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Specter: “That Just Defies Logic And Plain English”

Anyone who thinks that criticism of Bush’s warrantless surveillance program is a partisan issue should check out this exchange at the end of the hearing between Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Alberto Gonzales:

SPECTER: I don’t think you can use principle of avoiding a tough constitutional conflict by disagreeing with the plain words of the statute. Attorney General Gonzales, when members of Congress heard about your contention that the resolution authorizing the use of force amended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act there was general shock.

GONZALES: We’ve never asserted that FISA has been amended. We’ve always asserted that our interpretation of FISA, which contemplates another statute and we have that here in the authorization to use force, those complement each other. this is not a situation where FISA has been overwritten or FISA has been amended. That’s never been our position.

SPECTER: That just defies logic and plain English.

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Karl Rove wants to make warrantless domestic surveillance a partisan issue. But this isn’t about partisanship. It’s about respect for the Constitution and the rule of law.