Guest blogged by David Edwards of Veredictum.com
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UPDATE FROM BRAD: Glenn Greewald over at Crooks & Liars had a great find which he posted today in time for Feingold himself to pick up on and mention during today’s hearings (video clip here). Here’s the crux of Greenwald’s post…
During his presidential campaign, Richard Nixon said that he would take full advantage of the new law-a promise that raised fears of a massive invasion of privacy. To calm those fears, the Administration last week issued what amounted to an official statement on the subject.
In his first news conference since becoming the President’s chief legal officer, Attorney General John N. Mitchell pointedly announced that the incidence of wiretapping by federal law enforcement agencies had gone down, not up, during the first six months of Republican rule. Mitchell refused to disclose any figures, but he indicated that the number was far lower than most people might think. “Any citizen of this United States who is not involved in some illegal activity,” he added, “has nothing to fear whatsoever.”
Because all of this was before FISA, the Nixon Administration was able to exercise their eavesdropping powers on Americans in secret, without any oversight of any kind — just like the Bush Administration has been doing even in the face of FISA. We all know how well that worked out. It was the shocking abuses of those powers by not just the Nixon Administration, but by the Kennedy and Johnson Justice Departments as well — all which were revealed only as part of the Church Committee’s investigation — that led to the enactment of FISA, since the country no longer trusted political officials to exercise eavesdropping powers on Americans in secret and with no oversight.
I had the hearings on while I was working but couldn’t focus, wound up turning to music instead.
David, thanks for putting these up for us.
I have to say, right now I don’t have a lot of hope that anything will come of it. Still, it’ll be nice to see who goes on the record supporting censure, and who doesn’t.
In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. ~Mark Twain
Excellent opening statement.
Problem is, only people who are WILLING TO THINK are going to get anything from it. People need to understand, these Pugs in office (and some Dems as well) don’t want to "govern" and don’t want to "protect America and the Constitution", they want to get paid.. period. Shrubby and the Repukes are making Corps the richest they’ve been since the 60s. They are putting religion front and center in politics (against the intentions of the Framers). They are giving the rich elite the perks/control they want, and the representitives are being paid VERY WELL for it. Those that aren’t getting rich are seemingly just intellectual gnats following blindly down the partisan path. Logic and reason don’t factor into it for them.
Shrubby has violated more laws than any other pResident we’ve had. He’s sparked up an illegal invasion of a country, let that disaster continue to kill troops and profit his buddies. He’s pissed away a surplus with shitty policies. He’s allowed for BILLIONS of dollars to "go missing" and won’t investigate. His minions are GUILTY of all kinds of crimes, yet are still sitting in office making policy. He LIED to Congress and the American public on SEVERAL occasions..
History will look back at us and wonder what the hell happened to us. This prick and all his goons should be IMPEACHED and PUT IN PRISON, period. The public sitting idly by while this happens is both scary and disgusting. No one wants to talk about it, no one wants to deal with it. How far we’ve fallen, how unworthy of our freedom we are when we sit back and do nothing while our entire system is hijacked by 2% of our population.
Pay attention people! Watch the news, see who’s making the calls.. see who’s in bed with whom in all these dealings. If we survive the pissing off of Iran and other Middle East countries that we’re shoving our foot up their asses, we need to track them down and hold them accountable.
"History will look back at us and wonder what the hell happened to us. This prick and all his goons should be IMPEACHED and PUT IN PRISON, period. The public sitting idly by while this happens is both scary and disgusting. No one wants to talk about it, no one wants to deal with it. How far we’ve fallen, how unworthy of our freedom we are when we sit back and do nothing while our entire system is hijacked by 2% of our population."
Nothing’s gonna change unless the american people mobilize against this criminal regime.
I’ve been thinking about The Draft lately. Thinking that if Americans were subject to it NOW, that our peace marches would become the vast-sea-of-people events they ought to be.
At peace rallies, I see many different kinds of people, but I’m always surprised by how many WWII generation folks turn out. But it seems to me that every American with a draft-age son or daughter (or soon to be draft-age) would be FAR MORE LIKELY to speak out against these lying motherfuckers and demand accountability for their filthy, murderous lies.
And it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, this might be the BEST rationale to bring back the draft.
Something I’ve wondered through all of this, and I think we seriously need to consider the question:
If Congress votes to censure Bush, does it increase, or decrease, our chances to get him impeached?
I want this dictator gone, before he does anymore damage. A slap on the wrist is a start, but it’s nowhere near enough.
Neither the censure resolution or any impeachment effort will succeed while the Republicans control Congress. But I don’t think either hurts the other.
