARS!!!!

[LSK]

14. after a long pause - no answer

[rodeodance]

79. the silence says it all.

[The Witch]

6. Me--yow!! (on topic: Cornholio is up)

:dunce: :dunce: :dunce:

[emulatorloo]

7. Oh Crap, the liar from Texas up now.

[LSK]

8. so Gonzo wouldnt answer if domestic only calls were spied on

[GreenPartyVoter]

18. A damning silence, eh? Or did he "disassemble"?

[gkhouston]

22. I wonder why he wouldn't answer this question

:freak:

The President and Scotty have both stated on numerous occasions that only internation calls were being tapped. Hmm...

[TexasLady]

11. cornyn...hmmmm from my state..

[emulatorloo]

19. I am so glad God invented the "mute" button EOM

[Mnemosyne]

38. Me too! lol I've

been muting all the pukes. You too? nails on chalkboard.

[dogday]

Lucky Us

:puke:

[rusty_parts2001]

12. Here comes empty suit Cornyn

A total sellout to the Bush cult. He left his brain and conscience in Texas when he went to the Senate.

[MoonRiver]

61. You mean he had them before then?

Amazed, I am! :wow:

edited to say: WELCOME TO DU! Home of the brave and still free! :hi:

[Sparkly]

16. OmiGAWD -- No confirmation they never tapped US-US calls!!

He refused to say that the "program" hadn't been used to monitor US to US calls!!

In addition to refusing to answer questions about opening mail, reading emails, etc. etc... within the US. :wow:

Tell me that doesn't answer the question!

[More Than A Feeling]

17. shorter Cornyn: old laws are worthless

[emulatorloo]

23. remind me next time I am stopped for speeding. . .

[More Than A Feeling]

31. You could cite the authority of Schwarzeneggar on his motorcycle

no license, and no ticket, either.

Elitist assholes who think they are above the law. Things haven't changed much since medieval days, in that regard.

[deminks]

20. I'm still freaking out that gonzo thinks the POTUS is his client. nt

[JudyM]

32. That shocked me, too. Conflict ofinterest in the raw.

POTUS has his own counsel. The country needs one.

[debbierlus]

53. Schumer was GREAT

It was PATHETIC watching little snivel coward twisting himself in knots...

Can other people from the adminstration who may have differing views as to the legality of the program come before us and tesify about their legal understanding? And, will they be as free to speak as you?

Unfair if only the people who agreed with the adminstration could have privillege to testify as you did today

Don't you agree?

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr......Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.............I am uncomforable with that.

[Mr_Spock]

21. Senator Corn-hole is up now - mute button activated.

This useless peice of shit could care less about that law, he's a criminal.

Gonzales is being torn a new ass-hole though - go Dems!

Make these lying weasels repeat the lies.

[w8liftinglady]

35. no shit-he's my senator

:puke:

[Mr_Spock]

57. OMG - I feel for you

Can't imagine what it would be like having that lying weasel as a Senator.

[neverforget]

24. Senator Cornhole doing his biddin' for his master.

[Mr_Spock]

28. Glad I activated the MUTE button

This useless fuck will tell nothing but lies and kiss Repuke ass-hole

[HereSince1628]

26. Gonzales is only going to talk about the worm out of the can

he has clearly indicated there is a canful but he isn't going anywhere near anything else.

It seems to me all the pResident's authorizations that are about domestic spying would be of interest to the committee.

The committee hearing is just another opportunity to gain media access and catapult the propaganda.

[Sparkly]

33. Yup -- "We're talking about international communications"

That's what HE is talking about -- but that's not what the Democrats have asked about, and he's refused to confirm that they have not tapped US-US communications.

[emulatorloo]

42. clearly why repugs would not put him under oath . . . EOM

[The Witch]

27. Cornyn watches cable news.

They said domestic surveillance .... so it must not have been Fox!

:rofl:
(If I couldn't laugh, I'd cry.)

[Mr_Spock]

34. Good ol' Corn-hole

He's just a chunky piece of crap

[LSK]

29. Corny trying to cover up that domestic only part

[Catchawave]

48. R-Texas, Oilman v. Strawman ?

[helderheid]

30. domestic vs international

YOU SPIED ON QUAKERS.

[HereSince1628]

44. The domestic spying is a program the President supposedly didn't

leak.

