Specter Ready for Fight Over Spy Program

The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman says he's prepared to force telephone company executives to testify about the White House's eavesdropping program if the Bush administration doesn't fully cooperate in drafting new rules on what's allowable.

''If we don't get some results, I'm prepared to go back to demand hearings and issue subpoenas if necessary,'' Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said Sunday on CNN's ''Late Edition.'' Specter said he was more hopeful, after talking Thursday with Vice President Dick Cheney, that committee hearings and subpoenas could be avoided.

Specter had threatened to subpoena executives of major phone companies to get them to testify about their cooperation with the National Security Agency. But one company lawyer has told Specter the executives wouldn't be able to testify about any classified information. Cheney indicated he was willing to work with Congress on new rules governing eavesdropping. But he stopped short of promising any action and said a final decision on the bill would be up to President Bush.

Specter is the most vocal Republican to oppose the White House's directive that allows the National Security Agency to monitor some calls and e-mails of Americans without court approval. Administration officials have said the program requires that one party to the communication must be overseas, and terrorism must be suspected. Specter wants legislation to compel a secretive federal court to examine whether the program is constitutional.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Eavesdropping.html

I so want to believe him. He clearly said no forgiveness for those that may have broken the law. Forget his exact words.

... just like with the truthout debacle...

We are sooooo NOT reality-based around here... it's just believe-what-one-wants-to-believe...

Sigh.

be illegal. Nice bait and switch, Arlen.

and made it quite clear what his intentions were. He impressed me. It is so easy to be negative when the issues are so critical such as this one. All I can say at this time is Specter impressed me.

The guy's just posturing for a bigger cut..

you will be disappointed to find he serves the junta and has been instrumental in the dismantling of the constitution-he's a politician, if that dont say it all

On a couple of different topics. But no no no, he can't break my heart any more. So far, these are only words. From C&L-

Specter denies giving Amnesty over NSA wiretapping

We've all been miffed and let down by Arlen Specter's behavior over the NSA wiretapping scandal. Jack Cafferty blasted him last week by first calling him another gutless Republican worm cowering in the face of pressure from the administration and fellow Republicans. and then saying that his actions "have boggled what's left of my mind." Specter came out today on Late Edition and denied the reports that he's offered amnesty and vowed to use his subpoena power and hold hearings. I still take this with a grain of salt, but we need to hold him accountable to this incredibly important issue.

Late Edition (transcripts by CNN)

BLITZER: Are you, as the Washington Post reported, ready to give what they call blanket amnesty to anyone who authorized these wiretaps?

SPECTER: Absolutely not. That was an erroneous report. If anybody has violated the law, they'll be held accountable, both as to criminal conduct and as to civil conduct. And in no way did I promise amnesty or immunity or letting anybody off the hook.

BLITZER: Senator Specter, we only have a few seconds, but when will you hold these hearings?

SPECTER: Well, as soon as I find out whether they are necessary, as soon as we work through the process for now. Listen, Wolf, let's make one thing plain. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act provides the exclusive remedy for domestic wiretapping. There's no doubt that law has been violated. Whether the president has inherent Article Two power, constitutionally, which supersedes or trumps the statute, remains to be seen.

And it was a step forward when the vice president responded, really, within about 14 hours when he got my letter that he made the call. And we're talking. But if the talks aren't productive, I'm prepared to go back to the hearings and I'm prepared to go back to the subpoenas if necessary.

(Developing...video shortly)

comments permalink11:12:13 AM

Specter stonewalled on Gitmo

Specter stonewalled on Gitmo

On Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer:

BLITZER: Because these individuals have not been charged formally with anything. They've been held without charge. And efforts to really get to the bottom of it have been stymied.

SPECTER: I went to Guantanamo last August, and I went down there with the expectation of having a hearing and of bringing people in and finding out exactly what went on. And when I got there, I was stonewalled. I couldn't have a hearing.

And what has happened, through a series of events, we have waited for the courts to act. The courts came down, Supreme Court with three decisions in June of 2004. And now we're waiting for the court to come down with another decision. But in the interim, they're just out there in limbo, and that creates a very difficult situation.

Developing...

http://www.crooksandliars.com/

But what Specter said was pretty straight forward. He has softened big time on other issues but who knows what goes on behind closed doors. Specter at least put the issue and his view of it out there to be repeated on talkie shows if they bother to. Damn, I'm grasping at straws because this is so important and would like to believe someone would recognize this issue is critical. If Specter doesn't follow through it is Gone. Lordy, forgive me for hoping. Venting! ha

He's lying.

He's done it before.

He's done it a lot.

He's never done anything else.

He struts out in front of the camera and makes noise about how he's going to do the right thing... he gets his photo op and loud quotes in print. Later when the cameras are no longer on him he does exactly the opposite of what he said he would and the story on Tee Vee and in the papers is a quiet reference to what happened in the Senate or Congress as a whole, with little or no specific mention of his name and no questioning his pattern of dishonest hypocrisy.

In this case the retroactive immunity option is a particularly bitter pill. What's the freaking point? Oh yeah, to let the perps off the hook while making all sorts of misleading, fancy noise.

He. is. a. grandstanding. LIAR.

Pardons all around!:party:

does a fair imitation of stomping his feet and demanding answers but when push comes to shove he ALWAYS gives this administration a free pass. He uses his chairmanship like a sledge hammer against the Dems but if accountability is needed he always looks away while Chucklenuts and the Cabal do their Constitution trashing. He lets people "testify" before his committee without the benefit of being under oath - that says it ALL.

He is as two-faced as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Don't listen to what he says - watch what he always does - do not trust Specter to do anything open and honest. Period.

:puke:

he's just mad since he hasn't had a chance to officially rubber-stamp the destruction of our rights.

twice this week and said so..i asked what he is being blackmailed for?

little boys or little girls..i was that pissed!

fly

N O T H I N G.

:shrug:

The disagreement he had with Cheney last week and his tough talk now is just to make it look like he's being tough. In the end, I doubt if he will do anything about it.....but the noises he's making now makes it look like he's doing the right thing.

Do we EVER learn?

Sheesh.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/

http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/

Those two links contain all the info one needs. Not that it can't be found elsewhere - those are just one convenient location.

Believe it or don't, I don't give a fuck. I'm tired of trying to tell you. Take Specter out of the picture since January and Bush is sailing along in the polls.

Maybe you'd rather have Frist as judiciary committee chairman or Hatch.

How does Specter being the chairman affect Bush's poll numbers?

Congress passes legislation retroactively legalizing (albeit unconstitutionally) warrantless surveillance of people within the united states without any judicial oversight.

For air, because his nose has been up Bush's Cheney, ALL THE WAY...