Congressional Research Ser. Questions Legality of Wiretaps in 2nd Report

[kerrygoddess]

Congressional Research Service Questions Legality of Wiretaps in Second Report
January 19th, 2006

A memo from national security specialist Alfred Cumming is the second report this month from the Congressional Research Service to “question the legality of aspects of Bush’s domestic spying program.” A report on January 6 concluded that the Bush administration’s justifications for the program “conflicted with current law.”

(snip)

James Risen, in his recent book State of War, clarifies the White House claim that congressional leaders were briefed. “Some congressional leaders have been notified about the Program, but only in extraordinarily secret fashion and only in ways that guarantee they feel constrained from raising objections to it. (pg. 55-56)”

Those informed (from both parties), “were not permitted to bring staff members” to the meeting(s) and were told “not to discuss the matter with anyone else.” Under those circumstances, the Intel Committee members that were “informed” were not able to “ask their staff to do any research or oversight of the NSA operation. (pg. 56)” Risen further contended that “By giving the lawmakers secret briefings with no staff present and then demanding that they never discuss the matter with anyone, the congressional leaders were paralyzed. As time wore on, it became increasing difficult for Democrats to protest the operation, since the White House could argue that they had received briefings for years and had barely complained. (pg. 57)”

This all points to a very sweet set up by the Bush administration to limit dissent to the “Program” by congressional leaders, as Risen says. With limited power in the Congress, Democratic leaders informed of the “Program” were caught between a rock and a hard place.

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=1690