Russ Feingold on George "I Spy" Bush: "He's not King George Bush"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Reacting to Bush's defense of the NSA program, Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., said the president's remarks were "breathtaking in how extreme they were."

Feingold said it was "absurd" that Bush said he relied on his inherent power as president to authorize the wiretaps.

"If that's true, he doesn't need the Patriot Act because he can just make it up as he goes along. I tell you, he's President
George Bush, not King George Bush. This is not the system of government we have and that we fought for," Feingold told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

The president had harsh words for those who talked about the program to the media, saying their actions were illegal and improper.

"As a result, our enemies have learned information they should not have," he said. "The unauthorized disclosure of this effort damages our national security and puts our citizens at risk."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051217/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush



http://feingold.senate.gov/

[e-mail]

[loudsue]

1. I LOVE THIS MAN!! He's Getting Better By The Day!!

:kick::kick::kick:

[FreedomAngel82]

5. Yes

I <3 Russ! *swoon* :loveya: Go Russ!

[chicagiana]

2. FISA warrants George, FISA warrants ...

There is a legal system by which you can bug people with probable cause. You need a FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance) warrant.

There is nothing illegal about pointing out that you are exceeding the authority provisioned to you by Congress. You have directly violated the Constitution. You're subject to impeachment for this action (along with a dozen other issues (including the Valerie Plame affair (obsturction of justice)). You are also now guilty of conspiracy to wiretap.

This is the last straw. You no longer have any right to sit in office and all people in this country should treat you as such. GW is an enemy of the United States who warrants no respect of person or office. All patriotic citizens should treat him as such for pretending to be a sovereign instead of an elected official bound to the laws of Congress and the Constitution.

[IndianaGreen]

10. FISA courts are also a threat to our liberties

Secret courts, secret charges, secret prisons, etc., all are characteristics of totalitarian regimes. I seriously doubt that the Framers of the Constitution would have approved of such concentration of power in the Executive, and all done outside the public's knowledge.

[tulsakatz]

3. he's right.......

....even with the Patriot Act, they did this without telling anyone so what do we need the Patriot Act for?

[FreedomAngel82]

6. Yep

*sigh* It gives you more power than the Constiution states. He violated the Constuition by spying without a warrant (the Constiution, I believe amendment four) states you must have a warrant to enter someone's home etc. He deserves to be impeached.

[Justpat]

4. I'm starting to like this guy a lot. n/t

[Rainscents]

7. This man is almost top notch!!! I really like him!

[radio4progressives]

11. whad'ya mean "almost"? Feingold IS top notch!

He was the FIRST and ONLY one to correctly vote against the Patriot Act in the Senate - He knew it was UNCONSTITUTIONAL - no one else read the damn thing, they just voted for it just cuz of 9/11 "changed everything for america" meme.

Feingold has been speaking out for a long time, but naturally the MSM wouldn't give him the light of day, he isn't an "insider" he isn't hooked up with Corporate Feeders - he's as anti-fascists as they get anywhere in this country, and there are far too few in political office.

We need someone like Feingold who understands the gravity of what has happened to our democracy under Bush Cheney Regime.

[radio4progressives]

8. Feingold is MY choice for President of 2008.

There is no other that shines on every level than Feingold to me.

I've decided to contribute to his campaign and to campaign for him, locally (Northern California)..

You want our democracy reinstated? Want our Constitution Repaired? Want someone who will fight for socio-economic justice and equality? Want someone to fight to the death to restore and protect our CIVIL LIBERTIES ?

Support Feingold for President.

[stray cat]

18. Excellent - I just moved to NY from WI

However, I still contribute to Russ - he knows what to do with contributions and also knows what to do with the country. The guy is great!

[radio4progressives]

20. He really is ....

I'm really quite convinced Feingold should be the Democratic Party's candidate for President - MSM has it that HRC has a strong lead by 40% or more, but ya know it's not really a very good idea to let the MSM pick our leaders, imo.

and in fact, we should do everything in our power to show them, the MSM, just how completely out of touch they are with the American people.