The publicity is welcome. It strengthens the resolve of us "6 or 7" who know Bush cheated twice to win, and also that he lied repeatedly with respect to Iraq (the date it was first agreed upon, the motives that drove it, its costs, and its prospects for success), prisoner abuse, illegal spying (and who is being spied on), the outing of Valerie Plame, Halliburton’s involvement, and about 9/11.
That’s enough for me, at least for now.
I watched most of the hearings, and have to say
thank you to Sen. Fiengold, and a big thank you
to Mr. Dean. Now, for a take away, will someone
go and check if old Orrin or Lindsay & Specter
have their knee pads on. They ask a question, and
then they keep interupting Mr. Dean. All I can say
is we have to take back the house, and senate, &
then go to town. Thank you.
IF there is a fair vote, we will regain our democracy, and we will chase these guys down to the ends of the earth and hold them accountable.
If Diebold is involved in the election, kiss our democracy (what is left of it) goodbye.
1/2 this country is still in denial or does’t know or care about the truth. We have to keep the patriot fire going here at Bradblog until the rest hitch a ride in desperation!
Nice video tribute to Russ:
"My Tribute To Senator Russ Feingold- I NEED A HERO!!!
Been working on this today and could use some input as to what to do at the end of the flash…
Warning, it may take a second to load, but I think you will like it….I NEED A HERO
If anyone has some more images of him, I would appreciate it.. These are all I could find…..
Thank You Russ For Doing The Right Thing……..
http://www.democraticunderground.com/
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/article.php?sid=25490&mode=&order=0
Sen. Russell Feingold: ‘Myth vs. Reality on Bush’s warrantless wiretapping program: A fact check on a presidential crime’Posted on Friday, March 31 @ 10:15:19 EST Sen. Russell Feingold
Myth: Congress needs to hold hearings on the NSA wiretapping program before a measure like censure is discussed.
Fact: The Senate Judiciary Committee has held multiple hearings on the issue despite the refusal of the administration to cooperate.
Further hearings and investigation are necessary but those hearings will not change the fact that the President broke the law.
Congress has held multiple hearings on the wiretapping program and the administration has not been forthcoming with information about the program. The Senate Judiciary Committee has held three hearings on the issue — on February 6th, February 28th, and March 28th, 2006. The administration has provided only one official to testify before the Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on February 6th. Under questioning, the Attorney General could not cite a single example of a President, other than George W. Bush, who has authorized wiretapping on American soil outside of FISA since FISA was enacted. Nor could he cite a single court decision — let alone a Supreme Court decision — that holds that the President has the authority to bypass FISA and authorize warrantless wiretaps. Congress does need to hold more hearings to better understand the facts of how the program is conducted but it does not need any more hearings to know that the President broke the law.
Myth: The Senate Intelligence Committee is performing oversight of the warrantless wiretapping program, and that is sufficient.
Fact: The Senate Intelligence Committee has abdicated its duty to be a check on the executive by refusing to fully investigate the program….
Great!!!!! Loved it, and will be so happy when he is our next President!!!
Feingold better watch his plane doesn’t go down, ala Paul Wellstone.
#4
If censure is voted on and doesn’t pass, it only adds momentum the impeachment train. I suspect Feingold knows this, and that is why he started with this step instead of jumping straight to impeachment. Neither would pass, but the motion to censure reveals a Republican congress that fails to check presidential power, giving more incentive to vote a Democratic majority and move on with impeachment. If I thought for a minute that censure would be passed and that would be the end of it, I’d be flippin mad at Feingold. I trust he knows what he’s doing.
Go, Russ, Go!!! Show these fools up for what they really are which is COMPLICIT! Anyone defending this president without calling for a full investigation into this BS program IS! I particularly liked Hatch’s characterizing ‘some’ of the arguments as ridiculous without saying which ones. I didn’t see anything ridiculous in ANY of the arguments except maybe the one that the president has inherent authority to keep everything secret, even from Congress. How is that not a dictatorship?
Bruce Fein finally made the constitutional argument that Congress has the power to regulate government but I still don’t know why nobody says that AMENDMENTS supercede inherent power. It’s like the Bill of Rights doesnt even exist anymore.
Russ You Da Man ! ! !
I’m looking forward to Easter cause maybe some kids will find the other democratic polls balls.. .. .. .. ..
Russ is exercising the only option that is open to him, since he’s a member of the Senate. Any impeachment proceedings must begin in the House. If the House votes to impeach then the Senate tries the case. That’s why we need to have free and fair elections this fall and retake BOTH chambers. Of course the bad guys are well aware of this, so we can expect them to bar no holds this fall. Which is why Brad’s seemingly tireless and tenacious labors are so important. Keep up the fine work, Brad, and thank you!