Comments on: Specter On Domestic Spying: ‘There Has Been No Meaningful Congressional Oversight’ http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:50:46 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Blog on the Run: Reloaded » Blog Archive » The Wall Street Journal: Wrong again http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-602224 Blog on the Run: Reloaded » Blog Archive » The Wall Street Journal: Wrong again Thu, 08 Jun 2006 17:18:00 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-602224 [...] In what universe did NSA wiretapping "founder on the good sense of the American people"? Even House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner, the Wisconsin Republican whose good sense the White House has been happy to trust up until now, thinks the attorney general has been stonewalling on this issue. For those who don't follow politics closely, the "stonewalling" comment is a reference to Watergate, and for one prominent Republican to accuse another of it in public is as close as you will ever come to seeing one of them calling another a liar. And on Sunday, Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican and a generally reliable water-carrier for the administration, said bluntly, "There has been no meaningful congressional oversight" of NSA surveillance. Last December, the New York Times reported that after 9/11 the National Security Agency began listening to overseas phone calls of suspected terrorists, including calls placed from or received inside the U.S. This was supposed be a scandal because the tapping was done without a warrant from something called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. But as the debate wore on, it became clear that the 1978 FISA statute didn't block a President's power to allow such national-security wiretaps, and that most Americans expected their government to eavesdrop on terror suspects. [...] [...] In what universe did NSA wiretapping "founder on the good sense of the American people"? Even House Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner, the Wisconsin Republican whose good sense the White House has been happy to trust up until now, thinks the attorney general has been stonewalling on this issue. For those who don't follow politics closely, the "stonewalling" comment is a reference to Watergate, and for one prominent Republican to accuse another of it in public is as close as you will ever come to seeing one of them calling another a liar. And on Sunday, Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican and a generally reliable water-carrier for the administration, said bluntly, "There has been no meaningful congressional oversight" of NSA surveillance. Last December, the New York Times reported that after 9/11 the National Security Agency began listening to overseas phone calls of suspected terrorists, including calls placed from or received inside the U.S. This was supposed be a scandal because the tapping was done without a warrant from something called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. But as the debate wore on, it became clear that the 1978 FISA statute didn't block a President's power to allow such national-security wiretaps, and that most Americans expected their government to eavesdrop on terror suspects. [...]

]]> By: KJ Lovell http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556797 KJ Lovell Mon, 15 May 2006 16:52:15 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556797 Perhaps we should all ignore laws we find inconvenient, and claim that Georgie and God speak directly through us. And if you attack us, you are un-American and aiding terr-a-ists. How far do you think they would let us get? Perhaps we should all ignore laws we find inconvenient, and claim that Georgie and God speak directly through us. And if you attack us, you are un-American and aiding terr-a-ists.

How far do you think they would let us get?

]]> By: Solitaire http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556513 Solitaire Mon, 15 May 2006 14:02:39 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556513 Maybe our Constitution and Bill of Rights are not as strong as we have been led to believe. We have a man in the Executive that has allocated unlimited power to himself, a Congress that sits by silently, and a Judiciary that hasn't made a peep while this power grab proceeds on schedule. They are all sworn to uphold the Constitution, yet they watch it torn apart with equanimity. Maybe the strength of those documents is just an illusion after all. Maybe our Constitution and Bill of Rights are not as strong as we have been led to believe. We have a man in the Executive that has allocated unlimited power to himself, a Congress that sits by silently, and a Judiciary that hasn’t made a peep while this power grab proceeds on schedule. They are all sworn to uphold the Constitution, yet they watch it torn apart with equanimity. Maybe the strength of those documents is just an illusion after all.

]]> By: kindness http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556496 kindness Mon, 15 May 2006 13:51:25 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556496 He's a lap dog. He'll snarl & make public statements like this, then he'll go on & vote for reichtwingnutz judges for the federal courts & won't do a damn thing to stop bushco. Olympia Snow really pissed me off over this one too. He’s a lap dog. He’ll snarl & make public statements like this, then he’ll go on & vote for reichtwingnutz judges for the federal courts & won’t do a damn thing to stop bushco.

Olympia Snow really pissed me off over this one too.

]]> By: Keith H. http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556451 Keith H. Mon, 15 May 2006 13:06:33 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556451 Sure thing man-chimp, you are one trustworthy WAR PIG. Anything and everything you spit out of yer pie-hole has zero credibility. By the end of the month, your approval will be at 25 percent. Just resign already . . . . you are . . . and always have been . . . . a total failure. Oh, and by the way, the drug infested Laura can't save ya. Sure thing man-chimp, you are one trustworthy WAR PIG.
Anything and everything you spit out of yer pie-hole has zero credibility.
By the end of the month, your approval will be at 25 percent.
Just resign already . . . . you are . . . and always have been . . . . a total failure.
Oh, and by the way, the drug infested Laura can’t save ya.

