NYT: Bush Vows to Fight Wiretapping Ruling

[mcscajun]

August 18, 2006
Bush Vows to Fight Wiretapping Ruling
By ADAM LIPTAK and ERIC LICHTBLAU

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 — President Bush said today that he is confident that a federal court ruling against his administration’s electronic surveillance program will be overturned, and he described those who hailed the ruling as naïve.

“I would say that those who herald this decision simply do not understand the nature of the world in which we live,” Mr. Bush said in a question-answer session at Camp David, Md. “I strongly disagree with that decision, strongly disagree. That’s why I instructed the Justice Department to appeal immediately. And I believe our appeals will be upheld.”

(snip)

Judge Taylor ruled that the program violated both the Fourth Amendment and a 1978 law that requires warrants from a secret court for intelligence wiretaps involving people in the United States. She rejected the administration’s repeated assertions that a 2001 Congressional authorization and the president’s constitutional authority allowed the program.

“It was never the intent of the framers to give the president such unfettered control, particularly when his actions blatantly disregard the parameters clearly enumerated in the Bill of Rights,” she wrote. “The three separate branches of government were developed as a check and balance for one another.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/18/washington/18cnd-nsa.html?hp&ex=1155960000&en=cc69b39520fe585b&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Another headline read: Bush Blasts Court Ruling on Surveillance

This was my favorite line from the decision, though:
“There are no hereditary kings in America and no powers not created by the Constitution,” she wrote, rejecting what she called the administration’s assertion that the president “has been granted the inherent power to violate not only the laws of the Congress but the First and Fourth Amendments of the Constitution itself.”

[sakabatou]

1. "Because I needs da power!"

[fedupinBushcountry]

2. It should read

"Bush Vows to FIGHT the CONSTITUTION of the UNITED STATES"

[JCMach1]

3. Headline should be: Bush vows to Fight Constitution!

:grr:

[Solly Mack]

4. "vows" the leader of the War Crime Nation of America

No surprises.

[deacon]

5. “I strongly disagree with that decision..." Who cares?

Who cares what you think? The law is the law and you are not the law nor above it. You took an oath to uphold the constitution and here again you are breaking that oath.

[minnesota_liberal]

17. Correct! The pinhead doesn't know law. What's his legal opinion worth?

[librechik]

6. so...did they file an appeal?

I can't remember Bootsy doing ANYTHING he vowed to do. And I've been watching for news of the filing. I'm sure they will file..right?

[mcscajun]

7. You can bet it will be filed by Monday morning.

Ain't nobody gonna tell Prince Chimpy what he Can and Cannot do, you bet your ass!

Except, of course, his handlers...

[librechik]

8. love Mr. Blinky!

it's giving me epilepsy

[mcscajun]

9. Look away! Look Away!

I don't want THAT face to be the last thing you see before the seizure melts your brain. I can't take the responsiblity.

PS: Mr. Blinky, eh? I wonder if that's already on the Master List of Bush nicknames...

[librechik]

22. In Denver we have somebody called Blinky the Clown

a 70s era children's show host. That would be even better!

[BattyDem]

10. Hey Jackass ... NO ONE objects to wiretapping ...

as long as you have a warrant! Why is that so f*cking difficult to comprehend?! :grr:

If warrants are too time-consuming then have Congress change the rules so the FISA courts can expedite them. The fact that they haven't done that PROVES that this is not about the amount of time it will take - it's about keeping the list of wiretaps secret because they're listening in on conversations for reasons that have nothing to do with terrorism.

[mcscajun]

12. Haven't you heard? Warrants (and their attendant delays) are SO

20th Century. :sarcasm:

Reality is what BushCo says it is. :freak:

"We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality -- judiciously, as you will -- we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do."

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30F1EF93A5F0C748DDDA90994DC404482

[truthisfreedom]

11. because shortcuts and lawbreaking have ALWAYS been part of bush/cheney's

modus operandi.

