Gonzales: Congress doesn't need to act on NSA program

[sabra]

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/03/09/news/nation/15_42_343_8_06.txt

Gonzales: Congress doesn't need to act on NSA program


WASHINGTON -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales made clear Wednesday that the White House is not seeking congressional action to inscribe the National Security Agency's monitoring into U.S. law, even as members of Congress negotiate with the Bush administration about legislation.

Gonzales maintained the program is legal the way it is.

"There's a general consensus -- quite frankly -- that this is a needed program" designed to listen to al-Qaida's communications, Gonzales told the National Association of Attorneys General Wednesday. "The concern I think that people have, which is a natural concern, is that, is this a limited program?"


Gonzales said administration officials have gone a long way in reassuring lawmakers about the NSA's operations. Over four years, he said, the administration has met "with select congressional leadership on both sides of the aisle about the scope of this program -- everything that we're doing related to this program."

[spindrifter]

1. Who is part of this "consensus"?

:shrug:

[0007]

2. Who in the fuck needs a congress when we have a jam-up dictator

that the whole world just loves.

[Patchuli]

3. These guys are dancin' fast

and getting away with a lot. But the pendulum will swing back and hard...

[spindrifter]

4. Someone needs to get the balls or ovaries to call

Gonzalez on this crap.

[Drum]

5. Riiiiiiiiiight.... nt

[journalist3072]

6. Of course Gonzales believes Congress doesn't need to act

The Bush Crime Team believes it is a country unto itself.

They aren't accountable to anyone, least of all the American people and the U.S. Congress.

Whatever King George wants, he gets.

[jaysunb]

7. I hope he keeps saying this.

And I hope the MSM will pick this up. It will surely piss off a few more fence sitters on the issue.

[LynnTheDem]

8. ...and torture is legal and the prez has Hitler's Unitary Executive powers

and concentration camps & gulags and extraordinary renditions are all good things, and the Geneva Conventions are quaint (rightwingnuts just STFU the next time an AMERICAN is captured & his GC rights violated; they're QUAINT for Americans, too.) and US & international laws are only for the We the People, prezidents are above any & all laws (Hillary's gonna love that one!) and the US Constitution is only a piece of paper.

Gonzales; American TRAITOR.

[ekelly]

9. I have a problem with this line......

Gonzales said administration officials have gone a long way in reassuring lawmakers about the NSA's operations. Over four years, he said, the administration has met "with select congressional leadership on both sides of the aisle about the scope of this program -- everything that we're doing related to this program."

everything that WE'RE doing with this program?

Excuse me????? "we're"?

Who the hell does Gonzo work for.....Bushco, or the poeple?

[ShockediSay]

10. our big government secret police state

doesn't need the inconvenience

:sarcasm:

[alarimer]

11. Congress doesn't need to because we'll do whatever the hell

we want and call it legal. Problem solved. The President is above the law.

I hate these people.

[BR_Parkway]

12. So tell Congress that and stop negotiating new legislation. Talk about

forked tongue.

I wish Fiengold would just keep hammering this to death - AG says we don't need the legislation, so what we need is hearings.

[Eugene]

13. AP: Legal Rationale for Spy Program Questioned

March 9, 2006, 3:52AM
Legal Rationale for Spy Program Questioned

By PETE YOST Associated Press Writer
© 2006 The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — A former top national security lawyer at the Justice Department questions the Bush
administration's legal rationale for its warrantless eavesdropping program, newly released documents
show.

David Kris, now the chief ethics and compliance officer at Time Warner Inc., said in a Jan. 19 e-mail
that administration legal arguments put forth a month after the program was publicly disclosed had
"a slightly after-the-fact quality or feeling to them."

Kris wrote the e-mail to an aide to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales the same day Gonzales sent a
42-page white paper to Congress. It said the president has inherent war powers under the Constitution
to order eavesdropping without warrants.

Kris was an associate deputy attorney general from 2000 to 2003 dealing with national security issues,
but there was no indication he was aware of the National Security Agency program or participated in
internal deliberations about it during his government tenure.

<snip>

Full article: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/politics/3711572.html

Related Washington Post article: Ex-Justice Lawyer Rips Case for Spying

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

14. Gonzales: "These are not the droids you're looking for"

There just isn't much else to say. Congress members are weak ones.

DBDB

[truthisfreedom]

15. gonzales: i control everything.

listen to me and get re-elected.

[Disturbed]

16. Gonzales works for Shrub.

He stated this to Congress the last time. Congress also works for Shrub and the MIC and the Multi-Corps.

[Just Me]

17. Someone needs to challenge this butthead's judgment in court.

Let the courts meat out the legality and/or constitutionality of the administration's domestic surveillance program. At least, in a court, there is a CHANCE that our citizens liberties will be held intact over this new "unitary executive" that does whatever the hell it wants to do.

[Toots]

18. I guess the Right Wing Extreme Court will have to decide

Any guesses on how that ruling will turn out? Unitary Power and all...

[Javaman]

19. "These aren't the driods you are looking for" n/t