Laura Bush says illegal domestic spying A-OK, Republican senator disagrees

Grimmlok · January 16th, 2006, 11:21 AM

Quote:

By DEB RIECHMANN
The Associated Press
Sunday, January 15, 2006; 2:28 PM

ACCRA, Ghana -- First lady Laura Bush said Sunday that the U.S. government is right to eavesdrop on Americans with suspected ties to terrorists, but a top Senate Republican joined a chorus of lawmakers who think domestic spying is on shaky legal ground.

"I think the American people expect the United States government and the president to do what they can to make sure there's not an attack by foreign terrorists," Mrs. Bush said just before landing here to begin a four-day stay in West Africa.

President Bush is concerned that media disclosure of the program will cripple work to foil terrorists, she said. "I think he was worried that it would undermine our efforts by alerting terrorists to what our efforts are," Mrs. Bush said.

Bush's secret order gave the National Security Agency permission to listen in on international phone calls and peek at e-mails between Americans and suspected terrorists.

Administration officials claim a congressional resolution passed after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 _ a resolution that authorized him to use force in the fight against terrorism _ gave the president the authority to order the program.

"I thought they were wrong," Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said on ABC's "This Week."

Specter is one of several Republicans and Democrats who are questioning the administration's authority to engage in domestic spying without court warrants. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has agreed to testify at hearings next month before the Judiciary Committee, which Specter chairs.

Committee members, including GOP Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas, have expressed doubt about Bush's legal argument for the program.

"We're not going to give him a blank check, and just because we're of the same party doesn't mean we're not going to look at this very closely," Specter said. "And I moved immediately when the matter was disclosed to say that I would use my authority as chairman of the Judiciary Committee to have hearings, and we're going to pursue it."

Speaking on CBS' "Face the Nation," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said she too does not think Bush had the legal authority to order the program. She lamented the administration's decision to bypass checks and balances provided by the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Under the act, the attorney general can authorize a warrantless wiretap for up to 72 hours. But he must give the presiding judge of an 11-member FISA court a head's up and justify the surveillance later. If the attorney general fails to do so, the court has discretion to notify the target of the surveillance.

"If you're going to wiretap Americans, if you may wiretap whomever an American might call, if you're going to put that information in a database _ and I said if, because we don't exactly know what happened _ follow the law, and do it legally," Feinstein said.

Oh Laura, Laura Laura.. you make a perfect smiling Eva Braun even when you support your husband in breaking the law in a way that affects millions of your subjects.

Glasgow53 · January 16th, 2006, 11:26 AM

More examples of Bush knowing what is best for all of us. Sorry, he is not that smart. I never let frat boys make decisions for me back in college, and I certainly don't want to, now. At some point there were politicians who thouight it wasn't good for this country for women to vote or for blacks to be free.

buttmunch · January 17th, 2006, 04:57 AM

I'm sorry, but when did anything this Stepford wife say become important? When did she of the frozen face become an elected official? Or a constitutional lawyer? As far as I can tell, she's just some nitwit who married up/down, depending on your point of view.

**Mr. Authority** · January 17th, 2006, 05:46 AM

Quote:

I'm sorry, but when did anything this Stepford wife say become important? When did she of the frozen face become an elected official? Or a constitutional lawyer? As far as I can tell, she's just some nitwit who married up/down, depending on your point of view.

I thik whatever Laura says is what Bush wanted her to say. She obviously does'nt have a mind of her own so she's simply a speaker box for her husband when he wants his "message" to be more "family-oreinted".

buttmunch · January 17th, 2006, 06:57 AM

Yeah, yeah, I know but she really annoys the crap out of me. Shut up Laura!!

Grimmlok · January 17th, 2006, 09:10 AM

"*click whirr* breaking the law is ok, as long as its to protect americans *click click clunk* there's no culture of corruption in the GOP *whirrr click click* 9/11 *click* 9/11 *click* 9/11* click* 9/11...."

buttmunch · January 17th, 2006, 11:09 AM

hehehehhee...nice one, Grimm....I plan on stealing your 'click, whirs'

Glasgow53 · January 17th, 2006, 01:47 PM

She is supposed to be a librarian? Did she read any of the books in the library? How could she be married to such a chucklehead?

ourmaninBusan · January 17th, 2006, 01:58 PM

More quotes from the current first lady...

Quote:

I'm not the one who was elected. [Although she disagreed on her husband on a lot of issues, she emphasized] I would never do anything to undermine my husband's point of view.

The President of the United States of America is more than a man, or a woman as I hope the case will sometime be. The President is the most visible symbol of our country, of its heart and its values and its leadership in the world.

But of course, neither of those can compare with the infamous
"beautiful-mind" quote of Barbara Bush's.

Quote:

"Why should we hear about body bags and deaths? It's not relevant.
So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?"

verified by snopes

I bet W feels exactly the same way, Grandma Bush.

AliceInWonderland · January 17th, 2006, 02:04 PM

Laura Bush is an unemployed moron; we shouldn't even be publishing or acknowledging anything that comes outta her mouth...same w/ her husband from hell.

buttmunch · January 17th, 2006, 02:14 PM

Quote:

The President is the most visible symbol of our country, of its heart and its values and its leadership in the world.

He has no heart, he has no values and his brand of leadership is modelled on the dictators of the world.

Glasgow53 · January 17th, 2006, 02:23 PM

He is running scared. Desparate people do desparate things.

**Mr. Authority** · January 17th, 2006, 03:54 PM

To think that Laura is supposedly "smarter" than her dumb-ass counterpart of a husband. Put them toghther and there still would'nt be enough electrons to spark a thought in either of their numb brains.

buttmunch · January 18th, 2006, 03:16 AM

Quote:

To think that Laura is supposedly "smarter" than her dumb-ass counterpart of a husband. Put them toghther and there still would'nt be enough electrons to spark a thought in either of their numb brains.