In what I interpret to be little more than an anti-impeachment initiative, the administration appears to have partially backed down on the NSA wiretapping dispute by announcing the restoration of FISA court oversight.
Update [2007-1-17 17:20:59 by BooMan]: From Senator Feingold’s office.
“For more than five years, the President has conducted an illegal program, including more than a year during which he publicly asserted that this violation of the law was absolutely essential to protecting the public from terrorists. I am pleased that the President has been forced to return to the law and that this program has been terminated. I continue to have many questions about what the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has decided and intend to scrutinize carefully how the Court has interpreted the FISA statute. In addition, while I welcome the decision to stop conducting surveillance without judicial approval, the President now needs to respond fully to legitimate congressional questions about the complete history of this now-terminated illegal program.”
Check out Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey’s diary on “The Bring Our Troops Home and Sovereignty of Iraq Restoration Act of 2007” over at dKos
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BAGHDAD (BBC News) Jan. 17 – One of Iraq’s most powerful Shia politicians has condemned the arrest of Iranians by US forces in Iraq as an attack on the country’s sovereignty.
The comments by Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, made in a BBC interview, are seen as the strongest expression yet of Iraq’s concern about the US approach to Iran. The remarks are interesting as Mr Hakim is seen as close to President Bush, says the BBC’s Andrew North in Baghdad.
President George W. Bush welcomes Sayyed Abdul-Aziz Al-Hakim, Leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, to the White House Monday, Dec. 4, 2006.≈ Cross-posted from my diary —
Russia Delivers Anti-aircraft Missile Systems to Iran ≈
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."the most. Was it the time he beat my lunch money out of me and told me I was fat and didn’t need lunch when I cried or was it the time that he beat my lunch money out of me and then quickly slipped it into my hand on his way out of class going to the bathroom as the teacher walked into class :(? If only I could get close enough to kick him in the balls.
Pray (or think good thoughts) for Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake, who is about to undergo another cancer operation.
Heart-wrenching. That’s one of the worst news anyone can receive.
Our prayers go out to Jane and her family.
I read that last night. I certainly wish her the best of recovery and hope that soon we will be seeing her back into action. I read her dialy on firedoglake last night. She sure does seem very optimistic about it all….I hope she is corect! Lots of love and luck, Jane….hugs
good luck with that, given that this particular indescretion was ruled unconstitutional in August 2006.
I don’t think there’s a Staute of Limitation on High Crimes and Misdemeanors.
ITMFA
John McCain: The truth.
Not to worry Dada, up here in Vermont, the Impeachment train is winding on from town to town before making it’s way to Washington. 5 towns voted in early 2006 got the ball rolling…and the project was emboldened by mid terms in November.
Remind ya, Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders are our very own.
I’m loving Sen Sanders. Are one of you techies going to set up an e-mail for him, or is he not going in that direction? If not, I’ll just have to think good, strong, independent thoughts and send them his way.
Hey, I’d do it if I was asked, but somehow I got the idea that an email address was one of the perqs of being a Senator. They all seem to use the same form and most of the same categories (the ones I’ve looked at, anyway).
these fuckers are in office worries me.
I got Salazar and Allard…nuff said
John McCain: The truth.
What…it’s a good sign that Bush claims to be obeying the law now? How do we know that he’s obeying FISA now? How do we know what other laws he’s breaking. And, if he could break FISA laws based on the unitary executive theory, which he hasn’t disavowed, then what’s to stop him from doing it again anytime he wants? Should we feel better that Bush can open our mail, obtain our financial information, throw us in jaili without habeas, but he’s now going to obey FISA?
All this means is that there was no reason for him to disobey FISA in the first place. And this is just a PR move.
I hope you guys are watching cspan2 right now, byrd is speaking and there is a big fight going on with Reps. holding up the eithics bill to get a line item veto attached to it…Byrd has objected!!!!!!!