Posted on 02/06/2006 4:53:29 AM PST by Jay777
As the Senate Judiciary Committee met today to conduct the first official Congressional oversight hearing on the warrantless National Security Agency wiretapping program, the American Civil Liberties Union urged Senators to ask tough questions of the sole witness, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and reject the administration’s claim that the operation is both legal and necessary.
“President Bush, like all presidents, is bound by the rule of law,” said ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. “The Senate Judiciary Committee must vigorously fulfill its responsibility to America by asking tough questions of the attorney general. While Mr. Gonzales gave the go-ahead on the illegal spying program when he worked for the president in the White House, he now has a different role as the country’s highest law enforcement official tasked with upholding the nation’s laws. If he can’t exercise an independent review of the executive, he should step aside and appoint a special counsel who can do an independent review. The administration should stop trying to justify this illegal program. No one in America is above the law.”
In a full-page advertisement in today’s USA Today, the ACLU urged Congress to act on the warrantless NSA spying program authorized by President Bush, noting that Democrats and Republicans alike have raised serious concerns. The ACLU has called for a full, open and independent investigation into the illegal program, and has also filed a lawsuit on behalf of a group of prominent journalists, nonprofits, terrorism experts and community advocates challenging the constitutionality of the warrantless surveillance operation on First and Fourth Amendment grounds.
(Excerpt) Read more at aclu.org ...
Ultimately, this issue seems destined for the Roberts' Court.
I hope they investigate who leaked it. That is far more troubling than anything.
These people are spies on our own soil, they are not citizens.
The ACLU seems hellbent on this one ... we'll see.
The ACLU is more dangerous to this country than Al Quaeda. They are using our own Freedoms to destroy us.
ACLU...Anti-Christian Liberals Union.
The only thing illegal is the ACLU and their support of the enemies of the American people. But there is no way to counter their lies and support for the Islamic terrorist. Without money to place advertisements in the media I am at a loss as how to counter these scum bags anti-American idiots.
Exactly! Even if the monitoring program is illegal, the release of classified information to anyone not authorized access to that information IS against the law!
Isn't there a limit to the answers provided since the members of the comittee do not likely have security clearance?
Look at it this way: when the ACLU is tied to the lefty Dems , Senate idiots, it is good for America since the alternative media, blogs, Talk Radio, and even ole Ken Mehlman will rip their anti-Americanism and their defense of our external enemies.
I would like to know when the hearings on treason begin for those who are currently trying to undermine the country's ability to prtect itself from its enemies. When will we start seeing career state department personel, democrat senators on the intel committee, democrat house members trying to overthrow our elected executive branch be frog-marched to the gallows.
Please put me on your ping list.
"The ACLU is more dangerous to this country than Al Quaeda. They are using our own Freedoms to destroy us."
My thoughts, exactly...
No problem, consider it done.
I hope you are correct, that it ends up in the SCOTUS. I also hope the decision is not made until fall 2008 where it can do the most harm to the self loathing enemies of these United States, the Democratic party and their ACLU allies.
I seriously doubt any Dem incumbent senator wishes to be on record AGAINST security. If Specter weren't Specter, he'd request Bill Frist have a vote of the whole senate on a resolution on this. Don't hold your breath.
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