LIVE THREAD: SJC hearing on the NSA surveilance program - C-span 1; 9:30 am EST

[ken5050]

Good Monday morning, once again, fellow political jinkies. The NFL season may be over, but the political season inside the Beltway is 24/7/365. So join us, if you can, as those wacky Dems on the Senate Judiciary committee reprise their pitiful efforts to once again smear President Bush and score political points..

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

A guy from Powerline was just grilling Durbin and asked if he had a problem with the Administration's view of the authorization of force then go to the floor of the Senate and aske for a sense of the senate resolution. Durbin said that he was not familiar with his publication and walked away. Priceless.

[ken5050]

Test on the contents of the first session of today's hearing:

1. Where does Pat Leahy go to work every day?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Got it right here...................

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NSA Update

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning; the Associated Press has a report.

Arlen Specter said he would like to see the legality of the NSA program reviewed by a "special federal court;" I'm not sure whether he was referring to the FISA court of appeals or something else. Gonzales said he had no objection to that; I would agree. An early determination that the NSA program is within the President's inherent constitutional powers would be good for everyone concerned. Except the Democrats, of course.

Pat Leahy was completely over the top:

"My concern is for peaceful Quakers who are being spied upon, and other law-abiding Americans and babies and nuns who are placed on terrorist watch lists," Leahy said.

Regrettably, the AP doesn't record Gonzales's response.

Pajamas Media has lots more on the NSA issue here; I believe this is where the interviews that Paul and filmmaker Andrew Marcus are conducting will be posted.

Posted by John at 11:33 AM | Permalink

[Carolinamom]

color them green and they're hapless toads.

[conservativebabe]

Don't know, but I'll bet someone's @ss is grass over that one! Priceless!

[p23185]

I'm serious. Just refuse. Don't send Gonzales up there. Give congress the finger. Let congress send it to the supreme court or whatever to do when the separation of powers is challenged.

If GWB would do that I would instantly be 100% pro GWB notwithstanding his prolific spending habits and wide open borders. I am currently only 80% for GWB. Show some spine - we have WH and both houses of Congress - go for it give them the finger. The Supreme court is where this belongs anyway.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Hey, that is one way to get these slime-Senators out of the camera range! I Love it!

[Soul Seeker]

Congrats to Powerline. LOL

[ken5050]

Is the PL reporter blogging live from the hearings?

[newconhere]

Just say the Nixon morphing into Bush commercial on CNN. I spit my lunch out! Thank god for you guys, I would go nuts if I couldnt vent.

[Mo1]

I'm ROFL at that one!!

[BunnySlippers]

I know the Norwegians have complained that local LE did not do enough to protest their embassies. I would not be surprised.

[penelopesire]

That's hysterical!! GO Powerline!!

[MEG33]

Oh gee..I just clicked on CNN and the Move On ad was transposing the faces of Nixon and Bush"We had a special prosecutor then and we need a special prosecutor now.." GAG.

[dmanLA]

The broadtape is now reporting that Iranian protesters are trying to fire bomb the Danish embassy.

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Isn't this just fitting? The enemy is gathering and destroying property while our esteemed leaders are debating trivialities.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From the Powerline link........

************************************

ACLU Welcomes Senate Inquiry Into Warrantless NSA Spying Program With Full Page Propaganda
Stop the ACLU
February 6, 2006 08:28 AM

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Stop the ACLU

February 6, 2006 08:28 AM

The ACLU are running this full page ad in conjunction with today’s Senate hearings over the NSA.

[…] It should get interesting today as one side accusses the administration of spying on innocent Americans without any evidence to back them up, and the other side defends what was supposed to be a secret program designed to defend us from the enemy. Why anyone should have to defend trying to spy on the enemy is just ridiculous to me.

Am I a Bush apologist? No, I haven’t heard any viable reason why he hasn’t secured our borders, and there are several other issues I have qualms with Bush about. However, listening in on the conversations of those talking to the people who want to kill us is not one of those issues.

Read the whole thing...

[Kimberly GG]

Part of the tape was a replay of Bush's statement about all wiretaps requiring a warrant and nothing changed. Even though Gonzales went to lengths to explain that this was about the PA, I guess they can't get it through their little heads.

also it was noted that they were NOT permitted to show that tape during the proceding and so they decided to show it during the break (you know, just so the people will have a better understanding )

[Peach]

Oh, darn it. I wasn't listening.

What did Durbin say about us?

[Arizona Carolyn]

Interesting comment at one of your links:

The American Spectator’s Jed Babbin was on John Batchelor’s radio show yesterday, and stated that the intelligence community believes West Virignia Senator Jay Rockefeller is the leaker who illegally supplied the New York Times with the details of the NSA program.

We've been saying this here on Free Republic from the beginning.

[penelopesire]

lol..thank god for the posting. I missed it. That is priceless!