During all the hubbub about gay marriage in the Senate today, Arlen Specter was busy capitulating to Dick Cheney on getting to the bottom of NSA spying and data mining. It's all over, no hearings. What the hell happened?
(What's next on the agenda...oh right, flag burning!)
AP reports:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060606/ap_on_go_co/eavesdropping_1"Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said Tuesday he will hold off subpoenaing the telecommunications chiefs while he works with the White House on his legislation that would ask a secretive federal court to review the constitutionality of Bush's surveillance operations."
Work with the White House, now there's oversight for you. They've been so forthcoming in the past, I can see why Specter would want to defer to them. Patrick Leahy has a good idea, "Why don't we just recess for the rest of the year? Vice President Cheney will just tell the nation what laws we'll have." (It woud save the rubber trees!)
Specter claims that in a secret meeting with the telecoms cons he had, he was told they wouldn't be able to answer questions because the program is secret. "I cannot make them talk," says Specter. Well, you could give them immunity or threaten them with jail, how about that Arlen? Are you going to give up that easily? My God, there's so much we already know about the program from the press --- not Congress ---that would be a good place to start.
But rest assured, Specter says he's going to have AG Alberto "waterboard" Gonzales in for another session, and this time he's really going to press him (you betcha'). "I yield to no man or woman on pressing this administration on these issues," Specter says.
Tough talk from the man with the big rubber stamp, why don't I believe him? This is the only person in Congress who has actually threatened to expose this administration, a man from their own party, and he's totally caved. You should be ashamed of yourself Senator Specter. Future generations will blame you and your colleagues for your historic cowardess.