Howard might have gotten the point across more emphatically had he mentioned that Bush is currently violating the 4th Amendment to the Constitution.

ThinkProgress has the video of Howard on the Today show on its site:

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/01/26/couric-caught-on-tape/

Bush could have gone to the courts after the fact and gotten the warrants... as the law requires ...is he lazy, incompetent, or lying about who he is spying on?

It's not about his authority to act, it's about his not doing it in the lawful way. Why won't he share this information with the PHISA Court now?

It's like a policeman who who enters a house to search for terrorist materials that would stop an attack. The PHISA laws were written to set into place a procedure by which the information that is collected can be used to stop the terrorist from acting. And, then later when he is stopped from acting and caught, the materials confiscated can to be used as evidence against him in a trial.

Congress understood this and refused in 2002 to ammend the Patriot Act to let the President use his power in such a way that it would later allow a terrorist to walk away free .... nor target innocent American citizens by mistake. Congress clearly wrote the PHISA law and the Patriot Act to insure that the Courts would act as a check and balance.

President Bush thinks he can act unchecked. He doesn't understand that he or his people can ever make a mistake. Which is odd, since he's made so many. I guess he thinks that future presidents will be as wise as he?

GET A DAMN WARRANT!

Let's stop giving them (the Bushies) the benefit of the doubt. They understand the FISA law and how the court works. They are not lazy, either. If they have a valid lead on terrorist activity, the FISA court will give them a warrant in a heartbeat, and they know it. So why do they insist on avoiding the court? The only viable reason is that they are snooping where they are not supposed to. But since the entire process is done in secrecy, who would know? There is the real problem. No one knows where they are spying, regardless of their public statements.

So, if they are snooping on us and decide that we are "enemy combatants" it's off to jail we go, with no right to council or habeaus corpus. They don't even have to notify our families. Remember in Argentina, they had a situation they called "the disapeared". Now, please try to find a way to wake up the American public, they don't "get it!"

Chairman Dean was ON FIRE this morning. I think he's finally getting frustrated at this Republican spin machine and it being a bipartisan scandal with Abramoff. GOOD!

FYI, I've posted the transcript here.

Howard Dean's comments SUCK - totally ineffective. play the clip of bush saying we are not spying on americans that we will always get a warrant and then POUNCE about how bush lied again. play up the bush is a hypocrite. and then nail him on the same thing with KATRINA - he lied about not knowing about the levees. GOD DAMMIT - DO SOMETHING AND FIGHT YOU FUCKING PUSSIES!!!!

Of this I am sure. I am witnessing the demise of the Democratic Party. What in the world is our message? What do we stand for? I am truley embarrased by the ineffective leadership of my party. How many times can we attack and retreat to a weaker position? Case in point...how do we go from cries of impeachment to we're upset they didn't ask us for permission. Throw away your damn polls and finf a soul already before it's too late.

I passionately agree with Governor Dean when he says that no one should be above the law. Our founding fathers felt compelled to hold the President to that standard. I will even venture to a higher standard to suggest that not only should the President uphold the law but the President should never attempt to circumvent existing laws.
If the law proves inadequate then the law, not behavior, must be amended. If John Q. Public is delinquent in filing his taxes then John will endure a legal penalty regardless of his desire to pay or evade his tax liability. John may attempt to circumvent his legal responsibility by investing that tax liability and later filing an amended return but rest assured Uncle Sam knows those tricks and John’s yield may be forfeited. Although John may avoid the prosecution of tax evasion he is not likely to profit.
I can remove Stop and Yield signs in the middle of the night to avoid receiving traffic citations the next day. However I do not remove the conditions that required the cautionary signs.
If a law gives the Justice Department the authority to spy on Americans without a warrant for reasonable suspicions of treason then we as a people must trust there was a good reason for that law. If an instrument detailing that activity is required at a later date then we must again trust there was a good reason for that as well. And the delay of such an instrument or report beyond its deadline may well avoid criminal prosecution but it does not avoid the conditions (liberty) requiring the instrument.
Whether the law protects our safety or our liberty it is the law and the law deserves our respect. But we deserve the respect of the law as well. As equals under the Constitution the law then must hold the same significance and regard for each person. We can not hold one person more accountable to the law than another and we can not regard one person less worthy of protection under the law than another. Therefore I must disagree with the Governor’s last sentence of the first paragraph.
But I certainly understand any sentiments of frustration that freedom loving people must feel when confronted with these trying times of conflict.

