Specter’s ‘Compromise’ on Warrantless Wiretapping Excuses Bush For Illegal Conduct
Specter’s ‘Compromise’ on Warrantless Wiretapping Excuses Bush For Illegal Conduct
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter announced today that the White House has agreed to a court review of the warrantless wiretapping program. Specter said the following at a press conference today:
I am authorized to say that if the bill is not changed, the president will submit the terrorist surveillance program to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.
But what Specter didn’t say is that his legislation does not require President Bush to submit the program to the FISA court; it merely gives the president the option. The AP reports:
An administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the bill’s language gives the president the option of submitting the program to the intelligence court, rather than making the review a requirement.
Specter appears to have received assurances from the White House that, if his bill is passed without changes, Bush would agree to exercise the option and submit the warrantless wiretapping program to the court for a judgment on its constitutionality. This compromise is a sham because it makes optional what Bush is already required to do. Under the FISA law, the administration can wiretap persons inside the U.S. But it is required to demonstrate that the targets are agents of a foreign power, like al Qaeda or their affiliates.
Sen. Patrick Leahy accurately characterized what Bush is agreeing to: “[Bush is] saying, if you do every single thing I tell you to do, I’ll do what I should have done anyway.” The Specter bill makes it optional for Bush to follow the law, while rewarding him for illegal conduct.
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“White House says it will likely accept legistation.”
No frickin’ shit, Sherlock.
Making it optional to follow the law? Why have laws!?
July 13th, 2006 at 3:12 pmdoes anyone from tp know that israel is continuing to murder lebanese, palestinian–and soon syrian–civilians with u.s. supplied bombs, and with u.s. support for their behavior????
just curious.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:12 pmWhat else would anyone expect from Specter. He likes his sound bites but in the end he rolls over to Bushco every single time!!!
July 13th, 2006 at 3:13 pmSpector’s a republican, what else would you expect from these scumbags?? All show and no go.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:14 pmHere we go again Old Bushie gets away with it again. Breaking the law and getting away with it. No count ability.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:16 pm…the bill’s language gives the president the option of submitting the program to the intelligence court, rather than making the review a requirement.
Damnit!
Submitting to FISA is already a requirement…a requirement that Dubya sidestepped when he authorized the wiretapping.
Here’s an idea: how about Congress stop trying to massage the law to allow Dubya & Company to continue to blatantly violate the privact of American citizens , and instead focus upon the illegality of the past violations, and start impeaching already?!?
July 13th, 2006 at 3:17 pm- james risser:
Yes, james, I do know that…although I would probably be happier if I didn’t.
It’s mind boggling that Israel can get away with atrocity after bloody atrocity, and the U.S., far from objecting, actually cheers them on.
It’s been this way for a while…just what is the nature of the power Israel has over the U.S.?
July 13th, 2006 at 3:19 pmwell, there isn’t much about israel that can be found on the tp site or their parent site…. there is one article about olmert, however:
is tp supported by israeli special-interests? does tp not think their actions against their neighbors significant? newsworthy? ‘un-progressive’? a part of the pnac’s master plan???
July 13th, 2006 at 3:22 pmAnd Specter is considered a MODERATE? Jesus, he’s giving a big fat, wet french kiss to bushco.
The man’s a traitor. Let’s impeach him.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:23 pmRisser:
Israel, with the support and help of Bushco, is the worlds largest terrorist organization. The accomplish their killing with ease while amigo Bush looks on, smilingly, saying that “diplomacy takes time”, when he has had 6 years, and done nothing.
Israel is a joke. They make incursions, lose three soldiers to captivity, call it kidnapping, and attack other countries.
Please realize however that this is in the grand scheme of things.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:25 pmI loved how John Dean said on Jon Stewart that he’s a ‘Goldwater Republican’ which means that he is now left of center….
So, that means Arlen, claiming to be a moderate, means he’s really a ‘David Duke Republican’, and those on the far right are in fact ‘Hitler Republicans (a.k.a authoritarian fascists)’
July 13th, 2006 at 3:26 pmI’m with you, James, #2 and #7. What the hell is going on with Israel?
July 13th, 2006 at 3:28 pmthis is a MUST READ
July 13th, 2006 at 3:29 pmRebel With A Cause,
Are you saying Israel was looking for a reason to start attacking its neighbors? What is the “grand scheme of things?”
