Kyl Falsely Claims Holder Doesn’t Support Pat. Act, Says He Shouldn’t Be AG If He’s Against Torture

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/09/kyl-holder-torture/

Kyl Falsely Claims Holder Doesn’t Support Patriot Act, Says He Shouldn’t Be AG If He’s Against Torture»


Conservatives, led by former Bush adviser Karl Rove, are hoping to use the upcoming confirmation hearing of Eric Holder, President-elect Obama’s nominee for Attorney General, to “lay down a marker” that will show they “they can remain relevant” after their electoral losses. Though GOP opposition is mainly focusing on Holder’s role in the pardon of Marc Rich, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ) claimed yesterday that Holder’s views on terrorism laws will be an issue too.

Speaking to right-wing radio host Hugh Hewitt, Kyl said that Holder had made “some very unfortunate statements about our interrogation” of terrorists, which made him think “he is not going to be supportive of the Patriot Act the FISA law.” Kyl claimed this may be reason to oppose his nomination:

KYL: I think Eric Holder will have some problems. He has not been able to stand up to his bosses in the past, President Clinton when he wanted to do pardons that I think Holder must have realized were big mistakes but he facilitated. And he’s also made some very unfortunate statements about our interrogation of prisoners, terrorists, and other things that lead me to believe that he is not going to be supportive of the Patriot Act, the FISA law, and others. And if he can’t be supportive of those laws, then he shouldn’t be Attorney General.

Listen at link~

Though it’s true that Holder has spoken out strongly against the excesses of the Bush administration, Kyl simply has his facts wrong about Holder’s position on the Patriot Act. In 2004, Holder told CNN that he doesn’t question “the need for the Patriot Act.” At the same time, Holder believes that enforcement of the law needs oversight:

HOLDER: I think in a lot of ways, the problem that I had with the enforcement of the act is that this administration said essentially trust us. We’re not going to involve judges, we’re not going to report to Congress on what we’re doing, and I think our history has shown us that we are best when we operate as people governed by the law as opposed to putting our trust in people and that’s the problem I have.

As for Holder’s views on FISA, he’s on the record opposing President Bush’s bypassing of the law, saying in June that he never thought he “would see that a President would act in direct defiance of Federal law by authorizing warentless NSA surveillance of American citizens.”

Apparently, Holder’s belief that “we are best when we operate as people governed by the law” is reason enough for Kyl to oppose Holder’s nomination to be the nation’s chief enforcer of the law.

[malaise]

1. John Dean is on KO discussing War Crimes and Misdeamors n/t

[babylonsister]

2. I just heard; makes more sense why the rethugs are going after

Holder with such great gusto, and lots of them are.

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. If the Republicans are so scared of Holder by false pretenses

then something is right about him that really scare them.

It gives me hope that Holder will make them accountable.

[babylonsister]

5. I totally agree. He's scaring them, because he means business.

I just hope they can't stop his confirmation.

[lonestarnot]

3. Bile Bag did pretty much make himself look like the ass that he is.

:rofl:

[tabatha]

6. Bush and Rice said the US does not torture.

[mmonk]

7. and Iraq had weapons of mass destruction

and was seeking yellow cake uranium from Africa and had gliders that could deliver toxins to our cities and they could strike us within 45 minutes of a given order (even though they had no air force or navy) and....

[babylonsister]

8. We also know they lied. Cheney said so. nt

[tabatha]

10. I should have added "sarcasm".

[spanone]

9. ....how can an american openly support torture?

[gratuitous]

11. They are indeed laying down a marker

And that marker is "Will the Democrats still crap themselves when we say boo"? Will they scuttle a perfectly decent candidate just because we throw a temper tantrum that would embarrass a three-year-old?

[alarimer]

12. He shouldn't be supporting the Patriot Acts and FISA.

No one who values the Constitution should be doing anything but trying to get those repealed.

[sakabatou]

13. So... I'm guessing Kyl is pro-torture then?

[noise]

14. It's hard to have an honest discussion

in relation to effective CT tactics because the GOP has pulled out all the stops to convince the public that police state tactics are required to prevent terrorist attacks. Anyone who researches 9/11 will realize that such a view is absurd. The intel officials who sold the public on illegal CT tactics were the very same officials who failed to follow standard procedure before 9/11. CIA withheld intel about al Qaeda operatives linked to the Cole attack. FBI officials falsely claimed the Gorelick wall prevented them from sharing intel with the Cole investigators. NSA failed to use FISA. And we know the Bush White House ignored all sorts of warnings.

Kyl has no business in US government since it appears he doesn't believe in his oath of office.