Domestic Wiretap Hearings Vote Tomorrow
Posted by on March 6, 2006 at 02:48 PM
ABC News:
Tuesday will be a day of reckoning for the politics of domestic spying. The Senate Intelligence Committee is slated to vote, in a closed session, on whether it will investigate the president's NSA warrantless domestic wiretapping program. At this point, it could go either way.
It would take one Republican defection from the group to make an investigation into the president's domestic spying program a reality. The last vote was delayed several weeks after an intesnse lobbying effort by the White House. Committee chair Pat Roberts (R-KS) has promised a vote tomorrow.
Humorously, Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH) has flirted with the idea of introducing legislation that would make the program legal, "retroactively." Bill Frist has threatened to completely change the rules of the committee should they decide to hold hearings:
Frist specifically threatened that if the Committee holds NSA hearings, he will fundamentally change the 30-year-old structure and operation of the Senate Intelligence Committee so as to make it like every other Committee, i.e., controlled and dominated by Republicans to advance and rubber-stamp the White House’s agenda rather than exercise meaningful and nonpartisan oversight.
Should Frist succeed, I think we can safely diagnose (via news accounts) checks, balances, and any meaningful congressional oversight as being in a persistent vegitative state.
Comments (6) «
I have been listening to the debates on C-Span on Ethics Committee investigating their own Republicans. The Republicans want things to be almost Status Quo? While every Democrat really put their best foot forward for reform with teeth!
I know and the Republicans know they intend to pull this bribery off and only a few Republicans will be caught. And every Democrat better walk in the Spirit of God or they will pay the ultimate? I believe the people will be able to see through the Republicans and put Democrats in the Majority.
On this issue is where the Democrats should find the collective courage and finally - at long, long last - take a firm and vocal stand against Bush and Frist's schoolyard bully threat to change the existing senate rules - just to suit him and Bush and Herr Rove!
Enough is enough!
The Constitution and rule of law are not Frist's to frick with as he so chooses.
Come on, Senator Byrd! Show them what it was like in the good old days!
Durbin. Are you a man or a mouse?
Kerry. Any fight left in you or are you going to play the odds with Hillary?
Rocky. Please, tell them the battle is joined.
If there is one Republican on the committee, perhaps Senator Hagel, who puts people and law before Frist and Company - find him and implore that person to do what is right - for Americans, not for Frist's dead-in-the-water campaign for prez in '08.
Democrats, now is your chance to show the nation that courage is not something you have to obtain in Oz.
You may not win but, for God's sake, fight! (That rules you out, Zell Lieberman).
There is no limit to the brass the Republicans display in fixing their own regulations! I believe the people will see through this latest ploy to cover Bush's back side on Domistic Spying. The reason the Republicans are set on putting it through, after a few protest, is because they are investigating Democrats to see where to put their best criminals for stealing the majority again. I don't believe the Democrats will stand by, if the Democrats can stop it, and let them steal the majority or the WhiteHouse, again?
I am of the opinion that there are no Rs who will risk defying the White House. Among the Ds there are very few with the courage to fight against the R majority. Certainly experience should have shown by now that on the Intelligence committee there is no one with the courage that would be required. If you thing Ds can do anything ask yourself: How many Ds voted for Alito? How many Ds voted to re-affirm a nastier Patriot Act? How many Ds would be willing to vote against a budget which places submarines over health care? Remember the majority favor the war and will not even support Murtha.
I just read there will be no vote for investigations into the NSA spying ordeal! More Republican lies and trickery, and now it looks like the Republicans are just gonna rewrite laws to fit there positions. Where are the Democrats and why are they so darn silent? I am just about ready to turn in my Democratic card over this crap. Were in the hell are the Democrats with "balls", other then Hillary? This Administration is getting away with murder and the Democrats are doing NOTHING. It is true that we have no majority, yet that is the very reason we need to be fighting back and harder on every issue. STOP trying to win elections and START standing up for what is right! Howard Dean, where the hell are you, why are you not on every single radio/tv show fighting this crap? Pelosi, why are you not on every single radio/tv show fighting this crap? Maybe it is time for a change in the Democratic Party Leadership, cause it does not seem like we have anyone with courage to speak out. I will not give one more cent of my money to the Democratic Party till they "grow a pair" and start standing up to this Administration and Congress!
The Democrats are fighting back, listen to C-Span both 1 and 2. Look at the great things our Democrats are saying. What else can they do, republican?
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