White House has agreed to changes in wiretapping law, senator says(Roberts

[sabra]

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0216Eavesdropping16-ON.html

White House has agreed to changes in wiretapping law, senator says

Associated Press


WASHINGTON - Senate Intelligence Chairman Pat Roberts said he has worked out an agreement with the White House to change U.S. law regarding the National Security Agency's warrantless surveillance program and provide more information about it to Congress.

"We are trying to get some movement, and we have a clear indication of that movement," Roberts, R-Kan., said.

Without offering specifics, Roberts said the agreement with the White House provides "a fix" to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and offers more briefings to the intelligence committee. advertisement

The deal comes as the committee was set to have a meeting Thursday about whether to open an investigation into the hotly disputed program. Roberts indicated the deal may eliminate the need for such an inquiry, which Democrats have been demanding.

[madaboutharry]

1. Roberts is a lacky.

His job is to protect the WH at all costs.

[louis-t]

2. Wait for the 'signing statement' from *

It will say he can ignore the law anytime he wants.

[LSparkle]

3. Yeah, they're getting movement .. a BOWEL movement,

straight from the White Haus.

Dems should NOT let this go -- this deserves a full investigation to ensure that, "fix" or not, IT DOES NOT CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.

[caledesi]

21. Dems: Full Investigation or walk the hell out.

Nixon would have served out his term if these thugs were running the show.

[Born Free]

49. Nixon would have served out his term if these thugs were running the show.

Yeah, he would have agreed to stop doing it and on the other side Clinton could have agreed not to get any more blow jobs. The only way to stop all this is to have an opposistion party that is willing to stand up together and insist they follow the "rule oflaw".

[WhiteTara]

43. and it's dribbling on us! n/t

[LynnTheDem]

4. Yes don't worry that bush committed a FELONY, we'll just change the law.

No worry!

[caledesi]

11. This is so disgusting. How can these thugs ever be held accountable

for anything?

I could :puke:

[NanceGreggs]

5. "Provides a fix?"

More aptly put: "The fix is in."

[sinkingfeeling]

6. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU CHANGE THE LAW NOW. BUSH

VIOLATED EXISTING LAWS AND THE U.S.CONSTITUTION!

[babylonsister]

8. And I sure would like to see him pay for those violations.nt

[Up2Late]

47. EGG-ZACK-LEE! If they are saying that they now need to change the LAW...

...That means that what they did was ILLEGAL!!!!!

[NoodleyAppendage]

7. Roberts is a TRAITOR.

Pat Roberts' head is so far up Bush's ass that he can't see that his actions are aiding the decline of our Democracy. I hate the fucker and wish upon him an untimely heart attack.

JB

[LSparkle]

13. His "memory pills" performance on MTP showed what a doddering

old fool he is. He wasn't making ANY sense -- Kansans should be ashamed of him (and boot him out the next time he's up).

[NoodleyAppendage]

18. The same Kansans who forced (un)intelligent design in science curricula?

I seriously doubt that the majority of his constituents really care about democratic ideals. They have proven themselves to be IGNORANT and bullheaded...

JB

[NoodleyAppendage]

19. Roberts is now on CNN saying that there will be no investigation.

Again, I truly hate the mutherfucker.

JB

[0007]

51. Then ya got guys like his next door pal in Nebraska, Ben Nelson.

I think Mad Cow has arrived in those two barn yard states.

[atreides1]

14. You're Assuming

That Senator Roberts actually cares about Democracy! Hell, we all assume that every member of Congress cares about Democracy, but with a few exceptions, I don't believe that to be true.

Most of them are just where they want to be, in power, and they don't want to share. For my own part I wish all those members of Congress who continue to support this administration and its never ending lust for blood, a slow and painful death.

[xxqqqzme]

9. well, now...isn't this a load of happy

horsesh*t. What pray tell was in FISA that needed fixing? other than raisin brain violated the law. Yea more disclosure - yea, sure we've heard that one B4 as well.

[Teaser]

10. I, for one, welcome our new fascist overlords.

nt

[SoCalDem]

12. Remember the furor during 2K

about "can't CHANGE law AFTER"...gotta go with the law you HAVE..?? Selective memory, these folks sure have..

And YET, they will get away with it..like they do everything..

[chaplainM]

15. Explain to me how it makes a difference

Mr. Bush asserts that laws passed by Congress do not apply to him. How is anything accomplished by amending a law that Mr. Bush ignores?

[European Socialist]

22. you got a point there! It might make a difference to intelligence ...

employees trying to obey the law--if they have integrity.

[Straight Shooter]

16. No doubt the "fix" will be that mitigating circumstances override warrants

Of course, for Little Boots, everything illegal will be deemed a "mitigating circumstance."

Oh. Wait. No. I know what the "fix" will be. Anyone who might end up classified as an enemy combatant will not require a warrant. Application of this law will be retroactive.

See? We can all think like traitors and criminals if we just put a little bush-cap on, otherwise known as an a**hat.

[European Socialist]

17. This ought to make Evan Bayh and Vilsac happy--wimpy traitors that

they are!!

[Rose Siding]

20. This is like when he shuffled the Phase II investigation off to the DoD

SUCH a tool.

And the dems will convince themselves that they are hog-tied by the effing nat'l security issue. WRONG! Everyone is just looking for them to hold on to their principles.

[Vinca]

23. This is beyond belief.

When Clinton was in office there were investigations round-the-clock the entire time for, among other things, misuse of the Christmas card list. If the Democrats go along with this it might be the final straw for me. Bush should not only be investigated, his butt should be run out of town. (Blood pressure rising . . . again.)

