Congress Reacts to Warrantless Wiretaps

[saavedra77]

President Bush today defended his decision to authorize warrantless spying on suspected terrorists, characterizing this policy as both necessary and legal.  Members of Congresss of both parties have vociferously disagreed with the President on this:

"They [administration officials] talk about constitutional authority.  There are limits as to what the president can do."  And: "There is no doubt that this is inappropriate." - Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) (both quotes)

"We cannot set aside the rule of law in a time of war, because that's what we're fighting for in Iraq, for them to follow the law, not an outcome." - Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)

"How can any member of this body go out and say that under the Patriot Act we protect rights when the president goes out and says he won't be bound by the ... law?" - Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA)

But Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) seemed to say it best: "The president believes that he has the power to override the laws that Congress has passed. [But] he is a president, not a king."

I've thought for some time that this administration's conception of "the president's constitutional authority" bordered on monarchical. I think that this story confirms that they crossed that line, some time ago.

Of course, many of the president's advisers have been Straussians, who believe that classic texts have secret meanings that go over the head of the vulgar masses, that "natural" leaders are above the law, that the public needs "noble lies" to keep them occupied with external enemies. Perhaps they've applied the "secret meanings" "analysis" to the Constitution, or perhaps they're just exercising their "natural" right to rule through the requisite "noble lies" ...

(Post inspired by a recent reply I gave in moonmelody 's journal.)

Comments

This is how Democracy dies...

[greyaenigma.livejournal.com]

As I was listening to this speech this morning with Bush going on and on about how he needed to grab the reins and insure peace and etc., I was strognly reminded of something... Then I finally figured out what it was. I was listening to the commentary track of Revenge of the Sith last night, and it sounded just like how Lucas describes how dictatorships are usually created. And, of course, it also sounds a lot like the Goering quote (http://www.snopes.com/quotes/goering.htm).

Finally, I'm gobsmacked by their continued attempt to publicly viciously attack anyone that leaks these sorts of stories. How dare he stand there and act outraged? The only leaks they seem to care at all about are those that harm their reputations.

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

These fuckers are getting desperate. George Bush just thumbed his nose at America. He threw down the gauntlet of eventual police-statism with his "So what, I'm gonna do it anyways. What are you gonna do about it?" speech.

And here America lies, asleep.

[uniquecrash5.livejournal.com]

NNN has been lagging a bit now that Nikki has a pretty intense job; this sucks since I was using it as a one-stop-shopping for my news needs. So, what sites are you reading?

[saavedra77.livejournal.com]

News junkie that I am, I tend to rely on the regular news feeds over on the lefthand side of my page--especially NPR, NYT, The Washington Post.

I've been trying to build in more time for posting to NNN, myself, but my own job (and my unbelievably slow connection speed, at home) have been getting in the way ...

[saavedra77.livejournal.com]

But, y'know, if I had to pick one source (I'd be very hard-pressed, because I don't like relying on just one source), it'd probably be:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

twistedchick is pretty good, too, as a Person Who Finds Stuff. (Though sometimes it's a few days old.)