Good Leaders have a base plan & contingency plans for everything they do & it is quite evident over the last 3-4 years the Bush administration is lacking in this area & it s/b shown to the voting populace.

If you go back over this period of time & carefully check the answers from top gov't agency heads & subordinates on int'l & national catistrphic events you will see these remarks often.
" DIDN'T ANTICIPATE THAT HAPPENING"
" WE DIDN'T SEE IT COMING NOR HAVE PLANS IN PLACE TO SOLVE IT"

Show mumerous instances of that to the voting public w/viable solutions & they will clearly see they are not better off to fight terrerists at home & abroad + national catistrophies with the Republicans than Democrats & they blunder almost everything regarding catistrophic events & issues.

Also show how depleted almost 90% of the National Guard units in the USA currently are & if another major hurricane, fire, tornado, earthquake or mudslides hit & the National guard is summoned, they do not have sufficient vehicles, helicopters & equipment to help because most of it is in IRAQ.

The Republicans are ripe for the pickings but you need to take the iniative & show the american public there many mistakes (actual statements & footage)& the Democrats 4 year plan to fix everything the Repblicans dismantled & ruined.

You must go after them night & day with clear cut solutions & plans & show factually & catergorically their continuess blunders & incompetent appointees in critical places so that even Carl Rove & God can't help them.

In response to above

Good leaders have a base plan......Could you please tell me what the base plan is for the Democratic Party? Want my opinion? The Democrats have adopted a plan that panders to the ignorant. Tell them half truths or lies and let the ignorant masses spread the hate. YOU have proven my point. Don't worry, you're obviously not alone. Could someone please tell me where I can change my party affiliation to Republican?

King George could have gotten his court approval
72 hours after wiretapping the individuals. Those who don't know this have been fooled by the regressive RNC's "half truths".

Once again:
REGRESSIVES LIVE IN DENIAL!

Regarding above posting

Now you've proven my point too.

I am so frustrated with how you guys are trying to get an emotional response instead of being the party that deal in reality. You need to learn from the Jim Frey episode. Someone very wise said that Oprah hung onto an "emotional truth" that it was helping people so the reality of the lie could be excused and not addressed. But then she learned to deal with the reality of it and confront him in a plainspoken manner.

For God's sake, QUIT living in Emotional Truth. Forget about what feels good or what some polls says we want to hear. If you want a message from the Democrats, then it's right in front of you, "WE DEAL IN REALITY AND NOT EMOTIONS." Just get real and fire the wordsmiths and the image people. What America is crying out for is a party and candidate that simply says what the reality is and what is the a decent plan to deal with it. You are playing the Republican game of "Emotional Truth" and just trying to out-illusion them. Watch the State of the Union and see Bush speak only of Emotional Truth instead of Reality. The obsession with media has caused you to emphasize image over information, and emotions over reality.

Emotional truth or opinion?

I would like to know more about your “Emotional Truths”. To the best of my knowledge, a truth by any name is still the truth and a lie is still a lie. It is emotion that helps us deal with both the truths and the lies. Unfortunately, emotion has a way of disguising one as the other at times. Case in point…It is fact, a truth, that intelligence agencies around the world were certain that WMD’s existed in Iraq. It is a fact, a truth, that none were found. You say George Bush lied. I say they were removed before we got there. Absent additional facts, emotion leads you to one response and me to another. Emotion cannot lead us to truths were there is no fact. Emotion leads us to opinion. I would offer that your “Emotional Truths” are in essence “Emotional Opinions”. You have yours and I have mine. The difference between us is that I understand truth from opinion.

