Statement of Senator Russ Feingold:'Under this theory-we have a monarchy'

[kpete]

Feingold to Judiciary Committee: 'Under this theory... we have a monarchy'

RAW STORY
Published: Friday March 31, 2006

Statement of Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) to Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing On the Call to Censure the President:

Mr. Chairman, first, thank you for scheduling this hearing. I know you recognize that this is a serious issue, and I thank you for treating it as such. I want to welcome and thank our witnesses, some of whom – Mr. Fein, and Professor Turner -- were with us just a few weeks ago, and one of whom -- Mr. Dean -- last appeared before a congressional committee in 1974. I am grateful for your participation, particularly given the short notice that you were given of this hearing.

There is a time-honored way for matters to be considered in the Senate. Bills and resolutions are introduced, they are analyzed in the relevant committee through hearings, they are debated and amended and voted on in committee, and then they are debated on the floor. We have now started that process on this very important matter, and I look forward to seeing it through to a conclusion.

Mr. Chairman, I have looked closely at the statements you have made about the NSA program since the story broke in December. We have a disagreement about some things, but I am pleased to say we are in agreement on several others. We agree that the NSA program is inconsistent with FISA. We agree that the Authorization for Use of Military Force did not grant the President authority to engage in warrantless wiretapping of Americans on U.S. soil. We agree that the President was and remains required under the National Security Act of 1947 to inform the full Intelligence Committees of the NSA program, which he refuses to do.
...........
If Congress doesn’t have the power to define the contours of the President’s Article II powers through legislation, then I have no idea why people are scrambling to draft legislation to authorize what they think the President is doing. If the President’s legal theory, which is shared by some of our witnesses today, is correct, then FISA is a dead letter, all of the supposed protections for civil liberties contained in the reauthorization of the Patriot Act that we just passed are a cruel hoax, and any future legislation we might pass regarding surveillance or national security is a waste of time and a charade. Under this theory, we no longer have a constitutional system consisting of three co-equal branches of government, we have a monarchy.

more at:
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Feingold_to_Judiciary_Committee__We_0331.html

[kpete]

1. Testimony of John Dean on censure

Testimony of John Dean on censure

RAW STORY
Published: Friday March 31, 2006

Testimony of John W. Dean before the Senate Judiciary Committee Regarding Senator Feingold’s Proposed Senate Resolution 398 Relating To the Censure of George W. Bush March 31, 2006
more at:
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Testimony_of_John_Dean_on_censure_0331.html

[AuntiBush]

27. Was Never So Proud of Mr. Dean as I was Today!

Now, that's another man of honor and true patriotism for his country. Dean, Fein, Feingold and the few others articulated like the kind of statesmen leaders we "use" to have running our country pre Nov. 2000.

Thank you for the transcript links, kpete.

[kpete]

2. Statement of Bruce Fein, Deputy Attorney General to Ronald Reagan

Statement of Bruce Fein, Deputy Attorney General to Ronald Reagan

RAW STORY
Published: Friday March 31, 2006

Statement of Bruce Fein Before the Senate Judiciary Committee Re: S.Res. 398 Relating to the Censure of George W. Bush

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: I am grateful for the opportunity to express my support for Senate Resolution 398. It would censure President George W. Bush for seeking to cripple the Constitution’s checks and balances and political accountability by secretly authorizing the National Security Agency to spy on American citizens in the United States in contravention of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and misleading the public about the secret surveillance program.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Statement_of_Bruce_Fein_Deputy_Attorney_0331.html

[Jack Rabbit]

3. An excellent and acurate statement

There is nothing wrong with censure, but we must remember it is not too harsh, as some say, but really too mild. Mr. Bush's acts are impeachable, and that should be the ultimate goal.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. itmfa

[Jack Rabbit]

7. I should clarify: impeachment is the ultimate goal of Congress

Impeachment of Bush and Cheney is the ultimate goal of Congress.

For the rest of us, we must also seek to make certain that they and a myriad of other junta officials are tired, convicted and punished for war crimes and crimes against humanity after being forced from power.

[glitch]

10. We're going to have to get Switzerland, or the Caymans to open up their

bank accounts too. All that fraud and profiteering needs to be refunded.

A lot of tedious clean up ahead.

[AuntiBush]

31. Hope all of you are right...

looking for some form of positive light at the end of this nightmarish tunnel (2000-2006)

[glitch]

48. We can make it so. First {{{visualize}}} then spread the righteous anger.

To everyone, your politicians, newspapers etc., friends, family.

And what about city attorneys, district attorneys and state attorneys? I would imagine this level of corruption has hit every jurisdiction.

[midnight]

42. Hi glitch

I know that under this pResident we have had the biggest heist in the federal reserve bank,New York,and there is not a paper trail to speak of. Perhaps, it is sitting in the Caymans,or Switzerland. But I agree this is going to be tedious clean up.

