GOP Leaders Back Bush on Wiretapping, Tribunals

[Rose Siding]

Thursday, September 14, 2006; Page A13

Congress's Republican leadership yesterday threw its weight behind two of President Bush's most controversial national security programs, warrantless wiretapping and extrajudicial military tribunals.

But the party leaders are having trouble getting all their members on board, including the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. And by backing the president's legislative demands, the leadership risks being labeled by Democrats as a rubber stamp for an unpopular president.
...
At the same time, the House Armed Services Committee voted 52 to 8 to ratify the White House's version of legislation creating military commissions for trying terrorism suspects. The measure would give Bush the authority he seeks to withhold classified evidence from defendants, admit testimony that defendants might maintain was coerced, and protect U.S. intelligence agents from legal action over their interrogation methods. House Republican leaders plan to bring the tribunal bill to a vote next week.

Committee action and the scheduling of floor time represented tangible progress for the administration and turned what had been essentially a heated policy debate into a legislative showdown. But if GOP leaders intended to use the bills to distinguish Republicans from Democrats on the conduct of the fight against terrorism, they had their share of problems.
...
Director of National Intelligence John D. Negroponte, in an unusual conference call with reporters yesterday evening to express opposition to the dissident Senate bill, said the CIA had told him that, if that bill passes, the agency will not be able to continue its "high-value terrorist detention program."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/12/AR2006091201252.html

[Freedom_from_Chains]

1. these must be the boys who aren't up for re-election. n/t

[rusty charly]

2. or have children in iraq:

can't wait to see them fight "extrajudicial military tribunals" for our boys any where overseas.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

3. I didn't think any of them had children in Iraq,

they're not that dumb.

[FloridaPat]

4. Add them to the list of traitors. How do we prosecute members of

congress for treason?

[IndianaGreen]

5. They are enablers of tyranny!

This is why we must vote every Republican out!

[antonialee839]

6. Gee, what a surprise.

[rodeodance]

7. hey Negroponte--I see you read the NSA talking point memo -and the

media reports it as your voice!!



......Director of National Intelligence John D. Negroponte, in an unusual conference call with reporters yesterday evening to express opposition to the dissident Senate bill, said the CIA had told him that, if that bill passes, the agency will not be able to continue its "high-value terrorist detention program."

[rodeodance]

9. NSA Is Asking Senate Intel Committee To Use WH VOICE In Wiretap Policy

.......Wed Sep-13-06 08:04 AM
Original message
NSA Is Asking Senate Intel Committee To Use WH VOICE In Wiretap Policy
Democrats Call NSA's Input To Senate Panel Inappropriate

By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 13, 2006; A07


On July 27, shortly after most members of the committee were briefed on the controversial surveillance program, the NSA supplied the panel's chairman, Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), with "a set of administration approved, unclassified talking points for the members to use," as described in the document.

Among the talking points were "subjective statements that appear intended to advance a particular policy view and present certain facts in the best possible light," Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) said in a letter to the NSA director.

The cleared statements included "I can say the program must continue" and "There is strict oversight in place . . . now including the full congressional intelligence committees," as well as "Current law is not agile enough to handle the threat posed by sophisticated international terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda" and "The FISA should be amended so that it is technologically neutral." FISA refers to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the current law.

Rockefeller and six Democrats on the panel wrote Lt. Gen. Keith B. Alexander, the NSA's director, on Aug. 29 that they believed those statements "appear intended to advocate particular policies rather than provide guidance on classification." The letter added: "We believe that it is inappropriate for the NSA to insert itself into this policy debate."

more at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

[bluerum]

8. Buck Fush. nt

[Straight Shooter]

10. Page A13? Where are your priorities, Washington Post?

This should be front page news.

Gawd. So-called liberal media. Yeah, right.

I hate this GOP-controlled Congress. They're grabbing every power they can so as to hamstring the Democrats as much as possible if we take over the reins. We'll be spending so much time undoing their damage, it will be hard to accomplish anything.

What country is this, anyway? It really doesn't resemble America very much anymore. x(