Judas Priest, He's Breakin The Law, Breakin The Law
I'm happy to say Senator Russ has again stood tall for the US Constitution.
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold has announced that he will introduce a resolution in the U.S. Senate on Monday to censure the President of the United States. Feingold's resolution condemns the President's actions in authorizing the illegal wiretapping program and then misleading the country about the existence and legality of the program. Feingold calls the resolution an appropriate and responsible step for Congress to take in response to the President's undermining of the separation of powers and ignoring the rule of law.
"The President must be held accountable for authorizing a program that clearly violates the law and then misleading the country about its existence and its legality," Feingold said. "The President's actions, as well as his misleading statements to both Congress and the public about the program, demand a serious response. If Congress does not censure the President, we will be tacitly condoning his actions, and undermining both the separation of powers and the rule of law."
The President's illegal wiretapping program is in direct violation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The FISA law makes it a crime to wiretap Americans in the United States without a warrant or a court order. The Bush Administration has obtained thousands of FISA warrants since September 11th and has almost never been rejected by the FISA court. FISA even allows wiretaps to be executed immediately in an emergency as long as the government obtains a warrant within 72 hours.
"This issue is not about whether the government should be wiretapping terrorists – of course it should, and it can under current law" Feingold said. "But this President and this administration decided to break the law and they have yet to give a convincing explanation of why their actions were necessary, appropriate, or legal. Passing more laws will not change the fact that the President broke the ones already in place and for that, Congress must hold him accountable."
When we decide that the President can make up his own laws and have whatever he wants secret we are about to loose what has made us survivors for 225 years. We the people need to know what is happening in government if we are going to make good decisions on the issues.
Senator Feingold will risk the rath of the "liberal media", the mighty wurlitzer and every confused flag waver in the country. He is however keeping the issue on the front burner after the right has tried so hard to cover it up. This is the demonstration of backbone that we need. Proudly stand up for what you believe in and don't let them intimidate you.
Molly Ivins said this.
Take “unpatriotic” and shove it. How dare they do this to our country? “Unpatriotic”? These people have ruined the American military! Not to mention the economy, the middle class, and our reputation in the world. Everything they touch turns to dirt, including Medicare prescription drugs and hurricane relief.
This is not a time for a candidate who will offend no one; it is time for a candidate who takes clear stands and kicks ass.
UPDATE :
Glenn Greenwald
Of all the dishonest and corrupt steps taken by this Administration, the worst, in my view, is that they have flamboyantly masqueraded as defenders of America while they have simultaneously sought to dismantle every political attribute and core principle that has defined who we are as a country for the last 225 years. Bush followers will undoubtedly seek to depict Feingold's effort as quixotic, radical, and even treasonous. And it faces obvious uphill battles, beginning with the frightened posture of Feingold's Democratic colleagues............Taking a strong and principled stand in defense of the rule of law and our country's principles is what we have been urging Democrats to do from the very beginning of this scandal, and it's what Sen. Feingold just did. I think the blogosphere as a whole ought to find the most effective ways for harnessing whatever influence and power we can muster in order to pressure as many Democrats as possible to support this resolution and to make it as clear as possible to the country why it is so warranted and urgently needed.
posted by Ron at 3:24 PM
5 Comments:
I had to laugh. I read the same article. This is what Frist said about it -- which is what made me laugh -- particularly the "bold vision" bit. Is there ANY sane person who really believes that??!!
Read another article saying Frist was the leading contender for the R. presidential nominee. One can only hope he IS the one they put up!! Anyway, to the quote about what he thought about censuring Bush:
"The signal that it sends, that there is in any way a lack of support for our commander in chief who is leading us with a bold vision in a way that is making our homeland safer, is wrong," Frist said."
I read an article about what a British special forces soldier said about the Americans he served with. I sure hope he just doesn't like Americans!! It would sure make the American soldiers who read it mad!!
Lonna
Very well said, Ron! I gotta be proud to hail from the same state as Russ Feingold. If he runs and Kerry doesn't he just might get my vote. :-)
Speaking of WI, just had some words with my ex (also from WI) who still believes that WI is a red not a blue state. He says this is on account of Republicans not Democrats support farm subsidies and family farmers. Oh yeah, like sure. Had to explain a few facts of life like the repuglicans are not republicans anymore. They don't support family farmers, union workers, etc. From what I understand tho, the fundmentalist freekazoids have made great progress in converting the faithful from traditional rational religions up that way. I expect, these are the WI repuglicans for the most part. Anyway, he'll undoubtedly argue about it. (At least he hates Bush and his rotten war. :-) ) Have tried to get him to call the show, so you'd have a new GOP caller, but once was all he could take. LOL (subject-New Orleans and Katrina )
Gah! Heard something on CNN News last nite re: Bush thinking he can drum up more popular support for his rotten war. Is he getting stupider all the time-do y'think?
