Bush blocked eavesdropping probe By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Tuesday that President Bush personally blocked Justice Department lawyers from pursuing an internal probe of the warrantless eavesdropping program that monitors Americans' international calls and e-mails when terrorism is suspected. The department's Office of Professional Responsibility announced earlier this year it could not pursue an investigation into the role of Justice lawyers in crafting the program, under which the National Security Agency intercepts some telephone calls and e-mail without court approval. At the time, the office said it could not obtain security clearance to examine the classified program. Under sharp questioning from Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Arlen Specter, Gonzales said that Bush would not grant the access needed to allow the probe to move forward. "It was highly classified, very important and many other lawyers had access. Why not OPR?" asked Specter, R-Pa. "The president of the United States makes the decision," Gonzales told the committee hearing, during which he was strongly criticized on a range of national security issues by Specter and Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy (news, bio, voting record), the panel's senior Democrat. Last week, under a deal with Specter, Bush agreed conditionally to a court review of his antiterror eavesdropping operations. When the program was disclosed in December, it outraged Democrats and civil libertarians who said Bush overstepped his authority. Bush's 2001 directive authorized the National Security Agency to monitor — without court warrants — the international communications of people on U.S. soil when terrorism is suspected. The administration initially resisted efforts to write a new law, contending that no legal changes were needed. But after months of pressure, officials have grown more open to legislation. Under the deal with Specter, the president agreed to support a bill that could submit the program to the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for a constitutional review. Last week, Gonzales said the bill gives Bush the option of submitting the NSA program to the intelligence court, rather than requiring the review.
You must be kidding. You mean Bush blocked an attempt to investigate his trampling of the constitution? No way! You mean Bush doesn't really respect judicial authority and the constitution? Shock and awe.
In which direction is your comparison going and are you committing blasphemy in your second sentence?
Fair enough, but I'm still curious... are you saying Bush can't shine Nixon's shoes because both are bad, but Nixon is much worse, or are you saying Bush can't shine the shoes because both are good and Nixon is so much better?
Nixon was a decent president who was just overly paranoid. Remember the Vulcan proverb, "Only Nixon could go to China".
The answer should be pretty obvious if you know I am one of the biggest admirers of Nixon on this board. What happened to AggieRocket, anyone knows?
Nixon, Richard Milhous 1913–94, 37th President of the United States (1969–74), b. Yorba Linda, Calif. 1 Political Career to 1968 A graduate of Whittier College and Duke Univ. law school, he practiced law in Whittier, Calif., from 1937 to 1942, was briefly with the Office of Emergency Management, and served during World War II with the navy in the South Pacific. In 1946 he was elected to Congress as a Republican. In the House of Representatives he became nationally known for his work on the House Committee on Un-American Activities, where he was credited with forcing the famous confrontation between Alger Hiss and Whittaker Chambers, thus precipitating the perjury case against Hiss. In 1950 he was elected to the U.S. Senate after a particularly bitter electoral campaign. In the Senate, Nixon denounced President Truman’s policy in Asia, supported Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s proposal to expand the Korean War, and attacked the Democratic administration as favorable to socialism. http://www.bartleby.com/65/ni/Nixon-Ri.html Darn, history can be a b!tch, can't it? (And I miss AggieRocket. Hope he's OK.) Keep D&D Civil.
I am certainly aware Nixon was a staunch anti-commie Repub early in his career and a fan of MacArthur. These anecdotes, however, should always be viewed in historical context.
wnes, I wish you wouldn't place your own made-up stuff in quotes attributed to someone else. Thanks. Nixon remained a staunch anti-communist. He was often a realist after becoming President, certainly in regards to China. You dearly love to pull up "facts" from hundreds of years ago with regard to areas of discussion relating to China. What's good for the goose should be good for the gander. Keep D&D Civil.
Wow... makes you wonder what other unconstitutional "top secret" operations are ongoing that have no oversight but Bush's buttered roll chomping, cussing self.
I don't know what happened to AggieRocket...he was pretty active here and suddenly he stopped posting in any of the forums. I know that he was 'up there' in age as one of the older residents of the BBS, which is why I am hoping he's OK.
Nixon thought he was too smart to get caught. Bush thrives on the public's low expectations. His method of corruption is more like trial and error.