]]> By: walter66 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556439 walter66 Mon, 15 May 2006 12:54:03 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556439 #17 Red and Kurly......you forgot to mention terrorist sympathizers Rep. Curt Weldon and Fox News when they pushed to expose pentagon data mining program "Able Danger" #17 Red and Kurly……you forgot to mention terrorist sympathizers Rep. Curt Weldon and Fox News when they pushed to expose pentagon data mining program “Able Danger”

]]> By: slum http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556407 slum Mon, 15 May 2006 12:12:42 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556407 i wonder if our homes, the air our phone signals travel through, and the phone company systems are free speech zones. seriously. i wonder if our homes, the air our phone signals travel through, and the phone company systems are free speech zones. seriously.

]]> By: Cyra Brown http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556378 Cyra Brown Mon, 15 May 2006 10:03:22 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556378 #32- EXACTLY!! Thanks for putting that up. #32- EXACTLY!! Thanks for putting that up.

]]> By: james risser http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556349 james risser Mon, 15 May 2006 04:40:19 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556349 <blockquote>It may be that it is the obnoxious thing in its mildest and least repulsive form; but illegitimate and unconstitutional practices get their first footing in that way, namely, by silent approaches and slight deviations from legal modes of procedure.... [W]e decline to go beyond [established Fourth Amendment law] by even a fraction of an inch.</blockquote> Silverman v. United States, 365 U.S. 505, 512 (1961) JUSTICE STEWART

It may be that it is the obnoxious thing in its mildest and least repulsive form; but illegitimate and unconstitutional practices get their first footing in that way, namely, by silent approaches and slight deviations from legal modes of procedure…. [W]e decline to go beyond [established Fourth Amendment law] by even a fraction of an inch.

Silverman v. United States, 365 U.S. 505, 512 (1961)
JUSTICE STEWART

]]> By: Sherry Gee http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556347 Sherry Gee Mon, 15 May 2006 04:07:35 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556347 When the Bush administration says they are unable to devulge top secret information because of national security and the "war on terror," what they really mean is we are doing things that are unlawful and we do not want to get caught. This administration will never give congress, the supreme court or anyone full disclosure into their real agenda. As more is revealed to the American public through concerned citizens who do not want to loose this decmocracy, we will finally get the truth. There is not just one "deep throat" leaking information right now but dozens. When a people have been raised with a democratic form of government their hearts still beat for freedom. When the Bush administration says they are unable to devulge top secret information because of national security and the “war on terror,” what they really mean is we are doing things that are unlawful and we do not want to get caught.

This administration will never give congress, the supreme court or anyone full disclosure into their real agenda. As more is revealed to the American public through concerned citizens who do not want to loose this decmocracy, we will finally get the truth. There is not just one “deep throat” leaking information right now but dozens. When a people have been raised with a democratic form of government their hearts still beat for freedom.

]]> By: Suzanne http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556336 Suzanne Mon, 15 May 2006 02:50:08 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556336 anyone know where i can get a copy of this dartmouth plan that folks have been talking about on some of the blogs? anyone know where i can get a copy of this dartmouth plan that folks have been talking about on some of the blogs?

]]> By: Bluein Texas http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556277 Bluein Texas Mon, 15 May 2006 00:52:09 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556277 #17 Reich Wingnut, Nowhere in Article II does it provide for the ability of the president to violate the law, or other provisions of the Constitution. Get back on your lithium #17 Reich Wingnut,
Nowhere in Article II does it provide for the ability of the president to violate the law, or other provisions of the Constitution. Get back on your lithium

]]> By: The Daily Background http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556273 The Daily Background Mon, 15 May 2006 00:33:13 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556273 [...] And there was a lot of criticism of the guy. Just as there was some criticism when John Ascroft appointed special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald because Fitz is a Republican (of course we now know that Fitz is the man, more on that this week, heh, heh, heh, if you know what I mean). I for one bit my tongue because I hoped that he would in fact turn out to be a very significant positive force in this. And I think he just might be. He has promised to subpoena telco executives that illegally cooperated with the NSA before Congress, and ThinkProgress is reporting that Specter is admitting that he hasn’t gotten anywhere with this. The man is pissed off, and I certainly expect some fireworks to occur during General Hayden’s confirmation process in the Senate, due to Hayden’s work as the Chief of the NSA, and his work installing this illegal program. Sunday May 14th 2006, 8:30 pm by Arlen Parsa                          Permalink No Comments so far Leave a comment RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Leave a comment Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong> [...] [...] And there was a lot of criticism of the guy. Just as there was some criticism when John Ascroft appointed special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald because Fitz is a Republican (of course we now know that Fitz is the man, more on that this week, heh, heh, heh, if you know what I mean). I for one bit my tongue because I hoped that he would in fact turn out to be a very significant positive force in this. And I think he just might be. He has promised to subpoena telco executives that illegally cooperated with the NSA before Congress, and ThinkProgress is reporting that Specter is admitting that he hasn’t gotten anywhere with this. The man is pissed off, and I certainly expect some fireworks to occur during General Hayden’s confirmation process in the Senate, due to Hayden’s work as the Chief of the NSA, and his work installing this illegal program. Sunday May 14th 2006, 8:30 pm by Arlen Parsa                          Permalink No Comments so far Leave a comment RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI Leave a comment Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong> [...]