Sorry, but I’ve been working a lot the last two days, and this thing has split wide open, and I don’t know what’s going on.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:31 pmNow that the spin/twist has been done and we see that Bush has broken the law but he’ll get away with it next all the convicted GOP criminals should be let out of jail. Specter can rule that if your a convicted criminal but a friend of Bush you can’t be charged with a crime. Let Abramoff, DeLay and Duke out of jail and set them free. As for Lay he can come out of hiding I notice the Mayor was shocked at the Lay funeral as he saw Ken Lay standing there under the umbrella at his own funeral someone should have told the Mayor it was a fake funeral.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:31 pmThanks Arlen you are the undisputed master of the big lie ,These individuals ,yourself included are dismantling our rights under the constitution and your there to make it look like there is ANY oversight (which there isn’t ).This mess is not going to be solved by congress ,the courts ,or the democrats in november .Value your inalienable rights ?Be very pissed off NOW !!!!!!!!!!
July 13th, 2006 at 3:31 pmTrip myster, I can’t understand why the Dem’s arent screaming bloody murder when Nixon did less they sure were….It was wrong then and is even more so now, these basterdas and bull shit bush should all be in jail…
James, isn’t it odd when Israel breaks the law, holds captive 10 prisoners and starts a war based on 2 of their solders being captured that’s o.k. All new’s from Lebanon is being banned so we can’t see but lot’s of coverage for Israel…..How long I wonder before people wake up here and over there….How many have to die in these US sponsored occupations and how long are we going to back and pay for marches across other countries and genocides….Sickning messes……The world needs Blessings and the absence of murderious dictators……
July 13th, 2006 at 3:32 pmthe beast of the un, bolton, just blocked UN sanctions against israel….
what a surprise!!!!!!
but, i am guessing that is NOT LINK WORTHY either…
July 13th, 2006 at 3:36 pmOff topic:
Valerie Plame Wilson is suing “Dick” Cheney. I missed the rest. It was just on CNN.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:37 pmSpector is a coward. He talks a good game but produces nothing of value. Remember the “single bullet theory”? Remember Anita Hill and how Spector badgered her and now we are stuck with stupid Clarence Thomas? Now Spector supports spying on his constituents. He doesn’t even has the grace to respond to my emails even though I live in PA and he is suppose to represent the interests of PA residents.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:40 pmcorrection: not ’sanctions’ but ‘condemnation’
here is an excerpt from an article expecting the u.s. blocking the action…in the past few minutes, bolton indeed did block it.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:40 pmWonder is Arlan will write a bill that will allow me to side step the law if I want to.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:41 pmGreat post madashell! Liberals need to tell America who they are and what they stand for instead of bashing President Bush. Stop pretending to be tough on terrorism. Stop pandering to the middle on social issues. You tell everyone in America what you guys really are and I guarantee that you lose more voters in the fall and in ‘08 than you ever thought possible. Everything that Waldman says is exactly right except switch the words liberal and conservative. The liberal movement in this country has died except nobody told you guys here yet.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:42 pmU.S. Ambassador John Bolton has repeatedly said he does not believe such a resolution is necessary.
Comment by james risser — July 13, 2006 @ 3:40 pm
Unbelievabe - these are the people we are trying to convince to go along with sanctions against Iran but they are unwilling to “condemn” a country who is actually bombing other countries.
Gotta love those compassionate conservatives!!!
July 13th, 2006 at 3:44 pm#10 unbelieveable - Good post.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:45 pmRandy is just another freakin’ conservative - who cares about nothing except for bashing liberals. No, I won’t go there with him. Conservatism speaks for itself.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:48 pmAh! More words from another worried troll….Nice try Randy, but let’s wait untill after the 2008 elections before you start your tantrums.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:50 pmSo Spector wants to blanket cover the illegal activities of the president.
What he is trying to do shows the rampant dishonesty of the GOP. They want to break the law, then make a new law and then give retroactive amnesty to the president for 5 years or more of breaking that law.
freekin unbelievable
What he should, by CURRENT LAW, and by the oath of office he took to uphold and protect the constitution, is to be asking for articles ofimpeachmentto be drawn up.
