Congress and Courts Push Back Against Bush

[CatWoman]

(June 6) - Republican and Democratic House leaders join forces to protest the FBI search of a congressman's office. The Senate Intelligence Committee demands fuller briefings from the CIA. The Supreme Court hears a landmark case challenging presidential war powers.

After five years of a concerted White House campaign, there are tentative signs that Congress and the courts are beginning to push back against what has been the greatest expansion of presidential powers in a generation or more.

Those pushing back include some congressional Republicans and conservative jurists who have been among President Bush's chief allies. The efforts surely would intensify if Democrats won control of the House or Senate in November's elections - and with it the power to convene hearings and issue subpoenas.

"You ask, 'Is the tide shifting?' and I say, 'Maybe, maybe,' " says Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who has pushed for stronger congressional oversight of intelligence operations. "If you ask me if I still feel like a lonely voice, I would say that I feel like a member of a small chorus."

Some examples:

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20060606054209990025

[ecoalex]

1. Protecting corrupt Congress people is wrong

If a Congress person had been caught in breaking the law, then the FBI has all the rights it needs with a warrant to search their offices.In both cases the searched offices had warrants, and the members had broken the law.I don't thing bush, or any congress people are above the law.JHC they are allowed insider trading for christ's sake.

[treestar]

2. That is what the three branches are meant to do, so it will probably

work again as usual. Fortunately, the system does work. I was beginning to wonder about Congress. It seemed to be trying to give the Executive unreviewable power, which makes no sense. Human nature is to try to gain power, not give it away, and I had to wonder what type of people we were picking as representatives.

[Moderator]

3. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2324476