Big Brother's Slippery Slope

[Selena_Kitt]

This is scary.

Really.

 

[rgraham666]

Sigh.

So sad to see one of history's great nations slide into the abyss.

 

[DesertPirate]

It amazes me when I see all these people acting like there is a lick of difference between Dems and Reps. They are all politicians that are in lust with power and will do anything to keep what they have and get more. Anything else is a lie.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

It's sad that the U.S. Senate would take the chance of losing the respect of the American people by passing this piece of shit. At least Harry Reed in the Legislature allowed it to die without passing.

This is another piece of evidence that our Congress is too intimately tied to the Telecom Pacs. Fuck!

Thinking one step beyond, what does this bill even do besides add some mild ligitimacy to the illegal Bush Domestic Spying Program(s)? It kills dozens of law suits currently in federal court suing the Telecoms for their participation. Whoa! Hold on here. I think I have a problem with this. Let's think this through.

1. The Congress makes the laws based on need and lightened by the Constitution.
2. The Judiciary decides what the law is based on precident and the Constitution, then enforces those laws.

This is the landmark decision in U.S. v Richard Nixon

Where is the President in that? The High Court's decision outlined that too. It said, "It is the job of the President to follow the law. (Paraphrased for brevity and the bold is mine.)

In other words, regardless of some undefined paragraph in the Constitution the Bush Administration claims gives him the power to pass laws, spy on the American people, torture prisoners and so on, there is no real justification based on anything that can be gleened from either the Constitution or legal precident that allows him to do so. In fact, these are illegal acts under both.

So why is Bush pushing so hard? I believe it's called "COVER YOUR ASS" because someone pointed out to him a little-known section in the Constitution that mentions "High Crimes and Misdomeanors."

 

[Selena_Kitt]

I believe it's called "COVER YOUR ASS" because someone pointed out to him a little-known section in the Constitution that mentions "High Crimes and Misdomeanors."

Doh!

I wish someone would take it on and push Bush into a Richard Nixon corner... but I have a feeling no one will.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Doh!

I wish someone would take it on and push Bush into a Richard Nixon corner... but I have a feeling no one will.

SK, there have been only two cases in US History where charges of High Crimes and Misdomeanors have been brought against a president - Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. In both cases, the charges really were both indefensable and not prisonable. Bush is a different story. No one in Congress wants to send a sitting president to jail as Bush potentially could be. Public lawsuits against the Telecoms would expose Bush to exactly that.

 

[Selena_Kitt]

No one in Congress wants to send a sitting president to jail as Bush potentially could be. Public lawsuits against the Telecoms would expose Bush to exactly that.

Pussies.

Richard Nixon is rolling over in his grave.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Pussies.

Richard Nixon is rolling over in his grave.

But remember, Nixon was forced out of office to avoid being impeached with the potential of a public trial and prison. That's what Bush fears most. His house of cards would tumble quickly and he would end up with a room mate named "Bubba".

 

[3113]

The bill, which had the strong backing of the White House, allows the government to eavesdrop on large bundles of foreign-based communications on its own authority so long as Americans are not the targets. A secret intelligence court, which traditionally has issued individual warrants before wiretapping began, would review the procedures set up by the executive branch only after the fact to determine whether there were abuses involving Americans.

“This is a dramatic restructuring” of surveillance law, said Michael Sussmann, a former Justice Department intelligence lawyer who represents several telecommunication companies. “And the thing that’s so dramatic about this is that you’ve removed the court review. There may be some checks after the fact, but the administration is picking the targets.”

I'm confused. So the gov can evesdrop on anyone so long as they say, "An American wasn't the target"?

 

[icansatisfy]

I agree this is scary stuff.

There has never been a president, since Lincoln, who has disregarded the Constitution and abused civil liberties like President Bush!

We're slipping ever more closely into a Police State (in the classic sense).

Scary, indeed!