Specter: Administration broke law

UPI ^ | February 5, 2006

[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.

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

They took him totally out of context.

All the folks crucifying the man need to read the transcript. What UPI printed just ain't what he said. They're lying, and people are believing the lie based on their own personal feelings about Specter (which I usually share... but fair is fair, here).

[Chunga]

This is the thanks Bush/Rove gets for saving Specter's rear during the 2004 GOP Senatorial primaries.

What will all those schmucks on radio and FR who lectured us about strategery say now?

I know what I'll say: Read the transcript before spouting off like an ignorant jerk.

[Moonman62]

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.

How mean of them not to give all the terrorists out there the specifics.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Funny, but right after that Specter said FISA was probably unconstitutional. Wonder why that was left off?

He also said that it depended on the circumstances, whether it dealt with spying related to national security or other crimes.

[W04Man]

Right, THIS UNGRATEFUL SOB:

[pabianice]

I'll bet the White House is delighted that they put their support behind Specter in the last election.

[K-oneTexas]

I agree.

Just heard the illustrious legal scholar Sen. "Leakey" Lehey on the news telling AG Gonzalez that the warrantless searches were illegal and the Administration broke the law. Hummm?

Just think if Congress writing FISA trumps the Constitution or to say it better "limits" the Constitution the ... Congress can write another law which places them at the 'top of the heap' and that law will say that the Executive and the Judiciary can not review them. That too would then be legal under his reading.

I think not Sen. Dumb Cluck! Oh and as an aside, I wonder what 'leaks' next?

[twigs]

I keep voting against him in the primaries, but I need some help. We almost got rid of him in the last election. I'm assuming that he won't run again because of his health. We need to be scouting for a good conservative to run for his seat in 2010. Never too early to keep our eyes open.

[twigs]

Term limits is not a solution. It just gives more power to the people behind the elected officials. They are unseen and unelected. No thanks!

[Captainpaintball]

I know what I'll say: Read the transcript before spouting off like an ignorant jerk.

I read the transcrpit. The fact that Specter even is entertaining the idea is ridiculous, and typical of his slimy nature. Any moron could tell that the media invited him on their program for soundbite material that can easily be twisted to suit the 30-second top of the hour headline blurb. The way he answered the questions was classic: Arlen trying to be "Mr. Down-The-Middle", "Mr. Objective", "Mr. Above-The-Partisan-Fray" is in reality "Arlen the Useful Idiot." So, unless he is knowingly being used in exchange for face-time, this proves Specter is a sub-moron. The fact that you replied to my question proves you are a schmuck.

[Chunga]

I read the transcrpit. The fact that Specter even is entertaining the idea is ridiculous, and typical of his slimy nature. Any moron could tell that the media invited him on their program for soundbite material that can easily be twisted to suit the 30-second top of the hour headline blurb. The way he answered the questions was classic: Arlen trying to be "Mr. Down-The-Middle", "Mr. Objective", "Mr. Above-The-Partisan-Fray" is in reality "Arlen the Useful Idiot." So, unless he is knowingly being used in exchange for face-time, this proves Specter is a sub-moron. The fact that you replied to my question proves you are a schmuck.

Neither logic nor analysis is your forte, your language is tortured and your insults are pathetic.

Next time you ping somebody try to make it a little more interesting and a little less pitiable.

[TSchmereL]

I love a good fight!

So far I am for Captainpaintball even though he doesn't have a tag line because Chunga hasn't created an about page.

Fight!

[Captainpaintball]

Think about it. Arlen tries to be this "down-the-middle" guy who is above the fray. He tries to be a Republican, but ends up a republican't because of his liberal leanings, and/or his need to please the pro-choicers that vote for him. he also likes face time. He will say anything, do anything to get on TV and make the liberals like him.

The liberals invite him on TV to McCain himself, and Sphincter winds up being used by these rats for their own purposes.

Sphincter should just shut up. Even if he says nothing they want to hear (or use), they can spin it whichever way they please; which is why I have a problem with him in the first place.

Why do these guys so blindly and pASSionately defend him?

[TSchmereL]

I have also been thinking along these lines.

Doesn't George W. Bush have this flaw too?

Why did he make so many overtures to Congressional Democrats?

If he didn't think FISA was strong enough, why didn't tell Congress to change it? What was he afraid of? If he had forced them on the issue, wouldn't they have had to deal with either looking soft on the War on Terror or giving the President more authority? (I am assuming that Bush is bound by FISA for the sake of the argument. I have to conclude the issue is debatable since Gonzales makes such a poor argument otherwise).

It is my theory that we have a war on two fronts, al Qaeda on one, self-interested Democrat policos on the other. How can Bush deal effectively with al Qaeda when he is letting the Democrats stab him in the back? When is he going to put some discipline into the Congressional Republicans and tell them to either get behind him or pay a political price for it?

The only thing I know for sure is that George W. Bush is not the son of Ronald Regan.

[Captainpaintball]

The only thing I know for sure is that George W. Bush is not the son of Ronald Regan.

And the only thing I know is that Bush is the red-headed stepchild of the clintons.