The Real Wiretapping Scandal

WSJ / OpinionJournal.com ^ | July 30, 2007 | David B. Rivkin, Jr. and Lee A. Casey

[CutePuppy]

The Real Wiretapping Scandal

Last Tuesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing--at which Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was insulted by senators and ridiculed by spectators--was Washington political theater at its lowest. But some significant information did manage to get through the senatorial venom directed at Mr. Gonzales. It now appears certain that the terrorist surveillance program (TSP) authorized by President Bush after 9/11 was even broader than the TSP that the New York Times first revealed in December 2005.

It is also clear that Mr. Gonzales, along with former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, tried to preserve that original program with the knowledge and approval of both Republican and Democratic members of key congressional committees. Unfortunately, they failed and the program was narrowed. Today, the continuing viability of even the slimmed-down TSP--an indispensable weapon in the war on terror--remains in serious doubt.

.....

In May, former Deputy Attorney General James Comey described--before a far more congenial Senate Judiciary Committee--a dramatic late night confrontation in March, 2004. It involved Mr. Comey, FBI Director Robert Mueller, Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Card, all gathered in the hospital room of then Attorney General John Ashcroft. Mr. Ashcroft, who must have signed off on, or at least have known about, the TSP years before, had transferred his authority to Mr. Comey for the duration of his gallbladder surgery. Mr. Comey refused to re-approve the program (which was expiring the next day) because of legal concerns, and the White House wanted Mr. Ashcroft to overrule him.

.....

Those critics, in and out of Congress, immediately seized upon Mr. Comey's May 15 testimony as proof that Mr. Gonzales had lied to Congress when he stated earlier that there was no disagreement at Justice regarding the TSP's legality.

.....

[CutePuppy]

In NSA TSPs, Wilson-Plame-Fitzgerald, and firing of few US Attorneys non-scandals "scandals" - all roads lead and dots connect to James Comey and his patron NY Senator Chuck Schumer...

Considering what is unfolding with former NY AG and now NY Governor Spitzer (busted by new NY AG Andrew Cuomo, who is no friend of another NY Senator or her husband) and adding the real scandals and outrageous abuses of power by "The Two Who Shall Not Be Named", can we say that we have a case of NY political mafia family in action?

[Enchante]

Comey and Schumer are the ones who need to be extensively investigated, not Gonzales. The ‘RATs are running wild trashing US security with the energetic collusion of the NY Times, et al.

[freeangel]

It’s time for the President to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate why Congressional Democrats have had a gazillion “investigations”, most of which are proving fruitless but nevertheless give the msm fodder to project a horrible image of the US and the President. It’s time to have them all testify under oath and use their e-mails to put in front of the public their CAMPAIGN to use these investigations as a way to distract from their dishonesty.

[CutePuppy]

Should have started looooong time ago... but better late than never.

Of course, these Congressional “hearings” and attacks on Gonzales and demands for documents and Special Prosecutor and, in particular, accusations of “political” nature of firings and “no confidence” in DoJ are in themselves designed to inoculate them from investigations and embarrassments. Dems know that the best defense is a good offense, it seems that very few of the Republicans do. Sounds like every time Dems are on the rope and throw a Hail Mary pass, it turns into a touchdown in no small part due to passivity and incompetent GOP defense. That’s what happened in 1990’s with Clinton, and 2006 with Congressional elections.

I think Comey, among other things, is also making a play for AG if Dems take White House back.

[6SJ7]

Comey and Schumer are the ones who need to be extensively investigated, not Gonzales. The ‘RATs are running wild trashing US security with the energetic collusion of the NY Times, et al.

The irony is that if Schumer and NYTimes succeed in disemboweling US security, the fallout will likely be the destruction of NYC.

[RangerM]

I was watching one of the Sunday morning shows. I remember a dem politician saying it was ok to wiretap two persons in different (other than US) countries, in order to intercept any plans of terrorist activity. But did have a problem if one participant in the call was in this country.

I couldn’t help but think that the way for terrorists to get around wiretapping was to use someone in the US as a conduit of information, thereby making it illegal to discover this information.

What are these people thinking?

Are they really serious, or is this some sort of diversionary tactic? I can’t believe these people would thwart a way to discover info about possible terrorist activity.

[ex-NFO]

“Mr. Comey refused to re-approve the program (which was expiring the next day) because of legal concerns, and the White House wanted Mr. Ashcroft to overrule him.”

I’m curious as to why DOJ waited until the day before the indespensible program expired before they decided it was a good idea to reapprove it.

[cinives]

That’s OK - Chuckie will just scream for more bucks to rebuild NYC. It won’t affect him personally other than to give him more “power”.

[Gritty]

[yoe]

Last Tuesday, however, the circumstances of this midnight drama and the nature of the issues at stake got a lot clearer. Mr. Gonzales, who obviously is still trying to explain things without revealing TSP details that remain classified, noted that the emergency visit to Mr. Ashcroft came after a meeting with White House personnel and the so-called "gang of eight"--the heads of various congressional intelligence committees--who agreed that the TSP had to continue. (Predictably, a number of "gang of eight" Democrats dispute this consensus, but they were clearly aware of the program and presumably White House logs can verify their meeting attendance.)

This entire article needs to be sent to all via e-mail and especially to those who have been howling after the head of Alberto Gonzales. Ms. Janet Reno protected Mr. & Mrs. Clinton....Mr. Gonzales is protecting America's security.

[ravingnutter]

It involved Mr. Comey, FBI Director Robert Mueller, Mr. Gonzales and Mr. Card, all gathered in the hospital room of then Attorney General John Ashcroft.

Arrrgh! This is driving me crazy...Mueller testified that he was NOT in the room, so how can he possibly contradict what Gonzales said? Now they say Comey was in the room? Why can't they at least get the basic facts straight?

[skinkinthegrass]

.

[CutePuppy]

My understanding is that it was a last minute non-reauthorization “bombe surprise” sprung by Comey after he assumed acting AG role when Ashcroft was hospitalized and brought into emergency room ICU due to acute gallstone pancreatitis on Thursday, March 4, 2004.

Also here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1872086/posts?page=9#9

Had Ashcroft been in charge at the time, none of this would have happened, yet I am positive Comey would come up with something... all he has to say is that he and/or “some” in DoJ disagreed with continuation of the program and you still have a “controversy” that Dems in Congress and the media can keep exploiting. Comey’s word is gospel, you know, at least I didn’t hear anyone saying that his testimony or opinion was “controversial”... All they need is for a couple of people to have a slightly different recollection of a meeting that happened several months or years ago and you get charges of perjury and demands for SP and impeachment.