I think this is in part why the Democrats wanting to get the *'s video played.

[helderheid]

52. ahhhhhh

[Catchawave]

36. AG using dom/int airline analogy? My head's ready to explode!

[BR_Parkway]

50. So if you leave Bangor Maine, fly thru Canada, then land in N

Dakota - is that an international flight AG?

[Roland99]

62. I'm so dizzy, my head is spinnin'

[mod mom]

37. "Domestic surveillance is a poor representation of what is going on" BS

Explain the Quakers incident.

[EFerrari]

60. And the vegans. And the peace grannies.

[mod mom]

69. We really need to focus on those true criminal elements, don't we?

[The Witch]

39. I want to fast forward to Feingold Round 2.

Pooh.

[Sydnie]

45. I want to hear Leahy and Kennedy round two too! n/t

[emulatorloo]

56. or leahy -- I want to hear when this program actually started

gonzo "couldnt recall," leahy told him to find out before round 2

[More Than A Feeling]

40. I hope someone will point out that refusing to get a warrant was pointless

that it had nothing to do with security. Also, that the law hasn't actually found any terrorists yet.

[chat_noir]

41. reframing: don't call it domestic surveillance

[jane_pippin]

43. It won't *always* be a hypothetical situation, Gonzo, so answer it!

Oooh---that "that's a hypothetical" answer is really starting to bug me. When whatever the thing is finally happens, will you talk about it then, or will it become an "ongoing investigation" at that point?

[Sparkly]

49. And yet he refused to say that these "hypotheticals" never occurred.

That speaks volumes.

[jane_pippin]

67. Guess that means they aren't "hypotheticals" after all...

Oh wait--I forgot--they create reality now.

Remind me, how long have we been at war with Eurasia now? I forget.

[giant_robot]

46. Ugh! I'm so sick of this "international flight" analogy.

It's bullshit! Spying on a US person is domestic spying, no matter who he's talking to!

[rodeodance]

55. well, gondo not answering many questions or running around them.

[BlueEyedSon]

63. repeat until accepted by every merkin

[Brotherjohn]

106. Jon Stewart had a good line on this, but I don't remember it.

He showed Scott McLellan's use of this ridiculous analogy, and rebutted with somethig along the lines that his "language lesson" had nothing whatsoever to do with the Constitution.

Something about the founding fathers being so concerned about carry-ons or some other such inanity of modewrn-day flying.

[JudyM]

47. Clinton's old lawyer wrote an editorial approving of * spying?!

[mrcheerful]

51. Right back to lets get the whistle blowers

[LSK]

54. investigate the whistleblowers - again

How dare the truth get out!

[rodeodance]

68. Dem. Durbin up---talking of How WH calls FISA a 'useful tool"

[rodeodance]

74. instead of a limitation on exc. powers--and that is WHY we are HERE

today.

[rodeodance]

76. Durbin did not get permission to play a tape clip either.

[dogday]

58. Inquiring Minds would like to know

especially Valerie Plame

[BR_Parkway]

71. Someone should ask him why no investigation until the story broke

even though the WH knew the NYT's had the story a year earlier!

[mod mom]

59. Investigations into who leaked possible espionage, but not

those who exposed PLAME. WTF, threatening the NYT?

[emulatorloo]

75. Per repugs, investigate whistleblowers who expose Bush crimes, yes

investigate "whistleblowers" who commit crimes for Bush, no

[LSK]

64. Durbin up

[Sydnie]

Dubin up - Cornholio ran out of steam! LOL n/t

[More Than A Feeling]

65. heh, Cornyn not only an asshole, he's too dumb to think of ways

to use all his time. Thank God!

[More Than A Feeling]

73. Hadn't thought of their frame of FISA as a tool, not a limit

That's my senator!:-)

[The Witch]

66. Let's go DICK! hope you have BALLS! :snicker:

:the witch is promptly banned from DU:

[The Witch]

70. AWESOME analogy: "Are speed limits USEFUL TOOLS for driving?"

:yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock:

[rodeodance]

83. he has used that one before---it is very effective.

