Doesn't look like many Senators gave up their Friday to attend this nonsense.
Posted on 03/31/2006 7:19:42 AM PST by TomGuy
Now showing on CSPAN 1
Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Censuring the President for NSA Surveillance
Yeah, some tag team they got going there. I love it. Idiots.
Could you imagine having to listen to the two of them as President and VP? **shudder**
BTW, welcome to FreeRepublic. This is quite a special place. Lots to be learned and shared...
I'm on DirecTV, and it's working fine. CSPAN on 350.
You might try the CSPAN stream for RealPlayer or MS Player
http://www.c-span.org/watch/index.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS&ShowVidDays=30&ShowVidDesc=&ArchiveDays=30
Specter: Prof. Turner, you are a strong defender of presidential authority. What would be wrong with the president submitting to the FISA court the program that he has? He's obligated to make adisclosure to the FISA court. It's in part domestic surveillance. What would be wrong with the prez disclosing to FISA his program?
Turner: What we know about the program, what was reported in the NYT and by Gen. Hayden and AG all say that one party to every conversation was a foreign national outside the country. It's the target that matters. The targets are foreigners.
There are two problems with FISA. I'm told there is new technology that I don't undedrstand but makes it hard to do FISA. We know cell phone numbers used by AQ but we don't know who is talking.
Delay is a problem. If law enforcement wants to intercept a phone call, two days might pass by the time they go through teh hoops. They need signatures, committees, meetings, then they put together a binder about an inch thick for each case and get in line in the court. The court judges deserve high praise for workign hard, but they can't respond quickly enough.
Before you can listen you have to go through this entire process. FISA works sometimes and provides a useful check. But when the president decides that immediate action is required sometimes, the thought of censure is that Congress doesn't have in mind national security but the next election.
Headline from the AP:
March 31, 2006, 10:10AM
John Dean Blasts Warrantless Eavesdropping
By LAURIE KELLMAN Associated Press Writer
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/3761767.html
Thank You Eureka ...I have been a lurker for a while.I can also be found on confirmthem......This is about the last bastion of freedom....later all
Agreed. I hope there is a transcript available Monday, and that the RNC is doing its homework.
"The (Democrats) are relentless. If they are not all (defeated), it will be civil war without end."
They did manage to get a real conference room this time instead of having the hearings in the basement. Oooh, I'm worried.
Lindsey Graham is tearing these guys apart.
Graham is doing pretty good too.
Lindsey Graham: Fein, we've worked together in the past and I share some of your concerns about inherent authority wtihout check. This crowd in the WH really believes this stuff. Will you give them credit for believing what they believe? (What a stupid, stupid question)
Fein: I don't doubt it.
Graham: Good. Because the ydo believe it. To say anything else is a joke. Mr. Dean, this is different from Watergate. Did you believe there was a legal basis for the president to break into the hotel?
Dean: No.
Graham: No one read the constitutin that you or the president could break into watergate. Isn't there a difference between breaking ...
Dean: The president didn't authorit it. I didn't either.
Graham: Did he cover up a crime he knew to be a crime.
Dean: He covered up for national security reasons.
Graham: He covred up to cover his hide.
He's going right after Dean now.
We're talking about the Watergate Break-in!!
Graham: That's why you went to jail.
(I think Graham is being ridiculous going back to Watergate, entertaining though it is)
My, you're fast!
Graham: This debate is about when does a president's power start and end in a time of war.
You go Lindsey Graham!! He got in John Dean's knickers good!!! I love it! and there's no way I could relate it...I'm tooooo engrossed. We need a transcript!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.