[More Than A Feeling]

24. I also choose Feingold

Russ Feingold: First on the Patriot Act, First on the War in Iraq, and (soon-to-be) first in the hearts of his countrymen.

Not to mention frequently honored by the non-partisan Concord Coalition for his fiscal responsibility, his fight for campaign finance reform, the fact that he sends back salary increases...I better stop before I swoon!

[RandomKoolzip]

9. Feingold/Warner, Feingold/Clark, Clark/Feingold, Feingold/Obama....

I see good things from Russ these days.

[radio4progressives]

12. Feingold/Obama but Clark for Secretary of Defense ...

that's how i see it... ;)

[stray cat]

17. That line up looks really good!

[ChiciB1]

13. I Must Say He's Seems To Be The ONLY One Who Is Taking A Stand

these days. I feel like I'm living in some other country more and more. What has happened?? Who will speak for the people. I've been a HUGE Edwards supporter and am trying to give this a few more days, but I must say what I heard today is so OVER THE TOP!!

If Feingold is the ONLY one who will put on the gloves for us, then I too will follow! We are in serious serious trouble here and we need some serious serious solutions! And I mean YESTERDAY!!

I don't even want to write what I'm thinking about the DICTATOR who lives in the WH! We are losing more and more freedoms EVERY DAY and they could be knocking on my door for speaking out!

This is total INSANITY, and to think that most are going to just sit back and let it happen is more than OUTRAGEOUS! Are we playing a game or something?? What IS happening???

[IndianaGreen]

15. Yes, my friend, we have a dictator in the White House

I don't hear Hillary, or her DLC supporters, attack Bush's claims of extra-constitutional powers. This is a time of reckoning for all Democrats in Congress: impeach Bush or lose the Republic to an emperor!

[IndianaGreen]

14. Feingold: "We have a president, not a king" (CNN transcript)

CNN LIVE SATURDAY

Aired December 17, 2005 - 12:00 ET

SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D), WISCONSIN: He apparently feels, even if he doesn't have authority from the Congress, that he can go ahead and do all this stuff anyway under some inherent power. So, what that really mean if you take his argument all the way is he doesn't even need the USA Patriot Act because he thinks he has some kind of inherent authority to make up the law himself. And I'll tell you something, this president, and no other president, is above the law. And that's exactly what he was just telling us he was.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0512/17/cst.01.html

CNN SATURDAY MORNING NEWS

Aired December 17, 2005 - 10:00 ET

SEN. RUSS FEINGOLD (D), WISCONSIN: Well, it's a sad day when the president of the United States is deciding to play politics with our national security. He's trying to justify not being reasonable about the Patriot Act on the ground that somehow this thing's going to expire unless we do it exactly his way. That's not the case and that's not the way any of us feel.

And then he even goes further, as you pointed out, by saying that he authorized these wiretaps even though there was no specific law allowing it. He's trying to claim somehow that the authorization for the Afghanistan attack after 9/11 permitted this and I'll tell you something, that's just absurd.

There's not a single senator or member of Congress who thought we were authorizing wiretaps. You know, if he needs a wiretap the authority is already there in the Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act. They can ask for a warrant to do that and you know what? Even if there's an emergency situation, they can go for 72 hours as long as they give notice at the end of the 72 hours.

So the president is basically saying he runs the war on terror and the Congress and the representatives of the American people don't have to pass laws to allow it. You know what? That's not our system of government. We have a president, not a king, and that's the way he's talking.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0512/17/smn.03.html

[ChiciB1]

16. Thanks For The Link!!

I think I'll print it out... it MAY just come in handy someday!

[radio4progressives]

19. Here's the link to Feingold's written statement (on his website)

http://feingold.senate.gov/~feingold/statement/05/11/2005C17B45.html

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

21. There's a movie title already: The Madness of King George

[MODemocrat]

22. I am so impressed with Feingold

He's not afraid of George W. Bush; I'm looking more towards him as a presidential candidate.
You go Russ..... :toast:

[Independent_Liberal]

23. Thanks Russ!

You totally rock!