Bush: Congress Must Stay Put Until Surveillance Bill Approved

AP via Dallas Morning News ^ | Friday, August 3, 2007

[kristinn]

WASHINGTON - President Bush said Friday that Congress must stay in session until it approves legislation modernizing a U.S. law governing eavesdropping on foreigners.

"So far the Democrats in Congress have not drafted a bill I can sign," Bush said at FBI headquarters, where he was meeting with counterterror and homeland security officials. "We've worked hard and in good faith with the Democrats to find a solution, but we are not going to put our national security at risk. Time is short."

The president, who has the power under the Constitution to keep Congress in session, said lawmakers cannot leave for their August recess this weekend as planned unless they "pass a bill that will give our intelligence community the tools they need to protect the United States."

Earlier Friday, the White House offered an eleventh-hour accord to Democrats in the negotiations over the matter, saying it would agree to a court review of its foreign intelligence activities instead of leaving certification up to the attorney general and director of national intelligence.

But it attached several conditions that could be unacceptable to Democrats: that the review would only be after-the-fact and would only involve the administration's general process of collecting the intelligence, not individual cases, said a senior administration official speaking on condition of anonymity to more freely discuss internal deliberations.

SNIP

The two sides, however, still are far from striking a deal on what all agree needs to happen, and soon: an update of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

At issue is how the government would spy on foreign terror suspects overseas without invading Americans' privacy rights. Democrats want the special FISA Court to review the eavesdropping process to make sure the surveillance does not focus on communications that might be sent to and from Americans.

[old republic]

I believe he has the power to compel and can even deputize to compel.

Call all constitutionalists. Lurking

Each chamber of congress has the power to arrest ITS OWN members and compel them to attend a session of congress as provided for in Article I Sec.5 of the US constitution. The president does not have this power. The framers designed the constitution this way to maintain the separation of legislative and executive powers. The executive branch cannot compel congress to do anything, likewise the congress cannot compel the president to do anything. Its the principle of separation of powers. For reference here is Article I Sec.5:

Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide.

[plain talk]

There's actually some a$$hole on that repulsive forum who's moniker is "bamacrat". Talk about a two-time loser.

What do you mean two-time loser? You wouldn't be referring to my state of Alabama by any chance would you? Well we may be losers in your eyes down here but we did one thing right. We elected Jeff Sessions. You have some work to do up there. :-)

[Rome2000]

Maybe he can have them convene their next session at Club Gitmo until they come with a bill he’ll sign :-)

Excellent idea!

How come only commies get to lock up the opposition.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

(snicker)...;0)

[Gondring]

I don’t want this President to have any additional power. Sad but true.

Sums up the feelings of a lot of us.

[cookcounty]

"But it attached several conditions that could be unacceptable to Democrats: that the review would only be after-the-fact "

So FOR THE FIRST TIME IN US HISTORY surveillance of foreigners should be subject TO PRIOR APPROVAL by the courts????? Is there anything DUMBER than a Democrat? In the age of terrorism and WMD? Good night, what morons.

[cookcounty]

"Would what happen if the Congress recessed anyways? Anyone know?"

Then they meet with whoever shows up. Vote Reid and Pelosi out and then get down to other business.....

[Merlinator]

Huh??? I think you and your rant would feel more at home at the Daily Kos. Buh-bye

[gondramB]

>>Ergo, I’m an “Enemy of State” because I disagree with their treason, schemed destruction of the Bill of Rights and US Constitution. I’m not your typical RIM terrorist, but talking against organized crime in the Federal Mafia can be defined as Enemy of State. godvernment criminals will conjure up a newly morphed definition to get me for telling too much truth.

FreePers are already awake and using their minds. Just make sure it’s really you yourself using your mind (not godvernment programmers), and drink less of the neo-comm Party-Line Kool-aid. neo-comms are really communists redux.

Meanwhile, el presidente jorge busho hisses more lies with forked tongue thru venom fangs.<<

Hmmm. Let’s see. Hateful. Conspiracy-minded. Name calling.

I’d say, not helpful at all for Freep or the U.S.A.

[gondramB]

>>Sums up the feelings of a lot of us.<<

And its a real shame - the support was so high after 9/11 and just about everybody here supports national defense, self defense and pro-active prevention.

But this idea of a unitary executive has gone too far.

[Antarcticn]

Things posting on DailyKos crave a communist Big Brother utopia. They are citizens of Orwell’s “1984” and, thus, mostly lost causes.

Conversely, FreePers are not beyond reclamation. You folks do not subscribe to “1984” Big Brother-ism. You dislike Orwellian Draconia. And, many here already lost confidence in Norte America’s el presidente, jorge busho, and posted such righteous patriotic sentiments on this website.

Just zoom out a little, widen your point-of-view, take in the bigger picture, and see where our globalist traitorous el presidente is pulling the United States by the ring in its nose.

Ponder this acronym: GHOULS
Globalist Hegemony of Oligarchic Utopianists and Licentious Supremacists

They are the puppetmasters; unelected, unaccountable to We The Victims, and ruining this nation like Wizards of Oz from behind the curtain. They are the shadow godvernment.

