[ken5050]

AG Gonzales will be the ONLY witness today, that is after all 18 senators get their 15 minutes or more of opening statements. The Dem senators have been criticized long and hard by their rapid base for their weaks efforts questioning Alito, so I expect very confronational efforts today.

Play very close attention to the opening comments by Rockefeller. Friday night, on the radio, Jed Babbin publicly said that Rockefeller IS the source of the leaks...BTW..Babbin will be hosting Hugh Hewitt's show today..worth listening.

[ken5050]

FYI

[jdm]

fellow political jinkies.

Who are you calling jinkie? :-)

[paguch]

Gonzales should ask Rockerfeller on National TV if he is the source.

[Wasanother]

Is Rockefeller a member of the Judicial Committee?

[Coop]

Before we get started, I'd just like to say that Arlen Spectre is a &*(@#$% @#!%#$!!

Thank you.

[leadpenny]

Thanks for starting the thread.

[Cboldt]

I think this will be all about construction of the AUMF.

I see some danger in that approach (which seems to be the approach chosen by Gonzales, DoJ and the President), because it is finding authority for the program in a grant from Congress, instead of asserting inherent authority regardless of what Congress says.

As a result, other point that seems to go by without much probing is the 4th amendment. I think that is important, because at some point in time, the AUMF will be a historical document, with no present effect or force. Should the surveillance stop then?

[The South Texan]

Let the Theater of the Obsurd begin. Keep us (that are working and keeping the economy strong) that are without CSPAN or whatever cable networks it's showing on updated.

[Miss Marple]

I have to leave in a few minutes, but will check in around 11:00. Thanks for starting the thread.

This is the same committee we heard from so eloquently last week, right?

Bob Beckel is the person who had the responsibility of getting the FISA law passed in Congress under Carter in 1978. Well, doesn't THAT make me feel comforted! (I just heard this on Fox.)

[TomGuy]

This committee highly resembles the Judiciary Committee membership.

hmmmm

[Cboldt]

DoJ letter of December 22, 2005, describing legal justification
FISA Warrant statistics
1975 Senate hearings (eerie parallel?)
Levy - Rivkin debate (good, simplifed overview of arguments)

[Cboldt]

Show time on C-SPAN. Specter making opening comments. Going into history of FISA, and notes Constitutional issue relating to inherent powers of the President (good on Specter to bring that up).

Specter notes that the administration finding authority in the AUMF is not convincing (to him). I agree - and besides the pitfall I noted above, if the President asserts this, some Congresspeople will become reluctant to grant future authorizations to use force, on a belief that the President will construe them too broadly.

The most durable justification for the program is pure reliance of executive authority.

[TomGuy]

Specter: "... very profound questions..."


LOL


[These Senators are so stuck on themselves and their self-importance...]

[blogblogginaway]

Listen live C-Span radio if not near a TV

http://www.c-span.org/watch/cspanradio.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CSR

[Mo1]

What time does this thing start?

and is it on Cspan3?

[montag813]

We all warned Bush and Santorum not to support Arlen Specter. Pat Toomey would have been elected as a real Conservative who wouldn't undermine the war on terror. But they didn't listen. They supported a man who has no backbone, who does not respect American law, and who is disloyal to the core. Now they get what they deserve. It is a shame that America has to suffer the damage from this scumbag Senator as well.

[TomGuy]

Leahy thinks this is a Judiciary meeting. He's talking about approving judges.


lol

[altura]

I like your style!

You don't just post these threads, you do a little analysis.

Very good.

[TomGuy]

[Mind wondering....whether we might be better off had Flt 93 taken out a few dozen radical lib lawmakers......mind wondering....]

[TomGuy]