There's A Lot Riding On This Morning's Judiciary Hearings

[cali]

and it makes me extremely nervous. Our guys need to nail it. There's a new and dangerous meme floating around, amplified yesterday by Specter: FISA is unconstitutional. I just heard it again on WJ from an academic named Turner. The dem Senators must vigorously attack this meme. For the love of pete, this law has been on the books since 1978, and to my knowledge, no one has seriously questioned its constitutionality before.

[Captain Hilts]

1. You got that right. Fingers crossed. nt

[Mnemosyne]

2. Don't count on it. Specter is known

for blowing steam and then backing off. We're sooo blessed in Pa. NOT.

I do hope he actually follows through and they nail * balls to the wall finally, but just cannot get my hopes up anymore. Especially not with Specter running the show.

Feingold and Kennedy are our only hope on this I feel. I hope they stay out of small aircraft.

In peace and hope, still,
V

[cali]

3. Huh?

I didn't say I have faith in Spector. I despise the little toad. As I noted, he's the one spreading this despicable meme that FISA is unconstitutional. I said I hope Dem Senators are up to the task. And I hope Feingold and Kennedy and Biden are good, but frankly, I have more faith in my Senator, Leahy, who's known as one of the pre-eminent advocates of privacy. It's his passion and area of expertise.

[Mnemosyne]

4. cali, I never said you had faith in Specter.

I said not to expect much with him as chairman. Sorry if you misunderstood.

I forgot that Leahy is on the committee. He is another I want to have some hope for, but just don't know anymore. Every time we get our hopes up...

[Perky]

5. FISA is not Unconsitutional...But illegal Wiretapping sure is.

The issues are different.

Please don't muddy the illegality of the wiretaps with the abuse of power issue.


ALL THAT MATTERS IS THE WARRANTLESS WIRETAPS....IT'S an IMPEACHABLE OFFENSE.

Getting stuck on the FISA LAW gets BUSH out of the Frying Pan.

[cali]

8. Sorry.

You wrote: "Please don't muddy the illegality of the wiretaps with the abuse of power issue."
Well, I'm not doing that, but you better get ready for the repukes to do EXACTLY that today. Expect a chorus of it.

[Perky]

16. I am just saying the issues are different

Wiretaps ordered by FISA are completely appropriate. avoiding FISA is an impeachable offense.

[EFerrari]

9. You don't break the law before you change it.

So like the Cabal to project exactly what they are doing.

[Neil Lisst]

6. cali, your fears are well founded

Specter is the Bush Judiciary chairman on a string now, and attacking the law as unconstitutional is a backdoor way to say the president's war powers trumps all.

Here's my summary of Gonzo's testimony today:

[in_cog_ni_to]

11. LOL...great cartoon Neil! You nailed that one!

:thumbsup:

[Neil Lisst]

24. glad you liked it, in_cog_ni_to

How's the son and his constitutional issue?

I hope I'm not confusing you with another poster. I've tried to keep up with the pledge case I'm referring to.

BTW, we have a pledge cartoon coming the next couple of days.

[cali]

12. Love it Neil.

Specter's actions really are unconscionable. He's worse than the far right wingnuts on the committee. His tongue is forked right down to his uvula.

[Neil Lisst]

23. He's the Senate Eunuch since he made his deal with the Devil.

He loves to talk as if he's going to be tough, but it's all talk.

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. That's why Spector made sure Alito

was on the Supreme Court before he holds his sham hearings. Sorry Arlen, this shit ain't going to fly.

[stop the bleeding]

10. 1978?? that is sooooo pre 9/11 - no really I am nervous as hell, is

Turley gonna speak?

[in_cog_ni_to]

13. I hope they have Turley AND Fein. Fein is a REPUBLICAN.

I hope they have the Quaker who was spied on on too. He was VERY powerful.

[cali]

14. I wish Turley was going to testify

It's my understanding that the only witness is going to be the AG
978? Why can't they understand how much the technology has changed? (sarcasm, folks, just sarcasm.)

[The Stranger]

15. Is the Fourth Amednment to the Constitution unconstitutional as well?

If that's the case, then scrap the whole bloody thing.

[MadHound]

17. Why be nervous, after all, we know how this script is going to go

These hearings are going to confirm Bushco's unconstitutional desires, and leave the rest of us unprotected. Sure, Spector might do some public handwringing, but like the good fixer he has been since the Warren Commision, Spector will eventually bow down to his masters' wishes.

The Dems will put up a tepid fight on this, but they too are handcuffed by the desires of their corporate and political masters. The MSM will spin this in favor of Bushco, and the right wing echo chamber will beat the drum so hard that in another month, questioning the president's right to do anything he wishes will be considered unpatriotic and probably a danger to the country as a whole.

Do I sound cynical and resigned to the worst? Yes, I do, for good reason. Time and again we have reached these watershed moments where our civil liberties, and continuing existence as a democracy are in grave danger. And time and again, fascism wins.

I'm hoping to be pleasantly suprised this time, really, I am. But I'm not nervous about this, for despite our highest hopes, I already know what the outcome is going to be, sad to say. Thus I find it more productive to continue with my own prepartions and make ready for when the shit really hits the fan.

[Village Idiot]

18. The incredible IRONY of this!!!

Wasn't FISA EXPRESSLY WRITTEN to PREVENT the overzealousness of both the NSA and the Executive branch???

I'm shocked, I tells ya - SHOCKED and DISMAYED!!!

[PhilipShore]

19. It is just a Repuke legal procedural tactic--to overturn FISA...

I am not a lawyer -- but it is a typical strategy of, corporate Repuke, lawyers to initiate proceedings—which appear to be for an issue such as the illegality of wiretapping, but the real purpose of the proceedings -- is to start proceedings (and discussions) to make the issue for wiretaping to be legal -- via back room deals.

If the Repuke lawyers-- never have opportunity to raise the issue, they thus cannot revise the law in their favor.

If was a lawyer; I would be calling it for what it is, abuse of process, on that part of the Repuke lawmakers, and file a lawsuit, and seek to get an injunction to stop them.

[leeroysphitz]

20. "The dem Senators must vigorously attack this meme."

Sorry to sound so bleak but I wouldn,t get my hopes up. This will be another whitewash and this scandal will just dry up and blow away like all the others and the constitution will have yet another large section torn off, wadded up and tossed in the trash.

[leeroysphitz]

21. The repukes are saying that when safety and constitutionality

are at swords points safety MUST win out. It's our jobs as Dems to try to remind everyone that safety and constitutionality are synonymous. But again I'm not holding my breath.

[Toots]

22. Even if it were Unconstitutional you try and change it not just ignore it

That is a very shaky reason for an Administration to break a Law.