The GOP is nothing more than a band of criminal thugs, and this proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:52 pmAnd conservatives learn these messages when still young. What does a “campus liberal†do? Well, it depends what his or her issue is: fighting sweatshop labor, or environmental degradation, or the Iraq war, or any of a dozen other problems about which liberals are concerned. What, on the other hand, does a “campus conservative†do? Fight liberals and liberalism.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:52 pmjames risser,
TP won’t touch Israel. Give it up. You should have heard Al Franken today:
“I believe Israel has a right to defend itself. Just not too much.”
That’s a classic. That’s the Democratic stance on American foreign policy in a nutshell.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:52 pmGood posts Unbelievable and Madashell….. Blessings We need them.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:52 pmSpecter, someone who you will never see nominated for a Profile In Courage Award.
He is just another talking republican gas bag and a shill for this administration. A pox on all of them for what these people are doing to this country.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:52 pmSpecter is a spectre, all right.
July 13th, 2006 at 3:53 pmThe original flip flopper initially feigns outrage to pretend
he’s his own man. After a period of time, like a good little
lap dog, he’s curled up on his master’s lap, asking if he’ll
be supported in the next election.
He’s pathetic…an old, tired fart who should quit dying his
hair & just die.
#30
TP won’t touch Israel.
apparently so. they cowardly choose not mention the actions of israel, and, show that they, along with fox news and the others, are happy to be complicit in the bush administration/pnac’s plan for world domination.
well, i guess someone has to pay their salaries; i just didn’t realize until today that it is the israeli special interests and the pnac.
July 13th, 2006 at 4:00 pmAnd the Signing Statement says … except if I determine, under my Inherant Powers as a War Time President that I don’t have to follow this legislation, I can continue on ignoring the FISA Court with impunity.
Specter’s “compromise” is merely a capitulation and a granting of Congressional Blessings to a Dictatorial Executive Branch.
July 13th, 2006 at 4:01 pmi’m sure the nyt will warn the terrorists that we can still listen
July 13th, 2006 at 4:04 pmhey randi ,we already know where your at .But as an experiment try looking at real photo’s of our glorious liberation of a country which represented no threat at all to our country .Check out the parents who have had to identify their childrens body parts from piles of bombed and badly burned bodies if you still feel sure of our policies as the Mid East falls apart then really what more can be said.
July 13th, 2006 at 4:04 pmTP won’t touch Israel. Give it up. You should have heard Al Franken today:
“I believe Israel has a right to defend itself. Just not too much.â€
That’s a classic. That’s the Democratic stance on American foreign policy in a nutshell.
I gave you a link DLC to the problem with the UN and China/Israel, this is out of the hands of the pundits, I have never watched Al Franken, nor do think he speaks for me, the people that are speaking for me, the GOP lead house, unfortunately, seem to think like you and think I think like Al Franken.
So DLC, if you are comparing pundits, and not people, then the republican stance on foreign policy is as Pat Roberston “we want war and we want amageddon, screw the constitution, we want the end times scenario”
I don’t know DLC the republican pundit stance sure seems alot wackiers than Franken…
July 13th, 2006 at 4:05 pmI think it is a well known fact that most college professors are liberals yet more Americans consider themselves conservative. I would compare the liberal movement to the tobacco industry, you need to get your victoms hooked early before they are wise. Any educated person knows the harm that smoking can cause to your body and in a similar way, as people grow older and wiser, they become more conservative. In recent years, the conservative movement has been gaining ground on college campuses and threatens the liberal movement since they can’t brainwash at will. Hopefully, in the near future, many of you will get the wisdom to realize that liberals are full of bs and leave their movement as well.
July 13th, 2006 at 4:05 pmjames - it is really frustrating I know. I have been following the palestinian plight for over 25 years now…it seems no one knows ANY HISTORY, nor do they care to.
July 13th, 2006 at 4:06 pm...What does a “campus liberal†do? Well, it depends what his or her issue is: fighting sweatshop labor, or environmental degradation, or the Iraq war, or any of a dozen other problems about which liberals are concerned. What, on the other hand, does a “campus conservative†do? Fight liberals and liberalism.
…
Comment by madashell — July 13, 2006 @ 3:29 pm
SO good for the country!
July 13th, 2006 at 4:07 pmYou don’t compromise on the law, you enforce it. Especially when the person who broke the law, is in a position of trust.