I simply want to say that I want Democrats to stand up for what they believe no matter what the consequences. You must have conviction of your beliefs and a spine or no one will care about anything you have to say. As of now, Americans have a choice between the bush regime which borders on fascism and is leading this country down the toilet, or the democratic party that seems to have lost its voice. I used to think democrats were the champion of the middle class and working poor but I hardly hear them talking about them anymore. I can go on and on but I think you get the point. It is clear bush is at war with the middle class and working poor. If you cant draw a line in the sand on what this administration stands for, and fight for whats right, then whats the point of having a Democratic Party at all? The Democratic response to bushs state of the union was weak and pathetic. Is it any wonder that the vast majority of Americans hate the direction this country is headed but arent even sure what the Democrats stand for? The Democrats need a strong leader willing to stand up for what is right and able to articulate their position clearly. The American people are hungry for a change. The question remains whether the Democrats will side with the American people or simply become an extension of the Republican party? America needs strong Democrats more than ever. Nothing short of the promise of America and all the good it represents is at stake.

Many of the Dem reps (including the senators) should turn in their badges if they can't stand up to the bs from the right wing in both houses! With the repubs being in control for 11 years and counting--the list of gross misuse of power is staggering. The Alito hearings were confirmed and the Repub Senators took the public forum to state how the Democrats demonstated unprecedented bi partisanship--look at this, more Democrats crossed over to vote for Alito than Republicans crossed over to vote against. The time has come for the true colors to show, we have little to lose. Being branded as a liberal doesnt say much--how about being a radical liberal, it is certainly better than letting them call us knee-jerk liberals or bleeding-heart liberals, and let the country know that there is a radical faction in the Democratic party that can be outspoken and demanding for "equality and justice for all"!

I meant to say the Republicans claimed a lack of bi partisanship on the part of the Democrats, the sum of it is that the vote was partisan, just as it should have been when so much was at stake.

Are the Neo-Cons Planning An Attack on SuperBowl Sunday?

See the following:

Saturday, February 04, 2006
Tarpley calls for RED SYNTHETIC TERROR ALERT
(Total411.info) FEBRUARY 4, 2006 -- In wake of this website's call for a BURNT ORANGE alert for synthetic terror at Super Bowl XL, we received this note from the author of 9/11 Synthetic Terror, Webster Griffin Tarpley.

Tarpley calls for a RED ALERT for synthetic terror in the following terms:
"The intense international intelligence warfare pattern mandates a move to red alert -- the highest vigilance -- for the upcoming superbowl Sunday in the USA and the Turin winter Olympics, and perhaps all the way to the March 20 opening of the Iranian oil bourse, which spells the beginning of the end for six decades of world dollar hegemony.

The Iranian oil bourse opens March 20 -- this is the strategic key. The Cheneyacs want war to stop the bourse from deflating the sick US dollar.

The crumbling of European resistance has given new strength to Condi's nuclear lynch mob against Iran, with that country about to be hauled before the UN Security Council. At that point, a wider Middle East war will be immediately in sight.

The Mohammed cartoons are a transparent provocation by NATO intelligence through a Danish right wing newspaper of limited circulation. This classic US-UK provocation has had an enormous effect. Islamic circles need to realize that this is a cynical ploy designed to lead to an attack on Iran and thence to general war, and treat it that way.

We had the latest British terror bombing in Achwaz, Iran last week (Jan. 24), killing several people.

The trial of British-backed terrorists in Iran starts in about 2 weeks.

The situation of the British invaders in southern Iraq is becoming critical.

Afghanistan is about to boil over.

The US and North Korea are trading nuclear war threats across the 38th parallel.

Russia has accused the British of flagrant spying, and there is every reason to believe this charge.

Venezuela has expelled a US military attache as an obvious agent provocateur; now the US expels top Venezuelan diplomat.

Now the fake provocation of an alleged IED bomb near a school in Gaiithersburg, Maryland in the Washington DC suburbs, impacting the personnel of the Bush administration and the federal government in general; many top officials live within a few miles of this school. There was real hysteria in the corridors of the US government this afternoon.

A new Sudden Response terror drill is taking place at Charleston. South Carolina. Will this drill go live in the way other drills went live in London last July 7?

The latest leaked Downing Street memorandum reveals Bush as proposing to send US U-2 spy planes disguised in UN colors to be shot down over Iraq to secure a pretext for the illegal aggression there. This reveals Bush in the Operation Northwoods tradition, ready to commit acts of war in the form of impeachable offenses.

