Bob Barr on illegal spying: "the Constitution is the Constitution"

[kpete]

Barr


Bob Barr on illegal spying:


BOB BARR, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: What's wrong with it is several-fold. One, it's bad policy for our government to be spying on American citizens through the National Security Agency. Secondly, it's bad to be spying on Americans without court oversight. And thirdly, it's bad to be spying on Americans apparently in violation of federal laws against doing it without court order.

...

BARR: Well, the fact of the matter is that the Constitution is the Constitution, and I took an oath to abide by it. My good friend, my former colleague, Dana Rohrabacher, did and the president did. And I don't really care very much whether or not it can be justified based on some hypothetical. The fact of the matter is that, if you have any government official who deliberately orders that federal law be violated despite the best of motives, that certainly ought to be of concern to us.


...

ROHRABACHER: And by the way, how do we know who wasn't deterred from blowing up other targets. The fact is --

BARR: Well, gee, I guess then the president should be able to ignore whatever provision in the Constitution as long as there's something after the fact that justifies it.

BARR: Bob, during wartime, you give some powers to the presidency you wouldn't give in peace time. BARR: Do we have a declaration of war, Dana?

ROHRABACHER: You don't have to do that.

BARR: We don't? That makes it even much easier for a president.
http://atrios.blogspot.com/

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. Here comes the apocalypse

I'm agreeing with Bob Barr.

So long, everyone. It's been real ..............

[ChairmanAgnostic]

6. he's so conservative, that he believes in what we stand for.

constitutional rights
privacy
less governmental interference (although I never expected it in this form) in private decisions
freedom
democracy
a platform of support for those in need.

THOSE ARE OUR VALUES. Then again, they happen to be the values of a man so conservative, that he agrees with us. Way to see the light, Bob!

The circle has been squared.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

19. Coming around again -

Essentially, we "lefties" really are the conservatives, and those other people are morons who've corrupted a perfectly sound and sincere philosophy.

I hope this is just a start .......

[ChairmanAgnostic]

27. in a manner of speaking, well, yes.

Certainly, it is old fashioned and currently out of favor to support the US Constitution. Only we and oddballs like Barr seem to find that worthwhile.

And the idea of torture? Heck, the city of Boston passed laws against Cruel and Unusualt treatment of prisoners in 1648! WE know that an idea that old cannnot be right anymore. The fact that three major steps in the 20th century resulted in the Geneva conventions is also quaint annd wrong, if only because of the international input.

Of course, our nation has god-given rights to invade anyone we want. it just took the PNACs to put it all together.
Anyone complaining of our exercising such god-given powers is unpatriotic. With the proper prayer and training, patriotism and ultra-nationalism always trump rational thought.

Oldleftie, did I get the tone right?

[OldLeftieLawyer]

29. I'm humming along, anti............

And a pleasing tune (and tone) it is.

In all my OldLeftie life, never did I expect to see the front pages announce that the United States - MY country - had finally capitulated to the majority and decided to renounce torture.

I really thought the resignation of Richard M. Nixon, followed by Bob Dole's crying eulogy at his funeral, were the political high points of my life.

Never did I think George Orwell's fiction would become non-fiction in my lifetime, and never did I expect to see such a corruption of the word "patriotism".

Anti, we are the patriots - the ones who love, respect, and take sustenance from our Constitution. Now if we could only get the politicians - and not just the disgraced and penitent oddballs like Barr - to go along with us............

[Dudley_DUright]

7. Bob Barr is a wingnut on lots of issues, but he is a long time

civil libertarian and has even consulted for the ACLU in the past.

http://www.aclu.org/privacy/gen/15182prs20021125.html

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1568/is_7_35/ai_110361473

[OldLeftieLawyer]

21. Hard to square that with

the anti-choice moron who was outed when it was revealed that he'd driven his (what?) third wife to the abortion clinic when she got pregnant.

On this one, he's good, though.

Still, he's really a pig in my book.

[leftchick]

14. have your kitty move over

I need to belly up to the bar. :crazy:

[OldLeftieLawyer]

22. Do you have these in your head right now, like I do?

[karlrschneider]

15. Even a blind pig finds the occasional

acorn...
:eyes:

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

17. Could've said the same thing about John Murtha a year ago...

Well, *I* couldn't have. I'd never heard of him. But you know what I mean.

Many old-school conservatives actually are quite principled and patriotic; they just have a different idea of what's best for their country than we do. (Yeah, I know; try getting them to believe the same about us. It's still true.)

The neocons have so far managed to keep these conservatives ("paleocons"?) on their side by throwing money at them and saying the things they wanted to hear. But * and friends have been going a little more nuts than usual lately, and they've been caught doing things that go against traditional American values on both sides of the divide. The paleocons have tried to be accomodating to what they still see as "one of their own", but it's beginning to occur to more and more of them that they've been had. And this is why the neocons are so worried, because there are few things more savage or vindictive than a conservative who realizes you've played him for a sucker.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

23. This is exactly

what Barry Goldwater would have said and done, I believe.

