Democratic Leaders Urge Speaker to Hold Hearings on President's Authorization of National..

U.S. Newswire ^

[Sub-Driver]

Democratic Leaders Urge Speaker to Hold Hearings on President's Authorization of National Security Agency's Activities

12/18/2005 4:49:00 PM

To: National Desk, Congressional Correspondent

Contact: Brendan Daly or Jennifer Crider, 202-226-7616. both of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi ; Web: http://democraticleader.house.gov

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 /U.S. Newswire/ -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi; House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer; Congressman John Conyers, Ranking Member on the Judiciary Committee; Congressman Henry Waxman, Ranking Member on the Government Reform Committee; and Congresswoman Jane Harman, Ranking Member on the Intelligence Committee, sent a letter to Speaker Hastert last night urging him to join Democrats in establishing an independent panel to hold hearings regarding President Bush authorizing the National Security Agency to conduct unspecified activities.

Below is the text of the letter:

December 17, 2005

The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert

Speaker

United States House of Representatives

H 232 The Capitol

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Speaker:

In his radio address of December 17, President Bush disclosed that, after September 11, 2001, he authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to undertake certain unnamed activities designed to prevent additional terrorist attacks. The President argued his action was "fully consistent with my constitutional responsibilities and authorities."

An article in the December 16 issue of the New York Times, "Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts" has led to the inevitable conclusion that the President was referring to an authorization to allow the NSA to conduct warrantless electronic surveillance of U.S. persons.

Regardless of whether that is true, we believe that the President's statements on the 17th, and the justifiable concern of the American people over the allegations in the Times article, require the House of Representatives to take steps immediately to conduct hearings on the scope of Presidential power in the area of electronic surveillance.

[Sub-Driver]

good grief.....

[ConservativeGreek]

Regardless of whether that is true

I love these people.
They display their ignorance in their letters.

[kingu]

Hmm, missing step - finding, arresting and convicting whomever it was that violated the National Security Act in revealing top secret information to the press...

Oh, oops, forgot, these were the Democrats. No witch hunts that might expose liberals.

[digger48]

Nancy Pelosi
John Conyers
Henry Waxman



Boy, now there's a "mainstream" bunch.

[reformed_democrat]

Somebody's doing a bit of grandstanding, eh?

[diverteach]

The Dems already went on record to look like idiots for the relatively few people who watch the sunday morning pundit shows.

Now they wanna rerun of looking stupid with the rest of the rats? Morons!

[finnman69]

how about Bush announcing the AG prosecuting leakers.

[FreeRep]

Whilst every Democratic Leader has the right to be a jerk, they seem to have abused that privilege!

[newconhere]

God Help Us. Im just so angry! I wish I wasnt a news junkie, all it does is gives me stress. Im going to become one of Jay Leno's "Jay Walkers"

[diverteach]

P.S. I hope that at some point in tonight speech he shows the documentation that they knew about it way back when and did nothing.

[EGPWS]

Regardless of whether that is true, we believe that the President's statements on the 17th, and the justifiable concern of the American people over the allegations in the Times article, require the House of Representatives to take steps immediately to conduct hearings on the scope of Presidential power in the area of electronic surveillance.

The far left agenda in a nutshell.

Should one feel safe under the scrutiny of the likes of Pelosi as compared to Bush?

Only a felon would contemplate....

[Pittsburg Phil]

I want hearings into treason by the Democratic Party starting with Slick Willy Clinton selling hi-tech to China and up to, and including, the hate America campaign consucted by Harry Reid, Ted Kennedy, john Kerry, John Murtha, the NY Times, Washington Post and the rest of the liberal media.

(Pretty modest start, don't you think?)

[Brilliant]

If we are going to have hearings, then I feel that Pelosi, Reid, Gephardt and Daschle, among others, should be put under oath and required to tell us what they were briefed on, and explain why they did not report these "crimes."

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

WHO'S CALLING FOR WHAT ?

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/12/18/110626.shtml

Harry Reid: I Was Briefed on Spy Program

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/12/18/125959.shtml

Nancy Pelosi: I Was Briefed on NSA Program

[Morgan in Denver]

Gee... Can anyone say "stick it you jerk?"

[DTogo]

I urge President Bush to detain the NYT reporter who leaked this story and threaten a trip to G'itmo for treason unless he releases his source.

The source gets a guaranteed trip to G'itmo for treason.

[hophead]

You think they want to include in the hearings finding out who leaked the story and how they should be prosecuted?

[SandRat]

I'll say it in Austrailian -- "CLEAR OFF!"

[bray]

Why don't they just wait 10 days for the Book to come out and convict Bush then?? What a bunch of Maroons.

Pray for W and Our Victorious Troops

[mattdono]

An article in the December 16 issue of the New York Times, "Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts" has led to the inevitable conclusion that the President was referring to an authorization to allow the NSA to conduct warrantless electronic surveillance of U.S. persons.

Isn't this classic? There has to be a name for this by now. Can we call it the "springboard-to-Congressional-hearings" move?

All it takes is an allegation now? Unbelieveable.