Posted on 02/08/2006 7:39:39 PM PST by jmc1969
Congressional Republicans are threatening to force a legal showdown with President George W. Bush over his claim that he has the constitutional power to order domestic surveillance of Americans in the name of national security.
Arlen Specter, Republican chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, said on Wednesday he was drafting legislation that would require the administration to seek a ruling from a special US intelligence court on whether the spying programme was legal.
The move could put the Republican-controlled Congress on a collision course with the administration, which has insisted that it is acting legally in monitoring calls and e-mails that might help disrupt future terrorist plots.
Mr Specter's threat is only the latest sign that the NSA spying revelations have divided Republicans, with some in the party fearing that Mr Bush's expansive claims may pose a danger to civil liberties. The administration has also been criticized for briefing only congressional leaders and senior members of the intelligence committee on the programme.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.moneycentral.msn.com ...
Congress could modulate this war any way it wished through budget or through amending the UOFR.
So what happened after this, however. En banc hearing by entire court? Other circuits disagree?
Agreed, but to not have us protected by the Presidents Constitutional powers as CIC is hardly a reason to say "what would Hillary do?" She will do whatever she wants to do, law or no law - we have proof of that. I, for one, believe from what I have read that GWB is using his CIC authority granted by the Constitution.
Any pubbie who would actually posture like this needs to have their heads examined.
Usually presidents who are that stupid get impeached or worse.
I don't see any Republicans actually mentioned in the article. Just Specter.
Arlen wants to step up and get smacked down so be it. FISA as they want to use it for the NSA program is an unconstitutional limit of the executives branch's core power, as decided by the courts, by the legislative branch. So yeah Arlen force a show down which when after you expose the details you get shown to be the one acting in an unconstitutional way, that will look great on your resume.
Republican revolt? Dream on losers.... we stand by our president and take on our phony congressmen.
They know damn well the President has the power to listen to international calls into and out of the US in a time of war -- with or with FISA approval
isn't janice rogers brown on that court now?
Oh, BS.
The President has the power under the Constitution.
Why should Specter get a ruling when the President already has he power to protect us under the Constitition? Specter must be in bed with the other Demorats on the Committee.
Neither of you actually read that ruling, did you?
My thoughts exactly.
Idiot.... (and I'm speaking to Arlen).
This bozo just doesn't get it!
Not only doesn't Congress have the power to infringe on the executives authority to conduct warrantless foreign intelligence gathering, they also don't have the power to "require" the President to go before any court to seek a ruling on any matter. It's none of their damn business!
Does Darlin' Arlen have to be taken to the woodshed and re-taught the fundamentals of the separation of powers doctrine? Or does he just think that mob rule by Congress is above the law?
Thanks for that info re: appeals court.
That is a lousy arguement...."what if Hillary is elected, do we want her to have same power"..
First of all...IF she is elected, as POTUS/CIC, she will have the power..
Second..even if we wanted to deny her the power, you are assuming that she would obey the law or rule...which would be the FIRST time.
Third...IF we are in the same situation terror wise..and if this country is STUPID enough to elect her...then she has the responsibility to keep us safe...so SURE she should have the same right, and she BETTER do it.
Rinos our very own version of the Quislings and this proves it.
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