Kucinich: "spying on Americans is illegal, unjustified, a gross abuse"

[Marleyb]

from his recent"Our Union In A State Of Great Peril"
http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/0131-11.htm

The President's program of spying on Americans is illegal, unjustified, a gross abuse of executive authority and a danger to the basic rights of every American. Our Constitution is clear, Congress makes the laws and the President executes the laws. Congress did not authorize the spying on Americans without a court’s approval, and no one is above the law.

"Congress and the American public should not be distracted from these underlying facts, no matter the self-interested efforts of the President to distract, confuse and divide us."

Constitutional scholars agree with Kucinich

CONGRESS DID NOT IMPLICITLY AUTHORIZE THE NSA DOMESTIC SPYING PROGRAM IN THE AUMF, AND IN FACT EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED IT IN FISA
...it is also beyond dispute that, in such a democracy, the President cannot simply violate criminal laws behind closed doors because he deems them obsolete or impracticable.

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=10217

Former NSA lawyer Johnathon Turley agrees

Now I want to be absolutely clear, what the President ordered in this case was a crime. Now we can debate whether he had a good or bad motivation, but it was a crime.

The federal law makes it clear- you cannot engage in this type of domestic surveillance without comitting a crime.

We can debate the wisdom of that, we can debate why the President may have done it, but in my view, the President committed a crime, and we have to deal with that as citizens.

http://benfrank.net/blog/2006/01/24/nsa_hearing_audio

The constution is clear...

Under Article II, Section 4 of the Constitution, "The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

Here's our 'opposition' 'leader' in the senate...

"As far as I'm concerned at this stage it's too early to talk about impeachment. We'll have to see if there's more to this,"

Reid said impeachment talk makes him uncomfortable.

"I'm not a big fan of impeachment. I think it should come only when all other avenues have been exhausted and that certainly hasn't been the case here," he said.

[DemInDistress]

1. yes,but how do we get his ass in the dock,impeached and

imprisoned? Never before has there been a more deserving POS POTUS....

[Marleyb]

3. We can't let our congress get away with this bullshit!

The FISA law was created because of Nixon's illegal spying...Nixon resigned because of his illegal behavior...which part of this don't they understand?

Maybe they could invite the constitutional scholars to the senate hearing to explain these things to them. But isn't it their job, especially Reid as the leader in the senate, to do some research?? The facts are blatantly clear. This is just beyond stupid.

[DemInDistress]

6. what do you suggest I do? I can call schumer and clinton

and crowley (congressman) and express my concerns but will you call yours?

[Marleyb]

8. looks like we have an opening in Maxine Waters

Congresswoman Maxine Waters Says Bush Guilty of Impeachable Offenses
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x321516

Maybe the DU activist corp could put out a call to get behind Maxine, write , call and fax her telling her we support her 100%!

If we can encourage her to introduce articles of impeachment, and start screaming loudly on her behalf, everything else will fall into place.

At the very least we expose the 'representatives' who are getting in the way and ignoring our constitution, which sets us up nicely for the 2006 elections, that is if we can overcome the fraud.

[DemInDistress]

9. Marl..ty for the name...Monday I will begin my campaign and

add my voice of concern..^5

[FormerDittoHead]

2. Why does he hate The Fatherland and the Fuhrer and support the communists?

:sarcasm:

[HysteryDiagnosis]

4. should come only when all other avenues have been exhausted

If all other avenues didn't have to be exhausted before Iraq was decimated and America was dragged through a treasonous tragedy... then all other avenues do not have to be exhausted regarding a simple impeachment of a simple simpleton.

[Marleyb]

5. good point!

and what are the other avenues anyhow? It seems like they are just stalling until Bush comes up with a good excuse...

[Arkansas Granny]

7. The point that disturbs me the most about this illegal surveillance

is that any legitimate request for spying could have and probably would have been approved by the FISA court. I have seen no evidence or any reports to suggest that Bush tried to go through the approved procedure and was unable to obtain the warrant he needed to set up surveillance. This suggests to me that the spying he is doing could not be justified and is, therefore, illegal. His only answer to the charges that this is illegal activity that is expressly forbidden by current law under the Constitution is "trust me", which is something that I refuse to do.

[Marleyb]

11. why would anyone trust him?

after everything he has done!

Clearly he isn't going through the FISA courts because they wouldn't give him a warrant to spy on dissenters. There is no other explanation. And we have proof he was spying on Quakers, PETA etc so I don't even understand why he is going around saying he is only spying on terrorists.

Can't the media ask one followup question(remember those?)
'But Sir, we have evidence you have been spying on peace groups, how do you explain that?'

[Arkansas Granny]

13. Of course, Bush can define anyone he wants as a terrorist.

He has already shown that he thinks he is above the law, so it wouldn't be out of his character to label anyone who disagrees with him as a terrorist. Remember his remark "You're either with us or you're with the terrorists."? If you look at it in his narrow perceptions of black and white, I could easily be branded as a terrorist.

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. Three cheers for Dennis!

[timtom]

12. I just grabbed your link

and used it in a response on this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x319455

Thanx for the ammo.

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. Any time. *wave* It's not finished yet but there's still plenty of stuff

that is available right now. :)

[jarnocan]

14. Spying in NC at WCW State of BU**SH** demonstration

"A group of demonstrators who had taken part in Tuesday night’s rally ... noticed an unidentified man in civilian clothes videotaping the license plates of cars parked near the venue where a rally by the group, which drew over 200 people, had been held an hour e arlier. The man refused to identify himself, despite repeated requests....After he punched a demonstrator, guns were drawn, police charged, mace used, and the police car swerved... more details and info here; http://ncworldcantwait.thetruthis.us/cgi-bin/ncwcw/inde ... later he was identified as; Detective Ernest Cuthbertson of an undercover spy and “anti-terrorist” unit. "

Otherwise we had a really great time, seriously! My pics/more info links here http://jarnocan.blogspot.com or more in NC thread or pic thead on here.

[Marleyb]

16. that is absurd

hey, your first link didn't work for me...

[jarnocan]

17. so link via

the other one...whatever. http://ncworldcantwait.thetruthis.us/cgi-bin/ncwcw/index.cgi?action=viewnews&id=11 her ya go also- just so ya know if you got to www.worldcantwait.net - you can also find local cahapter links.