Repub - "Under your theory of inherent authority, Congress has no power."

[jsamuel]

Paraphrased from Lindsay Graham (R) said this to Gonzo. It is a great argument although I wouldn't expect for him to make it again.

Pick up on this!

Either it is illegal or Congress has no power.

[Canuckistanian]

1. Good point

Congress can just pack up and go home. The President (or whoever passes for one) can make all the laws now.

[jsamuel]

2. yes it is

[nytemare]

3. Congress and the courts!

What is FISA there for?

These are my questions. If the case for war with Iraq was good, why did the President not have Congress actually declare war? Why did he have a resolution to have them give HIM the power to declare war "as a last resort"?

If the cases for these wiretaps are good, if he is to be trusted, why did he NOT go to FISA, and if he couldn't go to FISA (which I'm sure he could have, even 72 hours after the fact) why did he not go to congress to update FISA?

We have an M.O. here, and what we call "mens rea" is evident to me.

[Toots]

6. Here is what Bush* said about it

"Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires -- a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so. It's important for our fellow citizens to understand, when you think Patriot Act, constitutional guarantees are in place when it comes to doing what is necessary to protect our homeland, because we value the Constitution." G.W. Bush*

[nytemare]

8. Yep, multiple times!

Seeing that video of him lying through his teeth about our rights makes me ill.

Clinton lied about sperm on a dress. He shouldn't have done it, but the consequences of the numerous lies of the Bush administration are much worse than a few wasted presidential sperm.

[AndyTiedye]

4. They Have The Power To

IMPEACH

and they'd better use it NOW!

[warrens]

5. Bush will just have them shot

Then explain to whoever is left to challenge him that they approved it and it was totally legal. And whoever is left will say, OK, just don't shoot us too.

[Bake]

7. Pukes ought to oppose *, if only to preserve their own power.

Pukes in the Senate/House ought to oppose *, if only to preserve their OWN power. Do you think they'll ever realize that the Imperial Presidency renders them irrelevant? And if so, do you think they'll LIKE IT?

Bake

[CJCRANE]

9. What happens when * goes?

Will a President Condi or a President Allen or a President Hillary have the same powers?

Or will the whole Cult of Personality/Unitary Executive house of cards just collapse?

[sandnsea]

10. Congress = The Houses of the People

That's the point. Is it OUR government or a handful of people who have hijacked the executive.

[Ksec]

11. Thats a great way to piss of a Congressman.

Tell him he has no power.

He will go through the freakin roof.

[in_cog_ni_to]

12. One would think so, but the repukes on the Judiciary committee

DEFENDED the illegal spying as a necessary evil in the "war on terror" and seemed to just accept the fact that the WH wants to mute them.:shrug: Grassley, Cornyn, Sessions, Kyl, Hatch...they were disgusting! Then, for whatever reason Specter and Graham stepped up and laid into him on taking their powers away.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

13. "Um, no, you guys can still have all those meetings & hearings & stuff."