[raging moderate]

13. REMIND THE fREEPER THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO GET PRIOR WARRANTS.

They are only required to check in with an appointed panel of FISA judges afterward. The idea is to keep the judicial branch involved on a running basis to prevent the executive branch from unconstitutional power grabs. Also remind him that the Clinton/Gore administration DID follow the law as it was written back then, and that the current law was enacted with their cooperation, and they then followed it. Remind him also that the BRITS were following their law on judicial warrants last week when they saved our sorry behinds from a major terrorist attack. This judge is NOT saying that they don't get to do surveillance; she is only acting properly to restore proper judicial branch oversight. Ask him if he is quite through spitting on the United States Constitution, the Judicial and Legislative Branches of the United States Government, the seasoned advice of English Common Law, and the social justice commandments of the Biblical Jewish prophets. Ask him the question posed long ago in England by Thomas More, when somebody told him it would be right to cast down the laws protecting civil liberties to chase down the devil who was causing evil. "Yes," he declared, "And then what will you do when you get to the other end of England and the devil turns around to chase you - and you have no civil liberty laws to protect you?" IF THEY HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE, WHY DO THEY RESENT JUDICIAL OVERSIGHT?

[minnesota_liberal]

14. He demeans those favoring the decision, then shows his ignorance of law!

An appeal cannot be upheld. It's the ruling or decision being appealed that is either overturned or upheld.

I thoroughly enjoyed calling that to the president's attention (by email) this morning.

It's easy to understand why his law school application was rejected.

[onehandle]

15. Take back Congress. Investigate. Impeach.

Everybody all together repeat after me...

[Independent_Liberal]

20. Take back Congress. Investigate. Impeach. There, I repeated.

:)

[Zorra]

16. What a contemptible little fascist weasel that scumbag is. Americans

everywhere should be asking themselves why this asshole is not already serving life in prison for war crimes and treason.

[eccles12]

18. He only pretends to be concerned. He knows his SCOTUS appts

will overturn this ruling. move on.

[Amonester]

19. Funny when some coke dealer downtown vowed to fight...

the verdict of culpability he received for breaking the law, claiming that he was only doing good deals for his clients, so he was sure the law did NOT apply to him.

He lost... (of course).

Because breaking the law is illegal!

Who would have thought?? :freak:

:grr:

[rocktivity]

21. "I would say that those who herald this decision simply do not understand

the nature of the world in which we live,” Mr. Bush said...

Well, I say that the problem is that no one can understand the nature of the world in which YOU live.

:headbang:
rocknation

[Seabiscuit]

23. "strongly disagree, strongly disagree, strongly disagree, I do"

This idiot thinks *we* don't understand "the nature of the world we live in"????? Friggin' clueless.

[Demeter]

24. I Am the Lord thy Bush, Thou Shall Have No False Constitutions Before Me

It is the first, last and only commandment you need remember.

[pinniped]

25. We are naïve.

Is this Asshole's lame attempt at an insult?

...Asshole described those who hailed the ruling as naïve.

Asshole pulled the finger out of his butt for this pathetic stunt.

....Asshole said, striking his finger on a podium to underscore his point

Oooooooooooooooooh, Asshole means business.

[radfringe]

26. a few reminders regarding bush*'s view on being a king

"A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there's no question about it." —George W. Bush, July 27, 2001

"I'm the commander — see, I don't need to explain — I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being president." —George W. Bush, as quoted in Bob Woodward's "Bush at War"

"I'm the decider, and I decide what is best. And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the Secretary of Defense." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C. April 18, 2006

[mcscajun]

27. Great post stringing those three thoughts together. Very Illuminating

for the Unenlightened masses. Ought to be on a full-page ad in every major newspaper in the country.

[snappyturtle]

30. I'm certain most of us are aware.....

of these infamous quotes attributed to * but I thank you for putting them side by side for us to ponder at this time....and we really should remember all three, everyday.

Today, I find the first quote most interesting. The fact that * said this on July 27th, 2001, before 9-11, should leave no doubt as to his intentions from almost day one of his miserable presidency.

[depakid]

28. Of course he will

When has this sociopath ever shown respect for the law (or for people in general).

When in his life has he ever been held accountable?

[The Backlash Cometh]

29. vow, swear or stamp your feet. It's not going to make a bit a difference.

Because...the Democrat are going to regain power and the Republicans know it. That means, that it will be the Democrats who will enjoy all the power you have usurped from our triumvirate government. They will never go for it.

[Canuckistanian]

31. Why didn't Clinton use the "nature of the world" defence?

Because he would have been laughed out of the room, that's why.

So, as Jonathon Turley says, unless Gonzo has a secret statute that allows the Pretzeldunce to ignore the FISA statute and bypass the Constitution, then he's guilty, guilty, guilty.