July 13th, 2006 at 4:09 pmRandy I would compare the College Republicans, and K street, and their professors the same way, except it would be Fascist and Carl “Schmittish”
BTW Randy who was Paul Neo-Con Cheerleader Wolofowitz’s Professors name?
July 13th, 2006 at 4:10 pm#18 just read the cnn site if you can or here it is - just wanted to make it easier for you since you need help going to other web sites
WASHINGTON (AP) — The CIA officer whose identity was leaked to reporters sued Vice President Dick Cheney, his former top aide and presidential adviser Karl Rove on Thursday, accusing them and other White House officials of conspiring to destroy her career.
In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, Valerie Plame and her husband, Joseph Wilson, a former U.S. ambassador, accused Cheney, Rove and I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby of revealing Plame’s CIA identity in seeking revenge against Wilson for criticizing the Bush administration’s motives in Iraq.
Several news organizations wrote about Plame after syndicated columnist Robert Novak named her in a column on July 14, 2003. Novak’s column appeared eight days after Wilson alleged in an opinion piece in The New York Times that the administration had twisted prewar intelligence on Iraq to justify going to war.
The CIA had sent Wilson to Niger in early 2002 to determine whether there was any truth to reports that Saddam Hussein’s government had tried to buy yellowcake uranium from Niger to make a nuclear weapon. Wilson discounted the reports, but the allegation nevertheless wound up in President Bush’s 2003 State of the Union address.
The lawsuit accuses Cheney, Libby, Rove and 10 unnamed administration officials or political operatives of putting the Wilsons and their children’s lives at risk by exposing Plame.
“This lawsuit concerns the intentional and malicious exposure by senior officials of the federal government of … (Plame), whose job it was to gather intelligence to make the nation safer and who risked her life for her country,” the Wilsons’ lawyers said in the lawsuit.
Libby is the only administration official charged in connection with the leak investigation. He faces trial in January on perjury and obstruction-of-justice charges, accused of lying to FBI agents and a federal grand jury about when he learned Plame’s identity and what he subsequently told reporters.
Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald told Rove’s lawyer last month that he had decided not to seek criminal charges against Rove.
July 13th, 2006 at 4:11 pmEveryone keeps trying to pin this on the republicans…Both parties are involved…both parties are represented on the committee and have been informed of what the NSA is doing and most of them have kept quiet about it.
July 13th, 2006 at 4:11 pmThis is about maintaining power through fear and intimidation…and most of our elected officials are right in step.
You simply cannot condone ANY of our representatives who are not screaming at the top of their lungs.
Specter always talks big, but it is all blather, because he is a Bush ass kisser on everything!
July 13th, 2006 at 4:11 pm#40
but, do you agree, that is quite disturbing for a progressive site such as this one to completely ignore the issue—the bombings, quite heavy in the past day or two—without a single word?????
can you explain the deafening silence?
i think think progress should be ashamed of itself and i hope that several of the people that normally post here see the disconnect here, just because it has to do with THE sacred cow.
July 13th, 2006 at 4:12 pmWell, so much for the “We can’t go to FISA because the process takes too long” argument, which was rather absolute. How easily Bush drops it. It was BS all along. Pure BS.
Anyway, Bush now has enough dirt on everyone anyway. How long has he been warrantless wiretapping now? Almost 5 years?
July 13th, 2006 at 4:13 pm[…] Optional? Specter’s bill gives Bush a public relations clean bill of health. The White House can say it complies with the law when the law requires no compliance at all. Plus just who won and who compromised? More than a few people point to Specter on FISA authority over the president: “The legislation would authorize the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to review the constitutionality of the National Security Agency’s most high-profile monitoring operations. You have here a recognition by the president that he does not have a blank check.” But what Specter has previously said when this bill first came to light was that it would have language respecting the president’s Article Two powers as commander in chief. So we are presented with unique conundrum offered as clarity: Bush would be under the authority of the court only so far as they submit under his authority as commander in chief. Ah, the rewards in Washington. […]
July 13th, 2006 at 4:16 pmjames - The end of times in the twisted view of the christian right is happening right now for them. OMG!
July 13th, 2006 at 4:20 pmOnly “Oversight” you will get is in November. GET RID ON THE REPBULCIANS!!! they can’t govern a country. Republicans are owned by the big corporation and work only for them.
