Democrats to hold own hearings on warrantless wiretaps

[rawstory]

RAW STORY

John Byrne

Reps. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) will hold a Democratic hearing next Friday to consider the legal ramifications of President Bush's warrantless surveillance on international calls, RAW STORY has learned.

The Jan. 20 Democratic hearings come in the wake of a request from House Judiciary Committee Democrats to hold official Congressional hearings on the matter. The Republican chairman, Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), has not responded to Democrats' requests.

In the Senate, Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) said he would hold hearings on the taps, but has not officially scheduled a session.

More details, witnesses at link: http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Democrats_to_hold_own_hearings_on_0110.html

[fooj]

1. Wonder if the prick Sensenbrenner will turn off the microphone again...

:grr:

[SoFlaJet]

6. Or if....

the hearings will be in a cellar agian like the Downing Street Memos were

[realFedUp]

11. or at the local Howard Johnson's....

:-)

[The Donkey]

2. I don't know what's sadder. . . .

The fact that we can't get an official hearing on this or the fact that the general public seems not to notice that their civil liberties are eroding faster than the Road Runner on crack.

[Junkdrawer]

3. This is the first time an announcement of a Conyers hearing is bad news...

Stunning...

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Richard Steele]

7. Well documented? Where?

You really ought to throw a little EVIDENCE
behind a claim like that.

[Richard Steele]

9. Too late- he just got tombstoned. DU mods rock!

[Born Free]

5. big name democrats won't show up

sad, but will not be newsworthy because none of the big name democrats will make en effort to get it publicity - it would be nice if big name democrats would grow some testicles and stand up to be counted

[OKthatsIT]

10. Let's see how this week ends...if they filibuster, I mean

If they dont filibuster? They can go to hell!

[remfan]

8. May I suggest taking it on the road?

Take the issue home to your constituents. Town hall meetings, etc. Get out of official-land and talk to us.

[HuffleClaw]

12. i'm not sure i approve of this

wouldn't it merely reinforce the republican myth that any criticism of bush and his policies are purely partisan?

[meganmonkey]

13. Well, if the majority party (repubs) won't call for hearings

someone will have to.

They wouldn't have hearings on the Downing Street memo either, so the Dems held their own. Well, some of them did, led, of course, by Conyers.

It's just a shame even most of the Dems won't back Conyers up on this, let alone the repubs...

[nicknameless]

21. Actually, it reinforces the fact that rethugs ignore *'s law breaking.

The Downing Street Minutes documented *'s violation of International laws.
The NSA story, with *'s admission, are evidence that he also has repeatedly violated Federal laws.

What happened to "The President is not above the law"?
This is not about a consensual affair. This is about high crimes.
The rethugs' refusal to address these crimes is what's "partisan" ... and complicitous.

[meganmonkey]

14. Kick!

:kick:

[SharonRB]

15. Democrats to hold own hearings on warrantless wiretaps

I'm surprised no one has posted this, unless I missed it. Conyers, once again, is at the forefront.

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Democrats_to_hold_own_hearings_on_0110.html

Reps. John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) will hold a Democratic hearing next Friday to consider the legal ramifications of President Bush's warrantless surveillance on international calls, RAW STORY has learned.
The Jan. 20 Democratic hearings come in the wake of a request from House Judiciary Committee Democrats to hold official Congressional hearings on the matter. The Republican chairman, Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI), has not responded to Democrats' requests.

<snip>

"Last month all 17 House Judiciary Democrats called on Chairman Sensenbrenner to convene hearings to investigate the President's use of the National Security Agency to conduct surveillance involving U.S. citizens on U.S. soil, in apparent contravention of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act," Conyers said in a statement. "As our request has since been ignored, it is our job, as Members of Congress, to review the program and consider whether our criminal laws have been violated and our citizen's constitutional rights trampled upon.

"We simply cannot tolerate a situation where the Administration is operating as prosecutor, judge and jury and excluding Congress and the courts from providing any meaningful check or balance to the process," he added.

<snip>

Conyers also released a letter from Harvard University constitutional law professor Lawrence Tribe, who asserted that the NSA program was illegal and violated the separation of powers provision under the constitution. "The technical term for I believe is poppycock," Tribe said. RAW STORY hopes to post Tribe's letter soon.

[Tiggeroshii]

16. When is Specter gonna get off his hass and turn his words to action?

Prolly never? Is that right? oh yeah, he's too busy being pussy whip for those whores who run his party in da Senate. He really doesn't care much about us or his integrity as a Senator. in the end it's all about how much power you have...

[druidity33]

19. agreed...

sounds like another "Phase 2" tactic to me...


...little bathroom stickers...

[Earth_First]

17. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2033575

[myrna minx]

18. Way to go Rep Conyers.

History will herald you as a hero. I know that I do. :loveya: :loveya:

[jab105]

20. THIS is THE issue...

my dad is the farthest of the far right Republican...though he stopped watching the news three years ago (it was bad for his blood pressure-literally)...and when we talked...this was the only thing that got him angry...he has never agreed with me before politically...and this was the first time...he said that if this is allowed, then why bother even having a Constitution...funny thing is that my mom (who parrots everything Bush says cause she things he's the greatest thing since instant oatmeal) was saying how she doesn't mind the president doing that...la laa laa...and when my dad spoke out, she changed her tone...and said that she didnt realize that...LOL...