He really was the last of the real "conservatives" in this country. And the phrase "family values" would never have crossed his lips without being bracketed by a string of quite exquisite expletives.

He had his moments.

[Hubert Flottz]

18. I know how you feel!

I never thought this day would come...Switching to the weather channel to see how cold it is in Hell today!

I wonder who cast all the dasted devils out of Bob Barr, he talks almost like a human being?

[OldLeftieLawyer]

24. Can you imagine?

That asshat Bob Barr leads the popular charge for the impeachment movement against Fuckface?

He was also out of his mind when Clinton got blown.

Pass the popcorn..................

[Hubert Flottz]

25. I remember watching Bob go after Mr. Clinton.

Quite a show! I'd look at Barr back then and all I could see was this:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

28. I don't know if you're aware of it, but Barr worked for the ACLU (and

might still). He is very much against the Patriot Act.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

30. Now that it suits him

He was trounced out of office, and I'm always suspicious of the people who find truth and justice AFTER they've been given the heave-ho. In office, he was a fuck.

But, the enemy of my enemy, as someone quoted in this sub-thread, is, indeed, my friend, and while politics (and love of country) may make strange bedfellows, I've slept with weirder than Bob Barr.

For now, we're on the same side.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

36. And that is exactly what this sociopathic administration has done. It has

temporarily joined Liberals with Liberatarians and with the old time Conservatives in common cause. An excellent example was Pat Buchanan's early vocalization against the war. Unfortunately it stops at that. Friday, while watching tv, he had me calling him obscene names as he tried to justify **'s Illegal wiretapping.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

37. See ........

A scorpion is always a scorpion - remember the old fable?

I don't trust anyone like Barr or Buchanan as far as I can throw their various body parts after I've worked them over with my chain saw and woodchipper ..............

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

38. Visions of Fargo first thing in the morning! lol! Interesting about the

Scorpion as I just watched a movie on Saturday where the fable was told. And I agree with you 100% on that.

[LostinVA]

39. Me too -- fire will soon rain from the heavens -- bye, y'all...

[indie_voter]

2. The enemy of my enemy is my friend! Thank you Bob Barr!! n/t

[gratuitous]

3. Bob Barr finds the only man nuttier than him

And looks nearly sane by comparison.

However, I love that he shoved that "we're at war" nonsense right back down Rohrabacher's pie hole. Would that a few Democrats would do that, as well.

[FreedomAngel82]

8. Me too

The laws are made to protect the citizen's especially during war time. Just because you're at war doesn't mean you can go against that. Even though Bush got to the inauguration illegally he still took the oath of office and he swore to uphold the CONSTITUTION. Not his own little play book. He should be thrown the proper sentence right away and all of those who went against that law should be as well. Including Cheney if he was involved. We all know if this was a democratic president he (or she) would be impeached asap before the Christmas break. Heck, if a democratic president did anything Bush has done he/she would've never made it to the inauguration.

[chicagiana]

33. Everyone except ...

Everyone except the one about quartering soldiers. That was intended for every time EXCEPT a time of war.

;-)

BTW, this is sarcasm.

[Jade Fox]

4. Thanks, Bob! (ouch, that hurt!)

If there are enough sane people left amoung Conservatives and Republicans, maybe
we can finally get Bushco out of office.

[dsc]

5. I can't believe I am typing this

but Bob Barr is right. Egad, now I need a shower.

[Protagoras]

9. is there a video link to his asskicking of

Rohrbacher out there somewhere? WOuld love a link/copy of it.

[madrchsod]

10. as soon as he left washington

he started speaking out about the loss of liberty. he must have realized what was going to happen as these guys took over. yes bob certainly is an odd duck but it`s strange days in the usa

[HockeyMom]

11. When you find yourself agreeing with Barr and Buchanan on so many things,

you KNOW this country is in bad, bad shape.

[indepat]

12. But, but, but W isn't above the law: he is the law and wholly unfettered

from the trifles of legislative or judicial interference, or so his sickophants would say. :grr:

[chicagiana]

34. George W doesn't think he is above the law ...

It's worse. He thinks he IS the law!!!

[Jamastiene]

13. That just "shows to go ya" how right wing Bush is.

If even a right wing nut like Bob Barr sees this for what it is: unconstitutional.

I find myself agreeing with him on some issues, like this one, but his stances on gay rights and other progressive issues are horrendous.

[mandyky]

16. I keep remembering the CHB article

claiming Bush said about the Constitution was "just a goddam piece of paper". Maybe all that because of what has come out the past 2 days...

[chicagiana]

35. That's where he's wrong!!!

It's a piece of PARCHMENT!!!!!

These people know nothing about stationary!!!!!

[jim3775]

20. Bob Barr is right!

Never thought i could say that and not be lying.

[Odin2005]

26. Hell Just Froze Over.

[converted_democrat]

31. Hell has officially frozen over.

I agree on an issue with Barr....I keep looking out the window for the flying pigs, but I have not seen any yet.

[Horse with no Name]

32. They are headed your way--I just saw one