July 13th, 2006 at 4:25 pmThe end of times in the twisted view of the christian right is happening right now for them. OMG!
Comment by madashell — July 13, 2006 @ 4:20 pm
nope, not yet… all the jews have to BE in israel before that happens… hence, the christian backing of the state of israel…
July 13th, 2006 at 4:26 pmLiberal and conservative are just labels…and like all labels are primarily used as slurs…as a way to spread bad intent. Everyone I know is a conservative about some things and a liberal about others. Most of our problems are brought about by fear and hate…a direct result of the wingnuts on both sides of the fence screaming at the top of their lungs. Let’s not follow their example. Let’s use a little more discussion and a little less name calling.
July 13th, 2006 at 4:26 pm- james risser:
It is much more than merely disturbing…Israel is on a genocidal killing spree, slaughtering Palestinians and Lebanese civilians, and no one is so much as lifting a finger.
Irsaelis claim this latest agression is in response to ‘rocket attacks’, but it occurs to me that it would be quite easy for Israeli agents to infiltrate Palestine and fire a few of those pathetically ineffective ‘rockets’ to manufacture a cause for war (’false flag’, anyone?)
Israel makes incursions, the attacked countries capture soldiers and hold them, and then Israel calls the captures ‘kidnappings’ and uses them to justify full-scale invasions.
No, few news outlets have the courage to point all this out, and fewer still have the courage to put a name to it…namely: Zionism.
Most people, even those who admit that Israel is way over the line here, will still shy violently away from the word ‘Zionism’, because Zionists have been so successful at portraying their detractors as ‘anti-semites’. Most right-thinking people are not anti-semites, and would rather gnaw their own foot off than willingly accept that label. Add to that the label of ‘Holocaust-denier’ that follows ‘anti-semite’. Once you’ve been painted with that brush, brother, you are poison. All your associates will distance themelves from you so fast that they will generate sonic booms, and any and all of your work, essays, opinions, blog posts, what-have-you, will be utterly disregarded and discredited…which, of course, was exactly the Zionists’ intention.
While explaining exactly why the U.S. is such an ardent follower of Zionism and such a friend and supporter of Israel is difficult to say, the fact that it is speaks for itself, in its mute silence while Israel commits atrocity after atrocity.
Unfortunately, you
July 13th, 2006 at 4:38 pmI hope, at this point, everyone realizes that Senator Spector talks a good game, but NEVER shows the backbone to uphold his oath of office—to preserve, protect and defend the Consitution of the United States.
July 13th, 2006 at 4:58 pmAnother example of the “all hat no cattle crowd” Comes the revolution make sure that Arlen’s name is near the top of the list of Sellout schumucks.
July 13th, 2006 at 5:02 pmOur great solver and decider was on CNN lauding the position of Israel, and, in effect saying “go get em boys”
Yep, the cowboy is at it again. I wonder if he realizes that everytime he opens his mouth he creaates another 2 million terrorists, or terrists?
The US and Israel are trying to entice Iran into the war that is going on now. This is their plan. If Israel gets attacked by Iran, we will jump in. Bush wants this so bad he can taste the blood, sweat and tears.
Remember, he wants to go down in history as the “war president”, you know, the guy who starts wars, tickes off other nations by calling them an Axis of Evil, then after 6 years decides it is time to try a little diplomacy, whe he does not have, and no one in his administration knows how to act out.
Rice, she read about diplomacy at Stanford one time, but forgot what she read. Bolton, come on, the man is ignorant of everything, let alone diplomatic.
Zooey, the grand scheme of things is for Israel and the US to entice Iran into a war so those two countries can completely take over the Middle East. By siding with Israel, Bush will improve his poll numbers and boy will he be dangerous then!
July 13th, 2006 at 5:23 pmRebel I think your right on the money,Welcome toWW3 so good to have you remember to stow your principles and morality in the compartment provided .
July 13th, 2006 at 5:35 pmNeocons are sincere. Democrats are not.
July 13th, 2006 at 5:38 pmJust when i thought there was a man ogf principal in the Republican party, Bush got yet another pass as the republicanc had an opportunity to redeem themselves.
July 13th, 2006 at 5:54 pmWhat?
July 13th, 2006 at 6:03 pmBush has the option of following the law?