They are the CFR – Council on Foreign Relations
They are the TLC – Tri-Lateral Commission
They are the Federal Reserve – central banks of paper money-creating magicians, printing valueless paper money from nothing, from thin air, thus causing hyper inflation (a tax)

They are domestic and foreign “non-partisan” policy-making think tanks – for example, the American Enterprise Institute, the evil and despotically corrupt United Nations

They are redistributors of wealth and purveyors of slavery and impoverishment in the World Bank and International Monetary Fund

They are anti-American, unpatriotic transnational globalist captains of industry who –to maximize profits– close American production facilities and/or outsource US jobs and production overseas for near or actual slave-wage labor markets

Some FreePers see such truth. Others should open their eyes wider. A simple suggestion. That’s all.

Freedoms are being killed in America by our criminal godvernment. It sets itself up with god-like powers, usurping the LORD’s sovereign authority. Criminal godvernment wants to be We The Victims’ god.

We’re well inside the 2-minute warning to win this fight. And we’re behind many points on the scoreboard.

[Antarcticn]

Please zoom out a little. Think pro-actively, not only reactively to current events.

Have you played chess or any game that necessitates thinking ahead more than reacting after your opponent’s next move? That’s what this political drama is like.

Posting 71 has a few drops in a teaspoon to spur thinking. I’m really not crazy. You’re simply not seeing some obvious stuff that is destined to run over you. Yes, I’m conspiracy minded after 5+ years of full-time researching my/our enemies.

So, I see political hacks and appointed bureaucrats as “criminal godvernment”. They are proxy GHOULS (Globalist Hegemony of Oligarchic Utopianists and Licentious Supremacists). GHOULS want to impose their communist utopia on you and me. But, not for them. In their own elitist minds, they’re god-like. They dictate: “Do as we command, not as we do.” GHOULS suck life out of everything, control 95% of earth’s resources and quest endlessly to hoard power.

Am I hateful? Yes, I hate GHOULS. Earth shall one day have its one-world gov’t. Why must it be the criminal godvernment of GHOULS which anoints despotic tyrants and enslaves the rest of earth’s populace?

It doesn’t have to be. But it will be if we are stupid enough to allow their coup.

el busho’s Constitution-killing redux of FISA is another nail in We The Victims’ coffin. You’re blind, foolish or both if you believe tyrant jorge is honorable enough to not spy on US citizens. That fact was already tacitly acceded. Spying domestically will only escalate hereafter because now it’s “legal” — which has nothing to do with justice.

[bill1952]

What person would continually screw up on the public stage so that the public could see it over and over, unless they truly were an idiot?

A very good point, on many levels.

In a land of total azzes, the half azz man could be King.

Hence: Santorum? out. Casey? In.

The typical modern product of the NEA and the American Educational System (sic) is not very bright at all. - far from it.

I was asked by one such product, "Don't Islands float?"
An elementary School teacher.

[DoughtyOne]

You touched on a sore spot for me.

One of my pet peeves is the reverence that is afforded to school teachers. Some of the biggest idiots I’ve known were teachers. Some were great too, so don’t get me wrong.

Every profession is important to me, from the top political position to the most menial. I respect people for doing a good job in whatever field they work. Singling out teachers, police, firemen et al is elitist to me. People choose their professions based on interest in the field, pay and benefits.

Yes some of these do face certain dangers, but they are provided monetary enhancements to compensate.

In today’s environment we see teachers indoctrinating children politically and sexually. We see them circumventing the parental influence at will. We see them relegating parents to sole role of breeder, incapable of making the real decisions that mold their children.

No, I’m not buying into the glory road for teachers.

[Gondring]

But this idea of a unitary executive has gone too far.

Especially when the executive has tried to creep over into the other branches, as well as ignore the other branches' checks and balances. And especially when less benign personnel can fill that same executive branch and pick up those expanded executive powers. :-(

[Merlinator]

OK, I think I’ll put on my tin foil hat now and drink some Kool-aide

[Recovering Hermit]

You wouldn't be referring to my state of Alabama by any chance would you?

You misunderstood me, FRiend.

I was thinking "bama" was referring to Obama, not Alabama.

Sorry for not clarifying that.

[plain talk]

OK. Cool. :-)

[PEACE ENFORCER]

First of all lets start with the word “godvernment”.
.
The Founding Fathers Not only believed but wrote down on paper (this would be the Constitution for dummies who don’t know how to read) That we receive our (that’s me & you) unalienable rights from our Creator. I argree with you we NEED TO PUT GOD BACK IN GOVERNMENT (godvernment). God being our Creator. This Creator can be anyone you pick NOT UNELECTED OFFICIALS FORCING THEIR WILL ON ME & YOU. Got it....good, now we’re getting somewhere.
.
As far as President Bush ramming through unjust laws this is on of the few things Bush has done right, by the way this IS his job the Constitution gives him the right to monitor threats from abroad. FISA is actually UNCONSTITUTIONAL because it hinders the ability of the President to do his job which IS to keep your A$$ safe. The only thing you need to know about F.I.S.A. is two words.....Jimmy Carter
.
You mentioned your VICTIMHOOD and assumed I am Victim with you, this is INCORRECT, we Americans are not Victims, you are alone, by the way exactly what rights have you lost to prove your victim-hood? Don’t tell me it’s the “bug” the NSA has placed in your rectum to keep track of your wealth of knowledge, you sound like your wearing some tin foil.
.
You do however make some good points but the bad points REEEEAAALLLY (as you say) outweigh anything else you have to say., ...........:)

[pray4liberty]

In the age of terrorism and WMD? Good night, what morons.

They won't get it unless D.C. is Osama'ed and by then it will be way too late.