John Conyers: Censure Hearing Fireworks

[cal04]

"President Bush's intent was to keep the program secret from Congress and to avoid political or legal accountability indefinitely. Secrecy of that sort makes checks and balances a farce." Can you believe this was Bruce Fein, the former associate deputy Attorney General for Ronald Reagan, making these remarks? Seriously, how many experts from across the political spectrum must weigh in before the Republicans in Congress begin to exercise their constitutionally-mandated role to provide oversight of the executive branch? Fein continued, "President Bush's interpretation of the AUMF is preposterous, not simply wrong."

And in spite of all this, Chairman Arlen Specter maintains that a censure resolution "has no merit." It's amazing how often Senate Republicans appear close to showing some independence from Bush only to cave when it really counts.

We are truly at a crossroads, my friends, and we must do everything in our power to challenge those who would sit on their hands and watch our democracy disintegrate before us. Thank you for all of your efforts here and please keep up the good work.

http://www.conyersblog.us/

Statement of Bruce Fein, Deputy Attorney General to Ronald Reagan
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Statement_of_Bruce_Fein_Deputy_Attorney_0331.html

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. Kickin!

Conyers rules!


FEED YOUR BRAIN
BookTV Schedule April 1-3
Shelby Steele - 3 hour live call-in
Amy Goodman and
ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST GEORGE W. BUSH
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x810704#811083

[savemefromdumbya]

2. Amazing how they close ranks when in public office

once out of office they get interesting.

[AndyA]

3. Question for John Conyers

We are truly at a crossroads, my friends, and we must do everything in our power to challenge those who would sit on their hands and watch our democracy disintegrate before us. Thank you for all of your efforts here and please keep up the good work.

What is in our power? We call our Democratic representatives and they don't even bother to feign support of the things that are important to us. Who are they accountable to? Who do they work for?

Frankly, I'm at a loss. I don't know what this man in the White House has to do in order to be told "NO" and then actually have someone hold him to the law of the land.

Lying to the American people, starting a war without cause, violating the Constitution by spying, then lying about it...what does it take? What are the members of the opposing party doing? Where are the checks and balances?

[Tigress DEM]

8. When all else fails, stomp on the press and work for vote transparency.

(oops, meant to hit spell check and I updated w/o any text)

[bleever]

4. Bruce Fein was so lucid, so clear, so well-versed in the law,

in his statement and in his responses to members' questions, that I consider him a patriot worthy of the utmost respect.

[AuntiBush]

10. Agreed, adamantly!

Bruce Fein and Dean were the most intelligent ones, along with Senator Feingold that I've seen in a long time. They have my utmost respect and admiration, too! At least we know others of high patriotic positions are trying their damnedest.

I was burning-up as Repuks were interrupting them, constantly. No. They don't want them to be heard!

[EVDebs]

20. Bush could tell Congress, but then he'd have to kill them all ...

It's that super secret umbra, hush hush wink wink nod nod. I thought Fein's litany of what Bush possibly was doing without accountability was the most shocking thing during the hearing. We truly are now under the Huston Plan, better known as martial law.

Please see Post #21 below. Fein was Da Man !

[chicofaraby]

5. I want to know before the next election

Which Senators support censure?

Which Senators support warrantless, secret spying on Americans?

[upi402]

6. Keith Olbermann on Countdown (MSNBC) is covering it

Feingold is smokin'-A righteous!

[AuntiBush]

7. Specter Said...

"it's no secret..." I nearly fell off my chair and was close to throwing the remote across the room.

No, I guess its not a secret "NOW!" But is sure was since pre-2001, spying on Americans.

Thank you for all "your" efforts Congressman Conyers and Senator Feingold. We owe ya!

[Media_Lies_Daily]

9. Specter has been covering for the Far Right since.....

...his participation in the Warren Commission cover-up of the JFK assassination.

[AuntiBush]

11. Yeah.

Thanks for that reminder. One gets lost in the scandal-shuffle these days.

Remember those days well, now that you mention it. Good point made, Media_Lies_Daily. Thanks!

