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.
If it came down to Hillary and McCain I might consider that 72 virgin idea.
I agree with you...we should get a petition calling for the recall of ALL Senators!!!
Recall the Senate.
hey, maybe we should try listening to the Liberals. They may be on to something. The Founders couldn't predict the future right? That's why they gave us a "living breathing Constitution". And when you have a cancer, it's time to cut it out so the whole can remain healthy. Living Breathing.
Time to ax the Senate from the Constitutional Documents. We tried it. It's not functioning properly anymore. It's dated. Rip it out and streamline the process. No one would miss it one damn bit.
In Short, this is just the latest "impeach Bush now" idea. Upon first reading about the NSA actions in the immediate wake of 9/11 my reaction was, "But of course he did, any rational President would have done the same thing under the circumstances. After all, time was of the essence."
.. some freepers are probably cheering them on.
I'm cheering them on because they are just about to make a total a*s out of themselves.
NSA has been recording all overseas calls since at least the 1970s. People need to read the book called The Codebreakers.
If the base votes, McCain loses. That's a guarentee. The Maverick actually believes there are enough crossover Democrats, Indy's and McCainite Reps to make him the nominee. He's delusional.
I've no doubt the base hates him and is motivated to humiliate him. the problem is finding a nominee worthy to humiliate him with and that is where we have problems.
The Senate is out. I don't care if your name is Frist, Allen, brownback, Hagel (as if al Jazeera's fav Senator was ever in the running) they are all worthless. They've had plenty of opportunity to wage war against McCain, and still they kiss up to his aged white behind. They aren't fit to serve, especially when they sign on to his terrorist protectionist amendments.
That leaves, who? newt? Newt is unreliable and enjoys his time with Hillary far too much. Romney? Total unknown quality. Everything he says and does is geared for elections. Rudy? the only one of the bunch i respect, but his only selling point is strength in the WOT. So, we've got nothing at this point to rally behind other then keeping McCain off the ticket. I'm willing to rally behind a lesser charactered entity for the primary just to destroy Mccain, but we need a worthy candidate to win the general and I've not seen the like yet.
Two bozos
I am not exactly sure if Rudy is even going to be in it, I don't know what he is doing. He knows that in a straight fight with McCain and Allen, the abortion issue is going to hurt him in the primaries. He would have to distinguish himself and go to the right of McCain on some issue - this so-called "torture" bill would be a good spot. I guess what I am saying is, if Rudy doesn't pick some spot to go to the right of McCain, I can't see how he has a chance given his abortion position.
With Repubs expressing outrage, the story will die in two news cycles.
Not to mention illegal.
Anyone care to guess who I'm talking about?
Yes, I'm talking about President Bush. McCain-Feingold would be an irrelevant footnote in history if the President hadn't signed it. Now, he's caved in and will sign McCain's Al Qaeda Bill Of Rights. And let's not forget who campaigned for RINO Specter against the conservative Toomey. You know, the same Arlen Specter who stabs the President in the back every chance he gets.
I'm sick to death of this crap. Why can't the President show a little backbone against his domestic enemies? This same smarmy "new tone in Washington" that allows liberals of both parties to use him as a doormat.
I wish it would stop.
Tony Snow with an excellent 1st segment on the OReilly show tonight taking this nonsense apart.
there is NOTHING new here.
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