Peace!
Frist response: Guilt, guilt guilt,,,fear fear fear. SOS. As the greewald post notes he is not the commander and chief of the American people. Only the military.
Well, listen to Ike:
"In most communities it is illegal to cry "fire" in a crowded assembly. Should it not be considered serious international misconduct to manufacture a general war scare in an effort to achieve...political aims?"
[Does not that say "try them for war crimes?]
"We have arrived at that point, my friends, when war does not present the possibility of victory or defeat. War would present to us only the alternative in degrees of destruction."
"you don't lead by hitting people over the head. That's assault, not leadership."
"May we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion."
Where are you when we need you Dwight D. Eisenhower??
I read his grandaughter said he said 'God help this country when there is someone sitting in this (the president's) chair who doesn't know as much about war as I do.'
Lonna
There is an "action" being sent around to support censure. I added this note to it before I sent it to my Senators"
"Bush should not only be censured, but also impeached. He has harmed this country in every area since he took office.
Our debt is now over 8 trillion dollars. Much of any "growth" heralded has been because of the always good for corporate profit war spending. Republican Marine General Smedley Butler said it best 70 years ago when he said that "war is a racket... fought by the many to benefit the very few...of course it is not put that crudely in wartime, but is dressed into speeches about patriotism, and love of country...but the profits jump and leap and skyrocket and are safely pocketed"
There has always been good money for those without a conscience in causing death and destruction.
He has put polluters in charge of setting environmental laws.
He deceived and misled us into a war from which his family and campaign contributors are profiting financially -- they are involved in the companies that deal in death and destruction, many of which, under Bush, are enjoying record profits.
Even though, because of our pathetic media, his administration was able to confuse the people so that 85% of our poor soldiers believe the lie that they are in Iraq because Saddam was behind 9/11, more than 70% of the soldiers in Iraq think they should get out. 2,300 of them have died and 20,000 have been maimed, all for the sake of enriching Bush's family, his rich friends and campaign contributors who have gotten much richer during his tenure in office, and because of his sad need to exert his "power."
He is destroying our military.
His arrogance, belligerence, and lack of respect for other nations' sovereignty has made billions more people hate us world-wide, and thus he has made us much less safe.
He has disregarded and broken our own and international laws and treaties, hard-won by his predecessors. He has shamed this country by making us a nation that tortures.
He has dragged this country's honor through the mud.
Because of Bush, America has lost the moral high ground, and is no longer respected as a leader in the fight for human rights.
He believes, not only that he is above the law, but that he IS the law!!
He claims to be a Christian, but the linchpin of this administration is greed, and his policies have consistently robbed from the poor to give to the rich. The poor have gotten poorer and the rich richer every year he has been in office.
He has constantly and consistently lied and deceived -- not Christian attributes. He has borne an incredible amount of false witness against his political opponents and those who dared to criticize him. He manipulates the populace through fear and intimidation rather than inspiring it to greatness.
He seems to care not at all for the “common good.”
He is a disgrace and an embarrassment!! People of the world cannot understand how Americans could have been dumb enough to elect him (even though, his election, too, was a result of dishonesty on the part of him and his Florida brother) and they are astounded he was reelected.
I am an Independent, and I voted for my Republican Senator last time he was up for election, but I am putting all my congress people and all of the candidates for office on notice that my vote in 2006 and 2008 will be based almost entirely on how strongly he/she lied for and supported this most dishonest and incompetent of all presidents and his destructive agenda. I would vote for people as diverse as conservative Republican Ron Paul, and liberal Democrat Dennis Kucinich – people who have not been bought.
And, I say to ALL in politics and ALL who sit on the boards of our military-industrial-complex. If you want to make money from war, make sure you send your kids FIRST!! They are no more valuable than the children of the poor. This means one of the Bush twins AND Chelsea Clinton should go. AND, the children and grandchildren of the CEO's and other high-ranking officials of Halliburton, Lockheed-Martin, the Carlyle Group, Bechtel, etc. etc.
Lonna
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