What kind of cockamamie compromise is that?
Wasn’t Bush given an option to follow the law in the past - when given the option, we know which fork in the road he will choose - the easy one, unethical, untrue, and unenforceable.
Neo con are sincere about mass murder ,world domination thru oil,torture ,the removal of the constitution and the population in the middle class whom it has benefitted most.Sincerely ignorant .Have you tried looking at war photo’s with bodies in them SSShhh wait isn’t that the national anthem ?
July 13th, 2006 at 6:06 pmNo its the easter bunny !!!!
July 13th, 2006 at 6:07 pmWhy am I uninterested in reacting to and replying to our trolls here today?
Because they are bloody morons. Sorry trolls, my ma taught me not to make fun of retards.
July 13th, 2006 at 6:17 pmYes, we must be kind to the ignoramuses who troll here. Best, we just avert our eyes and refrain from interacting with them.
July 13th, 2006 at 6:30 pmI hate to say “I told you so” but I told you so.
July 13th, 2006 at 6:31 pmDo not believe what a republican says, watch what he does.
Specter is a prime example.
Let us not forget that the people who have occupied Palestine since the 1940’s have been linked to populations from Kashmir at a point about 11,000 years ago and migrated to Europe about 3000 years ago from the results of monarchial DNA tests. Patriarchal DNA tests are deemed unreliable because males are mere sperm donors in any existing society. Sort of throws a monkey wrench into the Garden of Eden thing which occurred about 6,600 years ago, according to the Bible. The first writings alluding to Biblical creation are from the Tigris-Euphrates valley (Babylon).
July 13th, 2006 at 6:34 pmArlen Specter is a marshmallow.
July 13th, 2006 at 7:15 pmLet’s see, Bush breaks the law , then the Republicans in both chambers of Congress are falling all over themselves in a rush to amend the law so that Bush law-breaking is retroactively legal. Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Imagine the outrage of these same republicans if it was Clinton who did it. They would say to hell with impeachment, and would form a lynch mob, charge into the White House, and guillotine ’slick Willie” on the spot.
July 13th, 2006 at 7:20 pm#38 Lush, I think that is incredibly unfair. He obviously was having misgivings about the situation. He did not say “Just not too much”. He did say Israel has the right to defend itself (doesn’t every country?). He then said he thinks that Israel usually goes too far.
July 13th, 2006 at 7:36 pmRisser and TripMaster, great posts above. I couldn’t agree more. Lebanon and Palestine could not mount a defense because they have no well trained organized military. They vote, we don’t like the choice, we cut off aide. Now it’s bulldozers taking their neighborhoods and bombing strikes to the infrastructure. Yeah, that seems fair and balanced. I guess that’s the cost of democracy when the US doesn’t like it.
I believe in South Africa they called minority rule apartheid in the 80’s, does that term apply here, one could argue it does. The PNAC and Bush administration is too dumb to figure out why the towers came down. Perhaps its our lack of compassion for the Arabs of Palistine and Lebanon.
July 13th, 2006 at 7:48 pmYes 69,
any true American listening to the crap Spinelss Specter was spewing should be seething. Unfortunately most Americans barely know their rights were violated. And the consertvative corporate news didn’t do their job and explain how duplicitious his bill is.
So Bush will get away with yet another impeachable offense. I can’t even keep track how many that makes??
July 13th, 2006 at 7:50 pmRe #54 - Dear Monkey Trip - Yeah, those “genocidal” Israelis - give the Palestinians the Gaza and watch them cross the border, kidnap AND FIRE rockets!! The US supports Israel as the memory of the Holocaust is a blight on the conscience of our European “allies”. While you and other anti-Jews might relish the thought of a destroyed Israel, your claims are poorly supported. The finally dead Palesimian Arafat, cash stasher extraordinaire, could not accept 90% of what the Palestinians said they wanted from the Oslo Accords and Ehud Barak. No, they wanted ALL or nothing. When you support terror groups whose fondest wish is to wipe Israel off the map - - YOU are no better….
July 13th, 2006 at 8:20 pmDavid B- “They Vote, we don’t like their choice - we cut off their aide..” Voting for Hamas or Hezbollah is like voting for the Bloods and Crips. I wouldn’t gove those pigs my money either…
July 13th, 2006 at 8:23 pmP.S. But you might write AraFAT’s grieving widow in Paris and request the money she and hubby stole be returned….