]]> By: KJ Lovell http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556269 KJ Lovell Mon, 15 May 2006 00:14:28 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556269 Translation of dumbya's comments.....(you think he said everything's OK) But what he really said is .... Ameri-KKK-a, I'll do anything I please and when caught, I'll lie to you about it and look at me the War Presnit.....There ain't a G****damn thing you can do to me. I'm the decider, I decide who to let escape, and I decide which innocent Ameri-KKK-ans I'll spy on. This is how my daddy and nixon did it, and I have larger balls than they did. Translation of dumbya’s comments…..(you think he said everything’s OK)

But what he really said is ….

Ameri-KKK-a, I’ll do anything I please and when caught, I’ll lie to you about it and look at me the War Presnit…..There ain’t a G****damn thing you can do to me. I’m the decider, I decide who to let escape, and I decide which innocent Ameri-KKK-ans I’ll spy on. This is how my daddy and nixon did it, and I have larger balls than they did.

]]> By: Fredric L. Rice http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556268 Fredric L. Rice Mon, 15 May 2006 00:08:45 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556268 <strong>#17:So, we have Specter who is suspending judgement, not anything like the knee-jerk reaction from liberals lookiing to score politcal points at the expense of our national security.</strong> Yeah, committing felonies and treason against America are no longer crimes when it's a baby killing white male Christian committing them, huh, rightard? Since you hate everything America stands for, shouldn't you leave? Shouldn't you move to some place you like better that's more in accord with your theofascist ideals? Like Iran or Saudi Arabia, maybe, rightard? #17:So, we have Specter who is suspending judgement, not anything like the knee-jerk reaction from liberals lookiing to score politcal points at the expense of our national security.

Yeah, committing felonies and treason against America are no longer crimes when it’s a baby killing white male Christian committing them, huh, rightard?

Since you hate everything America stands for, shouldn’t you leave? Shouldn’t you move to some place you like better that’s more in accord with your theofascist ideals? Like Iran or Saudi Arabia, maybe, rightard?

]]> By: Fredric L. Rice http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556267 Fredric L. Rice Mon, 15 May 2006 00:02:30 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556267 Gee, a fascist totalitarian terrorist regime without checks and balances? Whota surprise! Gee, a fascist totalitarian terrorist regime without checks and balances? Whota surprise!

]]> By: Mash http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556249 Mash Sun, 14 May 2006 22:46:47 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556249 NEWS FLASH!!!: Senator Frist should be investigated by the DOJ because he is <a href="http://www.docstrangelove.com/2006/05/14/senator-frist-leaks-classified-information-on-national-television/" rel="nofollow">leaking</a> classified information to the press. NEWS FLASH!!!: Senator Frist should be investigated by the DOJ because he is leaking classified information to the press.

]]> By: SHRED http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556239 SHRED Sun, 14 May 2006 21:56:23 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556239 Specter: "After we put pressure on with our hearings...". Yeah right knucklehead...who was under oath? Some pressure...jeeesh. Specter: “After we put pressure on with our hearings…”.

Yeah right knucklehead…who was under oath?
Some pressure…jeeesh.

]]> By: the Lone Voice of Reason http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556234 the Lone Voice of Reason Sun, 14 May 2006 21:47:17 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556234 Hey R and KP you're so right democrats can't be trusted to protect americans from americans who hate democrats and liberals like Timmy McVeigh , but they seemed to do a better job against the other bad guys . Hey R and KP you’re so right democrats can’t be trusted to protect americans from americans who hate democrats and liberals like Timmy McVeigh , but they seemed to do a better job against the other bad guys .

]]> By: Richard http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/comment-page-1/#comment-556231 Richard Sun, 14 May 2006 21:29:24 +0000 http://thinkprogress.org/2006/05/14/specter-oversight/#comment-556231 It's not just the spying stuff. They may turn out to be the least of Bushs' indiscretions. It's the lying like a 4 year old, it's the blant, outright thievery by everyone connected to this cabal. It's the placing of completely incompetent cronies in important posistions. It's the constant refusal to recognize that billions of people hate him and more, his policies. Achieving victory in Iraq is no more on the plate than catching bin Laden or Zawahiri. Water boarding bin Laden may cause him to reveal a little more than Bushco wants revealed to a suckered world population. Just plain evil. Pure, plain evil. It’s not just the spying stuff. They may turn out to be the least of Bushs’ indiscretions. It’s the lying like a 4 year old, it’s the blant, outright thievery by everyone connected to this cabal. It’s the placing of completely incompetent cronies in important posistions. It’s the constant refusal to recognize that billions of people hate him and more, his policies. Achieving victory in Iraq is no more on the plate than catching bin Laden or Zawahiri. Water boarding bin Laden may cause him to reveal a little more than Bushco wants revealed to a suckered world population. Just plain evil. Pure, plain evil.

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