[chaplainM]

26. Socks the cat responding to fan mail with Federal money

...was worthy of investigation. Warrantless spying on American citizens? Ehh!

[KansDem]

24. That's not the point, ASSHOLE!!!

Bush broke the law, ASSHOLE!!!
You don't retroactively change the law to negate the crime, ASSHOLE!!!
You hold the responsible parties accountable, ASSHOLE!!!
YOU'RE AN ASSHOLE, ASSHOLE!!!

:mad: Sorry, but this really infuriates me!

[gademocrat7]

25. Roberts is shrub's gofer. That he is the Senate Intelligence Chairman is j

Democrats better fight this tooth and nail.

[seafan]

27. The sheep don't want to leave their comfort zone.

I swear, there are impoverished Haitians fighting for and winning an accurate election for their countrypeople, and the sheep in this country are content to ride this *Co bus over the cliff.

It's a tremendous fight against bitter, rising panic for what's ahead if we do not stop these criminals.

What the F has happened to our country????????????????????

[Whoa_Nelly]

28. The WH gets to FIX the law? To make it bend to their plan??

:wtf:

I thought law had to go through process.

What am I missing here??

[lldu]

29. So that the Smirking Jester won't be a criminal

at least for spying on us domestic types, they are going to make the new Domestic Spying bill (er, terrorist quail hunting bill, er Terrorist spying bill) R E T R O A C T I V E !

I would never go for this until they take that retroactive part out.

[leQ]

30. what's to fix? i thought bush was within the law, so why fix it?

don't the republicans see what they're doing if they 'fix' the law? that means bush wasn't within the law in the first place if it needed fixing.

[StuckinKS]

31. So....

If Cheney's hunting buddy dies, all they have to do is change the law to say that Vice Presidents are allowed to kill whomever they please.

How handy.

[chelsea0011]

32. "Thank you sir. May I have another?" Bend over Roberts.

[The Backlash Cometh]

33. If we take the Congress in November, can we start our own

investigation regardless of what Roberts does?

It would be a beautiful campaign slogan.

[reprobate]

45. Not just investigate. Impeach and imprison. At the Hague.

With webcams in their cells so we can watch them 24/7. No more secrets.

[alcibiades_mystery]

34. So, if you break the law, and then change the law, then you haven't broken

the law?

The logic of this one is flawless...:rofl:

Jesus, they're completely fucking shameless and insane.

This should be the campaign commercial for every Democratic challenger and incumbent in a close race:

"Under the Republican Congress, the President can break the law, as long as the RUBBERSTAMP CONGRESS changes the Law as soon as the President is caught breaking it.

Want accountability in government? Want Rule of Law. Vote Democratic. End the RUBBERSTAMP CONGRESS."

Period. That's it. That's the ad. End of story.

[sendero]

35. This is all ..

... for the great unwashed American dumbass who has no idea that the constitution forbids retroactive lawmaking. They can no more make something that happen in the past legal than they can make it illegal.

The disgusting thing is, this gambit will probably work, Dems will probably fold like a paper napkin as usual, problem solved.

[rodeodance]

36. this assumes the WH had the legal right in the first place for domestic

spying.

[rodeodance]

37. no matter what law he signs-Jr can rely on his 'signing signature"

[fooj]

38. THE PRESIDENT BROKE THE LAW!

Period. Demand the investigation. Don't roll over...AGAIN!

Peace.

[Malva Zebrina]

39. Yes, we are going to fix it so that the President was correct in breaking

the law. Uh huh.

Change the law. Well they changed it to accomodate efficiency for the presnit once already.And he still continued to ignore it.

This action by Roberts is meant to excuse Bush for breaking the law . It tacitly admits that the existing FISA law is insufficient, when it is not.

Bush arrogantly skirted this existing law for another reason and we may never find out what it was he, exactly, was doing , or who it is that he is spying upon. We may be able to guess, according to what the change in the law permits, though.

[MasonJar]

40. Put Roberts in a place of honor on the Axis of Evil chart.

[chefgirl]

41. Big Surprise

This is the Republican solution for every fucking thing. Dont like abiding by the law?? Well, we'll just change/eliminate the law!

Dems are threatening to filibuster?? Well, we'll just change the rule so they can't filibuster!

Can't win your congressional district? Well, we'll just gerrymander the districts so you CAN win!

And on and on...

Besides, laws are only for the great unwashed, not for the 'special' people.

Hell, while we're at it, why don't we just get rid of that pesky old Constitution? I mean, really, that parchment IS getting kind of crinkly, and that Bill of Rights just gets in the way of all the 'good work' Republicans are trying to do for the country, and I would feel a whole lot safer with the little idiot and his cronies just making up the rules on the fly anyway.

Yep, I sure feel better now, knowing that the party of MORAL VALUES is in charge. :mad:

-chef-

[WhiteTara]

42. we should all call Roberts and tell him

he is a traitor. 85,000 calls and emails should make him think a bit.
http://roberts.senate.gov/ here's his info.

[madmark]

44. bullshit, the "deal" does not eliminate anything

[Laelth]

46. This is just TOO depressing.

big sigh ...

-Laelth

[leveymg]

48. Legislative band-aid on cancer

The rot is disgusting.

[annabanana]

50. B*sh's wiretapping of Roberts has born fruit!

And the BFEE is busily reining in all republicans who have looked over the fence of the pen that they're in.