America-
Run outta stuff from Newsmax to cut and paste here? BTW, Bush new polls show him trending down to the mid-30s. That means 2/3 of the American people don’t like his performance.
Why do you hate yourself so much?
July 13th, 2006 at 8:43 pmAmerica,
July 13th, 2006 at 9:06 pmThe DES was enabled in the 1980’s. About 1982 or 1983 if memory serves me right. I worked on its development. That makes Clinton’s term more far-reaching than that of any other - past, present or future.
AMerica, you are the biggest, most long-winded bag of BS I have EVER seen on TP. Squat lower you eunich troll while you read Mein Kampf.
July 13th, 2006 at 9:09 pmI am beginning to think that we must fear Arlen “Warren Commission” Specter just as much as we must fear the little wooden head president Pinocchio. Arlen is selling us out.
July 13th, 2006 at 9:39 pmThere are several banks in town I’d like to knock over. I need to get a note from Sen Specter.
July 13th, 2006 at 9:54 pm2/3’s of the country which coincidently want a timeline on iraq, and disapprove of the president’s work, apparently are “leftist” crazy people, they just don’t GET it. AMerica, in all your example your points are POLITICS. If you can’t conceed that politicians on all sides will do anything to keep themselves elected then you are very misinformed. It’s the nature of politics that people spin, lie and decieve.
Yet again though, the usual neo-con strategy of using comparison to reply to facts. The democratic party is not on trial here. Their past, present or future beliefs are irrelevant. Attacking the other side, is not a defense. The last resort in any argument is to compare the problem to ones of past or present. O’Reilly does it all the time, “yeah, but don’t you see the same kind of things on the democratic side?”, “yeah, but look at Malmedy!!!”, he does it everytime he gets a dissenting guest.
Roughly 90% of people who are active in following the news, cannot be converted. Their party has already been defined, and all thats left is to wait 4 years. I don’t believe there is one single event that could massively change the split of D vs. R. People on both sides now a days, dont read the news; they interpret it. With any story or event I have yet to see a noticable change in the makeup of people’s views on it. People like this (albeit the majority) do not even need to keep up on current events, they interpret it towards their political views and then argue their side. It’s one of the most pointless and utterly predictable parts of pundits / blogs / people in general. It would take a massive, undeniable story to have a whole side in agreement. Even 9/11 split the political spectrum over intelligence failures and what to do next, the theatre is at its peak. Think to yourself of a single issue this year in which you have “switched sides”.
Even this blog itself, is heavily liberal. That’s fine, but if an issue arises that perhaps shows the strength of the republican party would it not serve the nation better to post it? This isn’t some game of team vs. team. It’s a nation of people who all need what serves them the best. Slandering, digging and misrepresenting facts to “slant” an issue to your parties favor does not serve any good (im not saying this site in particular does it). There should really not be “two sides” to every issue, just the facts and people can interpret and see them as they see fit. People should not vote against morals, but for parties. The way I see it is reporting events using any means possible to slant the story one particular way is disingenuous, and does not serve any good means. A true patriot should never spin, and never bee exclusive to one side.
I really sidetracked and had a little speech there, but its just my view of the (US) political game. Forgive me if its juvenile, or incomprehensible. I’m just a youngin’ (18) from Canada :). I’d love to see a response or other view, dunno if this is even the place to write something like this.
July 13th, 2006 at 10:00 pmYeah 2 sides 2 every issue …like mass murder or the killing of 10’s of 1000’sas foreign policy?
July 13th, 2006 at 10:52 pmand besides whose a democrat
July 13th, 2006 at 10:52 pmAmerica that was quite an act of censorship man …..did you just think that all up or are you an evil computer
July 13th, 2006 at 10:54 pmAmerica
July 13th, 2006 at 10:57 pmwhen you talk too much people tune you out .I’ll bet you were hardly read .Sorry man
America
July 13th, 2006 at 10:58 pmi’ve given you alland now I’mnothing
America $2 and thirty seven cents ,last wednesday Allen ginsberg
#86 x2x: This is as good a place as any to say what’s on your mind. As far as I’m concerned it’s the best.
