Gonzales May Testify Again On Warrantless Surveillance

[JABBS]

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ written answers to questions about the Bush administration’s eavesdropping program may require him to testify a second time before the Senate Judiciary Committee, contends Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA).

"There is a suggestion in his letter there are other classified intelligence programs that are currently under way," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter told reporters.

Gonzales disagreed.

"In all of my testimony at the hearing I addressed -- with limited exceptions -- only the legal underpinnings of the Terrorist Surveillance Program," Gonzales wrote last week, using the administration's Orwellian terminology for the program.

At the same time, there's no indication Gonzales tried to address the administration's illogical position of simultaneously suggesting warrantless surveillance is legal, and supporting legislation to make the program legal.

Ironically, Specter is one of three Republicans who plans to propose such legislation, which suggests he believes warrantless surveillance is illegal, in spite of Gonzales' testimony.

***

Meanwhile, the Senate Intelligence Committee is slated to vote today, in a closed session, on whether it will investigate the president's warrantless surveillance program.

With eight Republicans and seven Democrats on the committee, it'll take the defection of one Republican to make an investigation happen. The best bets: Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, and Olympia Snowe of Maine.

The Republican leadership, headed by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN), helped postponed a scheduled Feb. 16 vote. They're praying hard that no Republican committee members join the Democrats.

***

This item first appeared at JABBS.

[HuffleClaw]

1. but NOT under oath of course ?

iirc, the last time he wasn't under oath, so the whole event was pointless.