Bush and Wiretaps: Congress, Citizens, This Means War

[Marleyb]

In asserting his right to ignore the law, President Bush has slapped Congress right across the face and told them they better like it.

Congress can now mutter "Yes, sir" and cower in its corner like a whipped dog, as it has for most of the past five years, or it can fight back to defend its institutional authority. Either choice will mark a turning point in U.S. history.

At immediate issue is the president's decision four years ago to allow the National Security Agency, an arm of the Pentagon, to spy on phone conversations and e-mails of U.S. civilians without court-approved warrants. President Bush insists the program is legal, but it's important to understand what he means by that term.

Bush and his advisers do not claim that his actions are legal because they abide by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA; they quite clearly violate that law. Instead, they claim his actions are legal because as commander in chief, he can violate the law if he chooses and still be acting legally...

"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom," British statesman William Pitt warned in 1783. "It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1222-24.htm

[thecai]

1. Not Here!

I dislike being "slapped and told to like it". Congress might enjoy it, but it p!sses me off.
This entire administration needs to be impeached. And PROSECUTED.

[WhereThereIsFire]

2. I'm for prosecution ...

We have to remember that we successfully brought down NIXON not through impeachment but through one little state (Maryland) INDICTING his sitting Vice President Spiro Agnew. If states (like Louisisana, Mississippi, etc) file indictments against members of the administration ... they have to start stepping down to face those charges. With all the criminal things this administration (ALL OF THEM) have done, surely some of the states attornies' offices can start bringing charges. To heck with impeachment if we can bring them down one by one on state filed indictments --- much more chance of putting them in jail that way. Never forget that Agnew was tried, convicted, and imprisoned by a brave state court. And ... THAT provided key leverage for bringing down the entire NIXON outhouse! As John Dean has pointed out ... this is WAY WORSE THAN WATERGATE!!!

[lonestarnot]

3. I am not their slave and I will fight to see that they are stopped!

[Jara sang]

4. We really are living under the rule of a fascist regime.

[Marleyb]

5. an aside...

"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom," British statesman William Pitt warned in 1783. "It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."

Is this guy a relative of DUer William Pitt??

[FogerRox]

6. Orange jumpsiuts and handcuffs