Law vs. Bush, Round One
In one spectacular day, the wall of lies that the Bush administration's lackeys propped up to defend their illegal domestic spying programs came crumbling down. In his first session before Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike came together and ripped it to pieces, as evidenced below. It was the first step on a long road to impeaching George W. Bush, and it was the Republicans who gave the effort its momentum.
First lie to be trounced, the contention that other presidents have done it, so Bush is within the bounds of the law. In his most recent State of the Union address, President Bush said, “Previous Presidents have used the same constitutional authority I have, and federal courts have approved the use of that authority.”
Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) asked Gonzales if that is true.
FEINGOLD: Let me first ask, do you know of any other President who has authorized warrantless wiretaps outside of FISA, since 1978, when FISA was passed?
GONZALES: Um, none come to mind, Senator. But maybe — I would be happy to look to see whether or not that’s the case.
FEINGOLD: I can take it as a no unless you submit something?
GONZALES: I can’t give you an answer.
FEINGOLD: Ok.
Law: 1, Bush: 0
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The second to fall was the contention that it targets members of terrorist organization, and no innocent American's Constitutional rights are ever violated.
Democrat Joe Biden drew his pickaxe with a sharply worded question.
BIDEN: Can you assure us, General, you are fully, totally informed and confident that you know the absolute detail with which this program is being conducted? Can you assure us you personally can assure us no one is being eavesdropped upon in the United States other than — other than someone who has a communication that is emanating from foreign soil by a suspected terrorist, al Qaeda, or otherwise?
GONZALES: Sir, I can’t give you absolute assurance.
Law: 2, Bush: 0
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Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina stabs his index finger directly into the eye of the beast with an accurate discription of the unknown legal underpinnings the Administration keeps claiming exist, but refuses to discuss.
Graham: All I’m saying is the inherent authority argument in its application to me seems to have no boundaries when it comes to executive decisions in a time of war, it deals the Congress and courts out, Mr. Attorney General.
Law: 3, Bush: 0
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And finally, Republican Senator Arlen Specter comes down hard on Gonzales for being more Bill Clinton-ie than Bill Clinton ...
SPECTER: I don’t think you can use principle of avoiding a tough constitutional conflict by disagreeing with the plain words of the statute. Attorney General Gonzales, when members of Congress heard about your contention that the resolution authorizing the use of force amended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act there was general shock.
GONZALES: We’ve never asserted that FISA has been amended. e’ve always asserted that our interpretation of FISA, which contemplates another statute and we have that here in the authorization to use force, those complement each other. this is not a situation where FISA has been overwritten or FISA has been amended. That’s never been our position.
SPECTER: That just defies logic and plain English.
Law: 4, Bush: 0.
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In response to the tremendous gonging of Gonzales that we saw yesterday, the Administration's political strategist Karl Rove issued a threat to House and Senate Republicans: Back Domestic Spying, or face dire political consequences. This includes being cut off from RNC funds and access to the president entirely.
Right-Wing magazine Insight, owned by The Washington Times, said that the administration knows, at the end of this process, Mr. Bush could likely be voted to have violated FISA, which would automatically trigger impeachment hearings. By that time, the 2006 elections will be under way. All polls are predicting a major shift to the left.
First lie to be trounced, the contention that other presidents have done it, so Bush is within the bounds of the law. In his most recent State of the Union address, President Bush said, “Previous Presidents have used the same constitutional authority I have, and federal courts have approved the use of that authority.”
Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) asked Gonzales if that is true.
FEINGOLD: Let me first ask, do you know of any other President who has authorized warrantless wiretaps outside of FISA, since 1978, when FISA was passed?
GONZALES: Um, none come to mind, Senator. But maybe — I would be happy to look to see whether or not that’s the case.
FEINGOLD: I can take it as a no unless you submit something?
GONZALES: I can’t give you an answer.
FEINGOLD: Ok.
Law: 1, Bush: 0
------------------
The second to fall was the contention that it targets members of terrorist organization, and no innocent American's Constitutional rights are ever violated.
Democrat Joe Biden drew his pickaxe with a sharply worded question.
BIDEN: Can you assure us, General, you are fully, totally informed and confident that you know the absolute detail with which this program is being conducted? Can you assure us you personally can assure us no one is being eavesdropped upon in the United States other than — other than someone who has a communication that is emanating from foreign soil by a suspected terrorist, al Qaeda, or otherwise?
GONZALES: Sir, I can’t give you absolute assurance.
Law: 2, Bush: 0
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Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina stabs his index finger directly into the eye of the beast with an accurate discription of the unknown legal underpinnings the Administration keeps claiming exist, but refuses to discuss.
Graham: All I’m saying is the inherent authority argument in its application to me seems to have no boundaries when it comes to executive decisions in a time of war, it deals the Congress and courts out, Mr. Attorney General.
Law: 3, Bush: 0
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And finally, Republican Senator Arlen Specter comes down hard on Gonzales for being more Bill Clinton-ie than Bill Clinton ...
SPECTER: I don’t think you can use principle of avoiding a tough constitutional conflict by disagreeing with the plain words of the statute. Attorney General Gonzales, when members of Congress heard about your contention that the resolution authorizing the use of force amended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act there was general shock.
GONZALES: We’ve never asserted that FISA has been amended. e’ve always asserted that our interpretation of FISA, which contemplates another statute and we have that here in the authorization to use force, those complement each other. this is not a situation where FISA has been overwritten or FISA has been amended. That’s never been our position.
SPECTER: That just defies logic and plain English.
Law: 4, Bush: 0.
------------------
In response to the tremendous gonging of Gonzales that we saw yesterday, the Administration's political strategist Karl Rove issued a threat to House and Senate Republicans: Back Domestic Spying, or face dire political consequences. This includes being cut off from RNC funds and access to the president entirely.
Right-Wing magazine Insight, owned by The Washington Times, said that the administration knows, at the end of this process, Mr. Bush could likely be voted to have violated FISA, which would automatically trigger impeachment hearings. By that time, the 2006 elections will be under way. All polls are predicting a major shift to the left.