[glitch]

49. Hmm. Good point about the federal reserve.

Hopefully smarter people than me are on the case.

[midnight]

44. Ok.

What should come first the impeachment or the conviction of the other junta officials? I myself would prefer to have the impeachment of B&C ,and then the rest of the carnival act has got to go. But I am flexible.

[Canuckistanian]

34. Impeach The Mother-F****** Already?

I acutally had to figure that out for a while....

http://www.impeachthemotherfuckeralready.com/

C'mon in, the water ain't deep...

[AuntiBush]

28. This Said it all:

Feingold to Judiciary Committee: 'Under this theory... we have a monarchy'

[stray cat]

5. We might as well disband congress and the senate

If they do not believe in their constitutional mandate as a separate branch of government and want to abdicate their role to a king - they serve no useful purpose and should be disbanded. They are only a waste of taxpayers money.

[kestrel91316]

6. Under this theory, we have a DICTATORSHIP. And Congress need

not disband. They are doing a fine job of going along with Der Fuhrer, and I mean BOTH PARTIES.

[autorank]

32. Congress is an arm of the dictatorship!!!

Thanks, I'd struggled with exactly what their role is. Every organization has a marketing division. Congress is Marketing for the Dictatorship. They provide the illusion of a check and balance, when in fact they're just out of balance. I wish someone there would just stand up and say this.

[novalib]

8. This is Why

I like that guy (Sen. Feingold).

[AuntiBush]

33. Really!

Gore/Feingold

Hell, Feingold/Gore!

[texpatriot2004]

9. Russ is right. Well said. nm

[earth mom]

11. I've been thinking this for awhile now.

Glad that Feingold put it out in the open.

:grr:

[Pacifist Patriot]

12. I love Russ Feingold, but prefer more precise language...

A monarchy is an autocracy governed by a monarch who usually inherits the authority.

An oligarchy is a political system governed by a few people, especially by a small faction of persons or families.

A dictatorship is a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator--not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition

I maintain we are living in an oligarchical dictatorship or a dictatorial oligarchy, NOT a monarchy.

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Feingold_to_Judiciary_Committee__We_0331.html

[htuttle]

14. Russ, while a Rhodes Scholar himself who certainly knows the difference,

....generally tries to use words most people understand. :)

[Pacifist Patriot]

15. Yes, I know that. I am in no way denigrating Feingold's intelligence.

On the other hand, I suspect most people would understand the word dictatorship. We've had more problems with those lately than with monarchies. ;)

[kiteinthewind]

24. . n/t

[electropop]

16. Could additionally be a monarchy,

Because Bush did inherit the job from his Daddy.

[CJCRANE]

21. But * did inherit the presidency

off his father, he certainly wasn't elected.

[Pacifist Patriot]

23. I too believe he was not elected, but neither was it an inheritance.

[sheelz]

36. It could be said that Bush inherited the authority from

SCOTUS, eh?

[Tigress DEM]

39. Daddy was President before W....

and then there is the whole "God" is talking to W bit.

Many monarchs claimed to be appointed by dieties to their positons, thus at times avoiding the inopportune event of not being born into one's correct station.

Maybe Russ is more correctly referring to GW's delusional monarchy - since we are still processing some checks if not all balances.

[mzmolly]

13. This is an historic statement:

"If Congress doesn’t have the power to define the contours of the President’s Article II powers through legislation, then I have no idea why people are scrambling to draft legislation to authorize what they think the President is doing. If the President’s legal theory, which is shared by some of our witnesses today, is correct, then FISA is a dead letter, all of the supposed protections for civil liberties contained in the reauthorization of the Patriot Act that we just passed are a cruel hoax, and any future legislation we might pass regarding surveillance or national security is a waste of time and a charade. Under this theory, we no longer have a constitutional system consisting of three co-equal branches of government, we have a monarchy."

[EVDebs]

18. More accurately, martial law under an updated Huston Plan

as the Nixonian republicans envisioned for us.

[Tigress DEM]

38. Message to Russ:

Thank you so much for speaking the plain and simple truths about the illegal actions of George W Bush who it seems has not found a law he can not rise above with those imortal words of R. Nixon, "But when the President does it, it is legal." Sigh.

[moondust]

19. This is great.

By extension, why would ANY Congress waste their time discussing and passing FISA, etc.? Nixon committed his crimes "in time of war" yet Congress later passed FISA to prevent such abuses. Didn't they know that Nixon had unlimited powers? Why did Congress revise parts of FISA after 9/11? Didn't they know that King George had unlimited powers?

