Thanks for posting Byron's piece. I was wondering how today's hearing went. Leahy issued his opening comments, and that is all I'd seen 'til now.
And I agree with Specter that the AUMF argument was weak, if not an outright self-set trap by the White House. The argument had the effect of pssing off some of the people that the President wants to have on his side, Congress.
Now....who are we going to believe Specter or Feingold...not that it matters...they both spoke (LOL).
Just curious if the hearing WILL happen on Friday now.
Thanks for the links!
I don't believe the AUMF argument was weak. And I do think it was necessary in order to assert long-held principles.
If congress authorises the president to take ALL steps necessary to prosecute a war, the President should be able to take that to include spying on americans who might be communicating with the enemy. That is certainly a step to prosecute the war.
TO the degree that was a necessary step, congress could easily enumerate the things it is NOT allowing the president to do, or could enumerate the powers it is giving the president. It probably wouldn't pass constitutional muster for the reasons given above, but the courts hate to restrict things when congress didn't bother to do so.