Which way will Arlen sway in confirmation hearing for Hayden?

[babylonsister]

Anyone care to share a guess?

Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, nominated for CIA director, was director of the National Security Agency in 2001 when dimson authorized the wiretapping program that Specter wants investigated.

Per Specter,

"There may as well not be a Congress. . . And I think that most members don't understand what's happening."

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2...

"WASHINGTON -- The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, accusing the White House of a ''very blatant encroachment" on congressional authority, said yesterday he will hold an oversight hearing into President Bush's assertion that he has the power to bypass more than 750 laws enacted over the past five years.

'There is some need for some oversight by Congress to assert its authority here," Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, said in an interview. ''What's the point of having a statute if . . . the president can cherry-pick what he likes and what he doesn't like?"

SNIP

"Specter said that challenging Bush's contention that he can ignore laws written by Congress should be a matter of institutional pride for lawmakers. He also connected Bush's defiance of laws to several Supreme Court decisions in which the justices ruled that Congress had not done enough research to justify a law.

''We're undergoing a tsunami here with the flood coming from the executive branch on one side and the judicial branch on the other," Specter said. ''There may as well soon not be a Congress. . . . And I think that most members don't understand what's happening."

[Stinky The Clown]

1. I can see him going against Hayden

A few others, too.

Hagel, maybe.

Any others?

Bigger question ..... what will the self-important Gang of Fourteen do?

[babylonsister]

3. I have to tell you, Hayden

scares the hell out of me. He's such a r/w robot-like schill. I wonder if, even should the confirmation be overturned, fuckface (nod to OLL!) would give him a recess appt a la Bolton. :scared:
I know I'm getting way ahead of myself, and am really curious as to how the Dems are going to respond.

[rodeodance]

7. He is a military yes man and Bush is his Commander-in Chief.

[AndyTiedye]

14. He Has Access to All the Information the NSA Got Snooping Our Phone Calls

[Grateful for Hope]

2. I find it unconscionable

that "most members don't understand what's happening". Why don't they? This is a blatant attempt to strip Congress of it's powers.

It is very disturbing.

[babylonsister]

4. Agree, Hope2006. If we're aware of the implications of this

program, why aren't those people who were supposedly elected to represent us apparently so clueless?

[Grateful for Hope]

11. Perhaps as rodeodance has indicated

they do understand the implications of this.

I sure hope so.

[rodeodance]

5. oh, they understand allright!--Specter is wrong about this. They not

only understand, but they approve (handing over more powers to Exc branch).

[Grateful for Hope]

9. This is reassuring...thanks! n/t

[rodeodance]

12. Real scary to me.

[Grateful for Hope]

13. It IS scary

but, hopefully, Congress will not let BushCo get away with this.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

6. He will sway...

Whichever way seems best to him, for him, at the time. As usual.

[rodeodance]

8. I imagine he will make a deal with the WH.

[rodeodance]

10. Specter said he would not these meetings till after Memorial Day. But

now Heydan will have to have hearnings. Will be interesting to follow this.

[fooj]

15. He'd best fulfill his Constitutional duties and protect our country! Damn

I'm tired of this craziness...........