Posted on 12/16/2005 4:04:00 PM PST by Goldwater-Reagan Republican
To the surprise of perhaps no one, Senators Arlen Specter and John McCain have jumped on this morning's reports of NSA spying within the United States as another opportunity to grab the limelight.
Report of NSA Spying Prompts Call for Probe (AP)
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter put the Bush administration on notice Friday that his panel would hold hearings into a report that the National Security Agency eavesdropped without warrants on people inside the United States. "There is no doubt that this is inappropriate," said Specter, R-Pa., calling hearings early next year "a very, very high priority." He wasn't alone in reacting harshly to the report. Sen. John McCain R-Ariz., said the story, first reported in Friday's New York Times, was troubling.
[...]
"This is Big Brother run amok," declared Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., called it a "shocking revelation" that "ought to send a chill down the spine of every senator and every American."
But, as the NYT story made clear, the Senate has long ago been apprised of the practice. Even Democrats like Jay Rockefeller knew about it. Indeed, the AP brings this up several paragraphs into the story:
The administration had briefed congressional leaders about the NSA program and notified the judge in charge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the secret Washington court that handles national security issues. Aides to National Intelligence Director John Negroponte and West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, declined to comment Thursday night.
So, if this was "inappropriate," "troubling," and "shocking," why wait until it hits the front page of the Times to say something about it? Couldn't they have held private hearings on this a year ago?
Update: An informed source e-mails and DC Loser comments below taking me to task for writing "the Senate has long ago been apprised of the practice" when, in fact, all I know for sure is the the Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence had been apprised. A fair point. I was operating on the presumption, perhaps incorrect, that the leadership of the Judiciary Committe, which would have oversight responsibility on FISA, and the Armed Services Committee, which has oversight over NSA, would have been similarly briefed.
No way. McCain lost the primary badly here in 2000. His surly, angry, arrogant persona doesn't play well anywhere except among the DC-NY media. Even they only play him up in order to foster dissention among Republicans.
I'm with you. I'm feeling unicameral.
I do.
The NYT's has no power except what the United States Senate invests in it. The rest of the country wrote them off, which explains falling circulation. So, it's an easy call. I hate the United States Senate and about 91% of its members far more than I do the NYT's.
And I dare any one of those Senators to show up near my city and ask for my vote if they weren't on the right side of the 90-9 vote. I'll say what the rest of the PC civility gutless crowd in D.C. would never relate to their faces, nor the sycophantic media.
Does anybody notice the sneaky way they word this? These are not "US citizens" protected by the Constitution, but simply "people inside the United States". Could be illegals, or suspicious foreigners, etc. Very deceptive, I think.
Some people are touting Mitt Romney...
Why don't they just join Al-Qeada? I'm more afraid of McCain than Bin Laden and those whacky Iranians.
So far he's taken more freedom away from me, with moron accomplises, than the terrorists have.
I don't know Allen's campaign agenda in Virginia, because I don't live there. However, he is in a real horse race with Mark Warner. Both are popular ex-governors of that state.
I agree about Allen and his presidential prospects. I realize he probably agreed to run for senate reelection to try to keep the seat in Republican hands. But from a presidential wannabe perspective, running for senate reelection was a huge mistake.
Nothing more than political posturing.
McCain is the Liza Minelli of the U.S. Senate.
Allen has 2006 to take care of first and that's his message but probably not his focus. He doesn't have an opposing candidate yet and based on who that is he'll know if he can use 2006 to boost his run for prez later.
Which is why I've stated, and some have argued with me for this position, that Hillary could have the W.H. if McCain is what we're given. I doubt he'll win the primaries, but, who knows? I look at the rejects we've got running alongside him and I'm not impressed with any of them.
I will not EVER grant my vote to McCain. Would rather sell my soul to the Devil. Which might be moot by giving mcCain the vote.
Good!
President Bush supported Spectre and has never a bad thing to say about Mc Cain who never missed an opportunity to stab him in the back[the man that some on this forum would like to be the next President of the United States. The only person, they say that can beat Hillary. I say that it is the only man that can ensure that Hillary will be elected].All that is needed now is for Ted Kennedy to join the fray.
he is boxing himself in with these senate positions.
This is McCAIN'S THANK YOU letter to the POTUS for agreeing with [McCain's] Al Qaeda's Bill of Rights legislation.
Or maybe he just has dementia. Either way, this guy is unfit to hold the office any longer, just like most incumbents. His most important goal now is to get his face on TV. Screw protecting the country, he needs face time.
If he had the nads, he would just switch parties. Oh, I forgot, if he does that then he loses the limelight as a 'Republican' that goes after the President.
As I have said many times in the past: Republicans have nothing to fear except themselves.
Investigate what? A NY Slimes Fiction.
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