Posted on 12/20/2005 6:30:32 AM PST by The_Victor
WASHINGTON - Some Democrats say they never approved a domestic wiretapping program, undermining suggestions by President Bush and his senior advisers that the plan was fully vetted in a series of congressional briefings.
"I feel unable to fully evaluate, much less endorse, these activities," West Virginia Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the Senate Intelligence Committee's top Democrat, said in a handwritten letter to Vice President Dick Cheney in July 2003. "As you know, I am neither a technician nor an attorney."
Rockefeller is among a small group of congressional leaders who have received briefings on the administration's four-year-old program to eavesdrop — without warrants — on international calls and e-mails of Americans and others inside the United States with suspected ties to al-Qaida.
The government still would seek court approval to snoop on purely domestic communications, such as calls between New York and Los Angeles.
Some legal experts described the program as groundbreaking. And until the highly classified program was disclosed last week, those in Congress with concerns about the National Security Agency spying on Americans raised them only privately.
Bush, accused of acting above the law, on Monday issued a forceful defense of the program he first authorized shortly after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. His senior aides have stressed the program was narrowly targeted at individuals with a suspected link to al-Qaida or affiliated extremist groups. And Bush said it was "a shameful act" for someone to have leaked details to the media.
He bristled at the suggestion at a White House news conference that he was assuming unlimited powers.
"To say 'unchecked power' basically is ascribing some kind of dictatorial position to the president, which I strongly reject," he said angrily. "I am doing what you expect me to do, and at the same time, safeguarding the civil liberties of the country."
Despite the defense, there was a growing storm of criticism in Congress and calls for investigations, from Democrats and Republicans alike. Until the past several days, the White House had only informed Congress' top political and intelligence committee leadership about the program that Bush has reauthorized more than three dozen times.
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said he and other top aides were just now educating the American people and Congress. "The president has not authorized ... blanket surveillance of communications here in the United States," he said.
The spying uproar was the latest controversy about Bush's handling of the war on terror. It follows allegations of secret prisons in Eastern Europe and of torture and other mistreatment of detainees, and an American death toll in Iraq that has exceeded 2,150.
The eavesdropping program was operated out of the NSA, the nation's largest and perhaps most secretive spy operation. Employees there appreciate their nicknames: No Such Agency or Never Say Anything.
Decisions on what conversations to monitor are made at the Fort Meade, Md., headquarters, approved by an NSA shift supervisor and carefully recorded, said Gen. Michael Hayden, the principal deputy director of intelligence.
"The reason I emphasize that this is done at the operational level is to remove any question in your mind that this is in any way politically influenced," said Hayden, who was NSA director when the program began.
Since the program was disclosed last week by The New York Times, current and former Congress members have been liberated to weigh in.
Former Sen. Bob Graham (news, bio, voting record), D-Fla., who was part of the Intelligence Committee's leadership after the 9/11 attacks, recalled a briefing about changes in international electronic surveillance, but does not remember being told of a program snooping on individuals in the United States.
"It seemed fairly mechanical," Graham said. "It was not a major shift in policy."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., received several briefings and raised concerns, including in a classified letter, her spokeswoman Jennifer Crider said.
Former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle said he, too, was briefed by the White House between 2002 and 2004 but was not told key details about the scope of the program.
Daschle's successor, Sen. Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev., said he received a single briefing earlier this year and that important details were withheld. "We need to investigate this program and the president's legal authority to carry it out," Reid said.
Republicans, too, were skeptical.
Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has promised hearings next year and said he would ask Bush's Supreme Court nominee, Samuel Alito, his views of the president's authority for spying without a warrant.
Bush said the electronic eavesdropping program lets the government move faster than the standard practice of seeking a court-authorized warrant under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. "We've got to be fast on our feet, quick to detect and prevent," the president said.
And he was cool toward investigations. "An open debate would say to the enemy, `Here is what we're going to do.' And this is an enemy which adjusts," he said.
___
The biggest problem for the democrats right now is married couples with children. Imagine how this will play with mothers. Not too well.
I suspect those who assert "didn't get all the details" are comparing what they were told in confidence with what was (perhaps illegally) let out of the bag. HEre's one complaint that rings of "we were told of the technology, but not that the targets would be in the US."
Nevermind the fact that the program is classified; with so few words in play in the reports, it isn't possible to discern precisely what was disclosed and what is actually being conducted.
... recalled a briefing about changes in international electronic surveillance, but does not remember being told of a program snooping on individuals in the United States.
Bingo. Mother of 3 boys under 5. Im livid.
Rockefeller is the ultimate trust fund baby. An elitist prep school and Ivy Leaguer who hates the military and cowers in the face of fascism, he cannot be depended to defend this country. Yet, in the acme of political irony he is the leader of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The Democrats sure know how to pick 'em.
Have no fear....his poll numbers will rise from this, also.
The democrats and their media whores are committing the ultimate political suicide for rabidly going after President Bush on the Patriot Acts and for authorizing wire tapping of terror suspects living in the US. In time of war, such despicable behavior by liberals and their media will not be tolerated by the majority of voters, and the democrats are going to be annihilated in the coming elections.
I disagree. Cindy Sheehan was attacking "Bush's war", etc. democrats have never thought we are at war, and if we are, its America's fault.
Hello.. we know Nancy Pelosi is not all that bright and Red admitted he is a moron in his own words.
Now watch them take the stupid defense.."we are too stupid to understand all of this- but damn it we don't like it."
My very own ultra feminist and left wing MIL- is getting freaked out by her favorite lib's behavior in DC.
She actually said that the dems should back off and left the President do his job.
I guess when it comes to actually protecting their own backside from being blown up- some liberals are more serious minded that I once thought.
Thanks for correcting me. I should have thought more clearly before posting his name.
Isn't it cute, how John D. Rockefeller, IV tries to hide his ancestry behind the name "Jay"?
Sorry Jay, we'll try and dumb it down for you and your fellow rats in the future. You ever hear of asking questions when you don't understand something?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,70606,00.html
Just a blast from the past.
Lies Lies more Lies....
It must be nice to always have a position of complaint. Come to think of it, that defines the Democrats today.
Regardless, the Primary Function of our Government was from its inception was to Protect the US as a WHOLE.
We're talking electronic surveillance here. No one is knocking down doors. We're trying to counter terrorists.
Whoever wrote the Lincoln quote is a genious: "The Constitution is not a suicide pact".
Was it his butler's "day off"? How lazy can a guy be?
I really meant Bush's handling of the war, the WMD's etc. all are good targets and I think drove down his competence rating.
Shouldn't this read...
Dimocrats Claim They Had No Part in Defending Americans.
Could be
Thats more accurate.
cough cough Echelon.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.