Detroit is a burned-out auto city, expendable in the eyes of the finance oligarchs. Turin, Italy, home of FIAT, is another expendable burned out ex-industrial city. An action in Turin would push the Europeans to join the US in the attack on Iran.

The sinking of the Egptian ferry in the Red Sea may well fit into this pattern, but this is not clear.

The Patriot Act has not been renewed. Top neocons face indictment and jail sentences.This is the classic moment when the neocons and their rogue network backers go back to Leo Strauss's nihilist revolution, capable of throwing humanity back into the Stone Age.
Webster Griffin Tarpley
Washington DC
February 4, 2006
-----...---
.

-See full story at the following website:

Saturday, February 04, 2006
Tarpley calls for RED SYNTHETIC TERROR ALERT
(Total411.info) FEBRUARY 4, 2006 -- In wake of this website's call for a BURNT ORANGE alert for synthetic terror at Super Bowl XL, we received this note from the author of 9/11 Synthetic Terror, Webster Griffin Tarpley.

Tarpley calls for a RED ALERT for synthetic terror in the following terms:
"The intense international intelligence warfare pattern mandates a move to red alert -- the highest vigilance -- for the upcoming superbowl Sunday in the USA and the Turin winter Olympics, and perhaps all the way to the March 20 opening of the Iranian oil bourse, which spells the beginning of the end for six decades of world dollar hegemony.

The Iranian oil bourse opens March 20 -- this is the strategic key. The Cheneyacs want war to stop the bourse from deflating the sick US dollar.

The crumbling of European resistance has given new strength to Condi's nuclear lynch mob against Iran, with that country about to be hauled before the UN Security Council. At that point, a wider Middle East war will be immediately in sight.

The Mohammed cartoons are a transparent provocation by NATO intelligence through a Danish right wing newspaper of limited circulation. This classic US-UK provocation has had an enormous effect. Islamic circles need to realize that this is a cynical ploy designed to lead to an attack on Iran and thence to general war, and treat it that way.

We had the latest British terror bombing in Achwaz, Iran last week (Jan. 24), killing several people.

The trial of British-backed terrorists in Iran starts in about 2 weeks.

The situation of the British invaders in southern Iraq is becoming critical.

Afghanistan is about to boil over.

The US and North Korea are trading nuclear war threats across the 38th parallel.

Russia has accused the British of flagrant spying, and there is every reason to believe this charge.

Venezuela has expelled a US military attache as an obvious agent provocateur; now the US expels top Venezuelan diplomat.

Now the fake provocation of an alleged IED bomb near a school in Gaiithersburg, Maryland in the Washington DC suburbs, impacting the personnel of the Bush administration and the federal government in general; many top officials live within a few miles of this school. There was real hysteria in the corridors of the US government this afternoon.

A new Sudden Response terror drill is taking place at Charleston. South Carolina. Will this drill go live in the way other drills went live in London last July 7?

The latest leaked Downing Street memorandum reveals Bush as proposing to send US U-2 spy planes disguised in UN colors to be shot down over Iraq to secure a pretext for the illegal aggression there. This reveals Bush in the Operation Northwoods tradition, ready to commit acts of war in the form of impeachable offenses.

Detroit is a burned-out auto city, expendable in the eyes of the finance oligarchs. Turin, Italy, home of FIAT, is another expendable burned out ex-industrial city. An action in Turin would push the Europeans to join the US in the attack on Iran.

The sinking of the Egptian ferry in the Red Sea may well fit into this pattern, but this is not clear.

The Patriot Act has not been renewed. Top neocons face indictment and jail sentences.This is the classic moment when the neocons and their rogue network backers go back to Leo Strauss's nihilist revolution, capable of throwing humanity back into the Stone Age.
Webster Griffin Tarpley
Washington DC
February 4, 2006

See Full Story at Cloak and Dagger or

http://www.total411.info/2006/02/synthetic-terror-alert-burnt-orange.html

Charlie C.
Dallas TX

The choice is clear:

Will we live by THE LAW or
Will Hillary have unlimited, unchecked POWER?