[myrna minx]

72. Durbin: FISA is not a useful tool, it is a limit on Presidential power.

[dogday]

78. That is the best I have heard to describe it.... nt

[InsultComicDog]

80. However Grassley is a useful tool

[dogday]

84. How so?

[InsultComicDog]

86. Oops typed faster than I was thinking

[myrna minx]

92. I think we've all done that today. lol. n/t

:hi:

[InsultComicDog]

91. By the way you guys are quick

[More Than A Feeling]

85. You are well named, InsultComicDog

Grassley is indeed a tool

[InsultComicDog]

87. Yes I know

corrected

[Tinksrival]

77. Can I just say.....

I love my Dick Durbin!!! :loveya: :loveya: :loveya:

[Surya Gayatri]

And lucky you are to have 'im! eom

[Sydnie]

81. We - the President - Love how he always trys to exempt himself

They don't think they broke the lasw, so stop asking them if they did. :sarcasm:

[HereSince1628]

82. It is laughable that Gonzales keeps reasserting they are within FISA.

Is this Orwellian or what?

[rodeodance]

90. gondo man:--I think i am repeating myself! yup--canned talking points

do just that.

[Mnemosyne]

88. Body language says: hooding eys = telling lies! n/t

[HereSince1628]

89. Except as otherwise authorized is NOT in FISA? Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!

[rodeodance]

97. hah hah---durbin just got condo man!

[LSK]

93. Why didnt you come to congress to change the law?

[Surya Gayatri]

100. Go Dick, he's doing great! n/t

[Roland99]

104. Excellent question!

[democrank]

94. I`m still stuck back on

Cornyn`s soft love approach. Good grief!

[LeftNYC]

95. Durbin doing very well...Why didnt you work with us, Mr. AG? nt

[More Than A Feeling]

96. Gonzalez is pulling a cheney by talking out of the side of his mouth

and lying out his ass.

[InsultComicDog]

99. Wish I could watch

but I'm here in my cubicle at work

[rodeodance]

105. the Yahoo story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060206/ap_on_go_co/eavesdropping_congress&printer=1;_ylt=AmPZYgzp4BQ.BswEjeBkqauMwfIE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-

Kennedy said the eavesdropping program could actually weaken national security, raising the prospect that terror suspects could go free if courts rule evidence collected from such surveillance to be tainted.

"We're taking a risk with national security which I think is unwise," Kennedy said.

"We don't believe prosecutions are going to be jeopardized because of this program," Gonzales told Kennedy.

Gonzales declined to discuss details of the operation, as skeptics of the program have demanded. "An open discussion of the operational details of this program would put the lives of Americans at risk," he said.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

98. THREAD 14 IS UP!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x337542

[rodeodance]

107. Brownback is reading bin ladins latest tape--FEAR factor ALERT

[SoCalDem]

101. Gonzo , the Pompous Toad.

I cannot believe they won;t put him under oath.. BUT if "lying" to a federal agent (see martha Stewart, not under oath) is punishable by prison, why is lying to congress (sworn AND duly elected "agents" of the federal government) not ?

Just sayin'...

I would think that ANYONE who goes before congress should be "assumed to be" under oath :)

[democrank]

102. I swear.....

Rove must put talking points up on Post-It Notes and instruct all Republicans to go grab a copy. They all sound the same.

[JudyM]

103. Ha! Durbin got him.

FISA says it is the *exclusive means* by which electronic surveillance may be conducted - there is no side door for 'except as otherwise permitted by law' that Gonzo is claiming. Gonzo claims cong gave additional authorization when it granted him the right to use military force.

Also, POTUS got strong bilateral support from cong both in going to war and in getting every dollar he's asked for to fight it, so why wouldn't he ask congress for expanded surveillance rights instead of going out on his own?

[PhilipShore]

109. Gonzo is a slick corporate lawyer...

I am not sure but--I think he (Gonzo) said before in the Hearings, that the way he read it, and he may be paraphrasing it, that there is no side door (to FISA) for 'except as otherwise permitted by law', but then Durbin just now said something like they read it during lunch, and that FISA does not have that language or any language similar to that.

I am no lawyer, but I am assuming Gonzo-- is advocating for Bush and Co., and the Dems are winning the debate big time.

[adigal]

108. Brownshirt is up - I thought he was against

the wiretapping of Americans. Now talking about the tape from bin Laden from january. Terror, terror, fear, fear.

Where is Brownshirt from?? Do they have a LOT of terrorist attacks there?? Why doesn't he shut up and allow the states that have been hit discuss this wiretapping.