Posted on 02/06/2006 11:40:01 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) -- Former President Jimmy Carter criticized the Bush administration's domestic eavesdropping program Monday and said he believes the president has broken the law.
"Under the Bush administration, there's been a disgraceful and illegal decision - we're not going to the let the judges or the Congress or anyone else know that we're spying on the American people," Carter told reporters. "And no one knows how many innocent Americans have had their privacy violated under this secret act."
Carter made the remarks at a union hall near Las Vegas, where his oldest son, Jack Carter, announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate.
The former president also rebuked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales for telling Congress that the spying program is authorized under Article 2 of the Constitution and does not violate the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act passed during Carter's administration. Gonzales made the assertions in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which began investigating the eavesdropping program Monday.
"It's a ridiculous argument, not only bad, it's ridiculous. Obviously, the attorney general who said it's all right to torture prisoners and so forth is going to support the person who put him in office. But he's a very partisan attorney general and there's no doubt that he would say that," Carter said. "I hope that eventually the case will go to the Supreme Court. I have no doubt that when it's over, the Supreme Court will rule that Bush has violated the law."
The former president said he would testify before the Judiciary Committee if asked.
"If my voice is important to point of the intent of the law that was passed when I was president, I know all about that because it was one of the most important decisions I had to make."
BUMP
I'm finding it hard to even read "news" pieces in which this guy is the subject.
Hey Carter you liberal idiot you caused all this crap because you were a pansy over 35 years ago!
Is that braying I hear?
Unless a RAT Prez. does it. Try to remember that jimmie.
Even rabbits know a fool when they attack one.
Ya well nobody asked you so go bug off.
Hey Carter go hang out with some dictator, doesnt matter which one your friends with them all.
...let the American people suffer with 19% interest rates and others languish, held for 444 days in another country was a few other decisions he made
Doogle
Shouldn't Jimmay be reading bedtime stories to Michael Moore or something?
I find that more each day I am longing to see the pageantry of Carters funeral. We should have heeded the warning when he and Roselyn walked instead of riding down Pennsylvania Avenue after his inauguration.
Thats OK. Helms is an enemy of the party. Terrorists are freinds f the party.
Who cares what ole coot carter has to say? We Americans want NSA to listen to what our enemies are up to. I'm sick of the msm media and it's parrots saying "domestic spying" when they've been told relentlessly that we are only listening to "foreign terrorists."
I named the wrong "enemy" of the party - Strom Thurmond, not Jesse Helms.
Still works. :-)
I'm from Canada and privacy laws are the big thing going at the moment. Canadians are completely paranoid about the Patriot Act and it's effect on information access. But personally I honestly don't know what is getting people so hot and bothered.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.