[ooglymoogly]

24. and lest we not forget

specter was also the attorney for the guy in Philadelphia that murdered a young girl who was trying to escape from him and stuffed her in a trunk that was not discovered for several years and only then because of the grisly stench and the parents hiring a private detective and then i believe after convicted or the threat of conviction the purp fled the country. it was a most sensational case. the name is on the tip of my tung but for the life of me i can't bring it up.

on edit i was doing my laundry and the name came to me it was ira einhorn.

[Nabia2004]

12. It shows how well Bush's spying program works, he has the dirt...

on nearly everyone. It must be, what else other than blackmail would explain this insanity?

[Canuckistanian]

13. Good commentary... actually F'n amazing commentary

From Dean to Fein, they're telling it like it is - Jeff Sessions and Linsay Graham be damned.

(Feingold should have used Jonathon Turley)

[Catrina]

16. Lindsey Graham was a disgrace today. And he was the one who

nearly fainted after viewing the videos of the torture at Abu Ghraib that we have not seen yet. Even to the point of getting a little courage back them and telling Cheney to leave them alone to do their work because 'we are talking about rape here, murder, children' he said to Cheney. What happened?? Do they have some dirt on him?

If so, we don't care ~ in fact if he was to do the right thing and they exposed something about him, we would have proof they are spying, and I doubt anyone would care about his little secrets. It's the country that's at stake, and he KNOWS how vile they are, he said so!

Maybe what Conyers means is we should be flooding Republican mailboxes, phones, faxes with demands that they stand up for the Constitution. They haven't heard much criticism from the people. We've been calling Dems, I think it's time to show them the outrage there is at their complicity in these crimes ~

Thank you to Rep. Conyers, Sen. Feingold, John Dean and we know there are others, like Comey and other DOJ employees who no longer work for this regime ~

Congress has been the cover for this administration ~ they are the ones blocking all attempts to get to the truth ~ both sides.

Shame on the Dems who did not show up today ~

[Canuckistanian]

17. Yes, yes, yes...

He actually showed a spark of commiseration there, I think, in the Scalito hearings....

As if he was saying, give us this and you can have your censure (just a guess).

Now, a clumsy slap in the face to any opposition to the president.

They must have something on him.

[LSK]

14. FOLKS: WIN IN 2006 AND CONYERS IS HOLDING THESE HEARINGS

[JudyM]

22. Now that's worth a big smile...

:7

Gotta keep thinking positive. We can still start to recover what we've lost.

[slipslidingaway]

15. Video link from canofun

http://www.canofun.com/cof/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=18178

[upi402]

18. Fein was attacked by Specter (R) and Hatch (R)

I thought Orin was using his Power Puff Girls lasre eyes on Fein.

[EVDebs]

21. Fein's earlier testimony, and reiterated, NAILS IT !

""The theory invoked by the president to justify eavesdropping by the NSA in contradiction to FISA would equally justify mail openings, burglaries, torture or internment camps all in the name of gathering foreign intelligence. Unless rebuked it will lie around like a loaded weapon, ready to be used by any incumbents who claims an urgent need." from

Statement--United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
"Wartime Executive Power and the NSA's Surveillance Authority II"
February 28, 2006

Bruce Fein, Esq.
Fein & Fein

http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2006_hr/022806fein.html

Indeed, unless Congress rebukes this meglomaniacal chief executive, the Republic is imperiled. R's don't realize what they have done; God forgive them for they know not what they do.

[cali]

19. and in this thread, not a mention

of Leahy, who not only showed up, but blasted the revisionist rethug line that bushco operated within the confines of the law? He deserves our thanks as much as Fein or Dean.

[Notoverit]

23. I am afraid we're long past crossroads - but thanks for speaking up!

What we see are the last gasps of relevance of what we used to call congress...

[upi402]

25. A crossroads indeed! Here's a link to watch the worm turn;

http://wizbangblog.com/2006/04/01/russ-feingolds-censure-hearing-folly.php