I think I know why. Because the "unlimited powers" claim is nonsense. Otherwise they would have been used hundreds of times in U.S. history--whenever the U.S. was engaged in any kind of armed conflict. And I'm sure some Presidents would have purposely started an armed conflict just so they could have these unlimited powers (something Bushco may also be guilty of). Did Reagan have unlimited powers during the invasion of Grenada? Did Clinton have unlimited powers during the bombing of Serbia? Why didn't they use them or at least make it known that they had such powers?

[Tigress DEM]

40. But before W - no pRes had the ability to leap Congress...

with a single billionaire, three offshore corporations, two secret national alliances and all the oil in Iraq. :sarcasm:

Besides, GW is like Madonna. He has been re-virginized and as long as he refrains from all sexual activity while in the oval office, his purity will keep his unlimited powers intact much as Sampson's hair did before Delilah did him in. :patriot:


:spray:

[EVDebs]

47. All stems from Nixon's plan to seize Saudi oil fields....

Which was only disclosed by British sources recently...

British spies warned of U.S. plans to invade Arab states
Friday, January 2, 2004
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/01/01/britain.nixon.ap/index.html

This plan was undoubtedly behind the Iraq war-planning and Cheney's secret 'energy plan'. Note that at JudicialWatch's website you can access maps of the Iraqi oil fields, which surprisingly match the Quaker's website showing the '14 enduring bases'. Those permanent bases are behind the insurgency in Iraq thriving, since they are used to justify attacks on the US troops there, seen as permanent occupiers.

Did they just tweak the old '73 plans and switch them to read 'Iraq' ? Sure looks that way. We're operating on planning that is over 30 years behind the curve. No wonder things are such a messy quagmire.

[katty]

17. he's right, the Bush Family have always considered themselves

America's Royal family.

[realFedUp]

20. What happens now?

Clearly the Republicans on the committee don't
want it to go further but will it go to the
full Senate as it should?

If not censure, what?
If not now, when?

[Imagevision]

22. Without checks and balances we don't have beans!!

[kiteinthewind]

25. Go, Russ!!!!

:loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :patriot:
:yourock:

[AuntiBush]

26. So Proud of Feingold, Dean and the others

for standing-up for our Constitution! Sent an email to Feingold, and called last week to thank him and give him support.

Now, where are my Senators I called and emailed asking them to do the same, darn-it!?!

[vanboggie]

35. I emailed Feingold and Specter

The latter probably put me on the fast track to Halliburton's happy camps. I have the utmost admiration for Senator Feingold. Specter and the rest of those neo-con criminals on the committee will (I hope) go down in history as the traitorous bastards they are.

[Dickster]

29. Feingold is da bomb

After watching him tonight on the rerun on cspan, he was the most articulate, clear headed Senator. We need to get him to run for PRESIDENT!

[autorank]

30. Feingold did us all a favor today. Specter did no favor for the WH...

...even if he and the WH thought they were being cute, which I think they did.

The fact that there is a hearing on Censure is enough to put the question out there. It's rejection won't blunt a move to impeachment, it will creat a greater demand. The subject has been broached by Congress, it can't be hidden any longer.

Watch and see if AOL or MSNBC do polls on this question. If so, it will be about 70-30% in favor of Russ. If not, well, that would be telling.

We're on the road. Feingold is very smart, poised, and clever enough by a large degree, to avoid the histrionics of the pathetic Lindsay Graham (taking back room orders during session from the WH) and the oh so clever man of the "magic bullet" theory, Arlen Specter (former counsel to the Warren Commission).

[upi402]

37. Wonderful to see.

:patriot:

[druidity33]

41. why doesn't someone...

that knows they've been spied upon just sue the President for defamation of character or invasion of privacy? Fein kinda hints at it in his statement... though he does explain it would be difficult.

"...President Bush has evaded judicial review of the legality of the NSA’s warrantless surveillance program by refusing to use its fruits in seeking FISA warrants or in criminal prosecutions. Pending private suits are problematic because of difficult standing questions."

Let's answer those "difficult standing questions" and see if we can push the door open, shall we?

[midnight]

43. How does one get that info.?

How does one go about to prove they were spied on if it is being done secretly. You just can't say my phone is tapping?

[druidity33]

46. I thought we already knew

They were tapping peace groups like Merton, Code Pink, and Quakers, etc. Can we not subpoena the records if we know they exist? Isn't that what is already being done to some extent by the ACLU and their FOIA requests?

[AndyA]

45. I just love Russ Feingold - I really do

He is a brave man, who will do what he believes is right for the country, regardless of whether or not his peers support him. That takes courage, conviction, and ethics.

What a shame we have such an abusive President in office, when we could have a hero like Russ instead!

I believe Russ Feingold would make a great President, and I believe he would be able to start returning integrity to the White House, restore America's image in the world, and return our Constitution to the respect and control that it deserves.

I really love this man!