Former Bush advisor defends White House spying powers (AFP)

[Up2Late]

(Another guy who needs to go to Federal Prison with A.G. Gonzales)

Former Bush advisor defends White House spying powers

23/02/2006 07h43

WASHINGTON (AFP) - A controversial constitutional expert defended the White House's powers to authorize warrantless spying on Americans. Korean-American legal expert John Yoo said that fighting Al-Qaeda type stateless terrorist networks justified an expansive view of presidential powers, including bypassing a special court which regulates domestic surveillance by the National Security Agency.

"We are confronting a new kind of enemy," Yoo said, speaking at the conservative Heritage Foundation. "The war on terror is in many respects a war of information," he said, referring to the spying program.

Yoo, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley School of Law, was the Deputy Assistant US Attorney General who co-authored the infamous August 1, 2002 "Torture Memo," a legal justification of President George W. Bush's authorization of treatment of war on terror detainees at odds with statutes and treaties prohibiting torture.

The memo, and other Yoo views on strong presidential power, have been embraced by the White House but objected by many members of Congress, constitutional scholars and civil rights groups.

(more at link below)

<http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/060223074347.80zpnlwp.html>

[deacon]

1. How about all that visit this thread join me in a round of "Oh bullshit!"

OHHHHHHHHHHHHH BULLSHIT!

[Bassic]

5. OHHHHHHHHHHHHH BULLSHIT!

OHHHHHHHHHHHHH BULLSHIT!


No doubt about it.

[underpants]

9. OHHHHHHHHHHHHH BULLSHIT!

See post #8 too

[Just Me]

12. Total BULLSHIT!!! This guy should be called an "anti-constitutional,....

,...expert".

Why isn't this wacko ridiculed for advocating absolute power to the executive, a position which on its face IS anti-constitutional and anti-democracy? He's a freakin' extremist nutcase!!!

[Mithras61]

13. OHHHHHHHHHHHHH BULLSHIT!

John Yoo is such a tool! He's been involved in almost every single WH contitutional violation since * stole office!

[Up2Late]

14. I usually just say...

...F*ck Y*u John Yoo!!!!!!!!!!!!

He went on NPR's Morning Addition this morning too, he's pushing a NEW BOOK! :mad:

[chelsea0011]

2. Yoo is a smart guy, but where did the idea of terrorism being a new

kind of enemy? Terrorism is not new and nor is it all al Qaeda all the time. In this country alone we have in the past 40 years had the Weatherman, SLA, fundies blowing up doctor clinics and killing doctors at their homes, anti- federal factions taking down buildings, and eco-terrorism. And just think of worldwide terrorism in the past 40 years unrelated to al Qaeda. The only difference I see is a larger group, better funded, and maybe better organized but the last is certainly debatable. I for one don't believe Oklahoma was the work of three people anymore than I think the abortion clinic bombings are the work of just a small few.

[ET Awful]

3. Sorry Yoo, but You are full of feces.

I'm surprised they let fascists teach at UC Berkeley. Berkeley tends to respect Constitutional rights more than that.

[underpants]

8. Yoo is the one and only lawyer they could find at DoJ to support this

I heard him mentioned on NPR just last week. Basically he is a one man Office of Special Plans-they run things through him (HERE sign off on this) he does and they claim it was okayed by DoJ.

Same old same old.

[jimshoes]

4. John "I'll crush your balls" Yoo

No surprise there. He's the creep that said it would be acceptable to crush the testicles of a suspect's son in front of him to extract information. That is some twisted, sick shit if you ask me.

[auburngrad82]

6. The interesting thing about this is he studied British kings to make his

decision that Bush should have unlimited powers during times of war. Do neocons not know the difference between a Democracy and a Monarchy? These people just piss me off...



Liberal bumper stickers

[Zynx]

7. Mr. Yoo, kiss my ass.

Maybe I'll just have to stay in your house at all hours of the day to make sure you're not up to anything fishy. After all, if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear. ;-)

[Roland99]

10. John Yoo? And the reason anyone in the media pays attention to him is????

This guy is 100% clinically insane.

He makes the people like Cheney, Rumsfeld, Kristol, Wolfowitz, etc. seem calm and even-handed by comparison.

[jayfish]

11. So Let Me Get This Straight.

Terra is so, well... terrible, that we need to let the government surveil US citizens sans warrant but not nearly bad enough to require even a shred of oversight in turning major port operations over to a state-owned, multi-national company. The state being one that does not recognize the existence of Israel, supports the Tali-ban and was the point of origin for two of the 9/11 hijackers. How does that make any sense again?

Jay