Posted on 02/05/2006 5:19:32 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says President George W. Bush's warrantless surveillance program appears to be illegal.
Appearing on NBC's "Meet the Press," Specter called the administration's legal reasoning "strained and unrealistic" and said the program appears to be "in flat violation" of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Hearings into the surveillance program are scheduled to begin Monday on Capitol Hill.
Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, the former head of the National Security Agency, defended the surveillance on ABC's "This Week" and the Fox News Network, the International Herald Tribune reported.
"It's about speed," General Hayden said in his ABC appearance. "It's about hot pursuit of al-Qaida communications."
The Bush administration says the surveillance has been carefully monitored and targeted at individuals with known or strongly suspected terrorist ties. But officials have also given different estimates of the amount of monitoring.
This is the thanks Bush/Rove gets for saving Specter's rear during the 2004 GOP Senatorial primaries.
Funny, but right after that Specter said FISA was probably unconstitutional. Wonder why that was left off?
Time for a new chairman ~ calling Bill Frist!
Spectre is long overdue for defeat and relegation to the ash heap of Senate history.
Specter is the gift that keeps on giving.
That was not the most important quote. Specter said FISA was probably UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
I guess he is basing this on Scottish law?
Does he have John McCain disease? I know he's not up for election for 4 yrs but maybe he'll get phlebitis and have to retire.
That's it, I want Arlen's head on a platter. What an oaf.
Sounds like the chemo roasted a few more brain cells than anyone expected.
Arlen Specter: FISA Law May be Unconstitutional
Sen. Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter said Sunday that while President Bush's terrorist surveillance program is a "flat out violation" of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, it may be entirely legal because of powers granted the president by the Constitution.
"There is an involved question here . . . as to whether the president's powers under Article 2, his inherent powers, supersede a statute." Specter told NBC's "Meet the Press."
Everyone PLEASE click on the link in post #13. This article is one of the worst representations of selective editing I've seen in some time. And that's saying something.
Thanks, dirtboy...you're one of my favorite FReepers.
 "Specter: Administration broke lawHmmm.... that's not what Senator Spector said at all. He said that the administration may be in violation of the FISA laws, but that if those laws are in conflict with the President's constitutionally mandated powers in Article II, then no he didn't break any laws and FISA is unconstitutional. So in short what Specter said was that; it appears Congress may have written a law that is against the law in 1978. |
Nice of UPI to editorialize with their headline. Hoping no one reads the article, obviously.
'Cause whatever it is, your handlers must really have your butt against the wall.
Either that or YOU have it across the line.
If it is the latter, just make the Jeffords jump and get it over with, OK?
Please, read post #13. This is a very bad article in that it only told the first half of Specter's statement.
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