You’re right about most politicians simply wanting to maintain the gravy train career. But I do believe their a handful or maybe a few more that actually care about the people that live here and in the rest of the world. Just living people on a living planet. But a privileged, sinister few that want to suck the very life out of it for their personal selfish benefit ruin it for everyone else. Then all we are left with is the wonderful opportunity to become their bootlicking automatons.
July 13th, 2006 at 11:01 pmfreeman — I am aware that at times one side may be completely blind and without a pratical response or explaination, but really that just further shows my view. As fair as I can see it the republicans do seem to have more “problems”, but that is to be expected when you control the house, senate and executive branch. The lack of objectivity shown by people is further proof of the interpretation of the news rather the the story itself. I can’t think of one story in my albeit brief history of following US politics in which there has been a consensus. Even something as widely accepted as global warming is not accepted by BushandCo, and on the other side of the fence Liberals seem unable to agree that the 94′(i think) deal with North Korea, may have played a role in their current weaponarily expansion, and that Bush may have had a lot of more “pressing” issues to deal with in the wake of the Iraq war and 9/11, no matter how much of those is his own doing. Once a major issue or story breaks, you can bet if you came to this site and say… hotair.com you’d find the exact same polar opposite views on each issue domestically.
July 13th, 2006 at 11:31 pmI guess when the congflagration in the Mid-East blows-up and Israel takes out Iran American parents will have to send their kids to fight for their oil. Dumbsfeld will protect all of these kiddies!
July 14th, 2006 at 3:29 amArlen, Arlen, Arlen. Sigh… why do you continue to humiliate yourself like this? GWB will never really love you, like you want to be loved by him. He is using you! Don’t you see it? Poor thing. But you should know, we are not fooled by your dramatics. You do the same tired thing every time. Just stop, ok?
July 14th, 2006 at 3:43 amLike AMERICA, early this morning I found myself with too much time on my hands. So, I actually read some of his paste-up bullshit plagarized from all of the well known neo-con agencies.
The man is daft I say, daft!
July 14th, 2006 at 7:50 am#80 X2X
July 14th, 2006 at 9:45 amKeep on reading and posting.
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Spectre’s Wiretapping “Compromise”: Bush Must Obey the Law (but only if he wants)…
A President who’s not above the law? What do you think this is, a democracy?…
July 14th, 2006 at 11:12 am[…] Update: Thinkprogress said all of this better than I did and Senator Leahy of Vermont nails this “sham” most eloquently in very few words, Sen. Patrick Leahy accurately characterized what Bush is agreeing to: “[Bush is] saying, if you do every single thing I tell you to do, I’ll do what I should have done anyway.†The Specter bill makes it optional for Bush to follow the law, while rewarding him for illegal conduct. […]
July 14th, 2006 at 9:53 pmI sure do wish those evil Jewish Israelis would stop [insert hype] those poor, peaceloving Hamas and Hezbollah members who like to hide behind Pali and Lebanese women and children while launching rockets on Jewish nursury schools. How dare they defend themselves. Don’t they know that they are supposed to just stand there and take it. It is Allah’s will that they die, afterall.
July 14th, 2006 at 11:03 pm[…] But what Specter didn’t say is that his legislation does not require President Bush to submit the program to the FISA court; it merely gives the president the option. Under the FISA law, the administration can wiretap persons inside the U.S. But it is required to demonstrate that the targets are agents of a foreign power, like al Qaeda or their affiliates. Specter’s bill actually empowers Bush by making it optional for him to follow the law and rewards him for illegal conduct. […]
July 15th, 2006 at 1:30 amAs they say, if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime, Mr. President. Bush should be impeached, removed from office, and then prosecuted for breaking his oath and the law.
July 15th, 2006 at 2:51 amWhat can one expect from the creature that gave us the ‘Magic Bullet’ theory of the JFK assassination? I am more tempted than ever to consider Isreal as a Nazi stalking horse constructed to bring about the destruction of all creation for the Satanists. Yes, its farfetched, ridiculous even, but then it makes as much sense as everything else we have seen in the past 40 odd years. Looks like the plan to bring about total destruction is on schedule. Remember BU**$HITler and possibly half the congress are Dominionists, pledged to destroy the world so Jesus can come back. What fun times we live in-or am I the only one who feels reality is now a mixture of Orwell and a Stephen King novel?
July 15th, 2006 at 6:30 pm