A Day to Bare Our Souls - and Find Ourselves

DON'T WANNA' AND NO ONE'S GONNA MAKE ME

My children complain loudly when I tell them to clean up their rooms. One of them gets really mad when I go into their room, supervise and show them exactly what I want done. When they go back to school in a few weeks I will do some cleaning myself - along with a large garbage bag. I know they can be obstinant and not do what I asked or find ways around my requests. That's how kids are. And they are held accountable when they try to sneak or go around me.

Bush however, has a tin ear when it comes to criticism of what he's been doing with his Presidency. And just like an obstinant child, he's expanded more or his warrantless wiretapping by signing a bill, which will expire in 6 months. Like a kid he doesn't want to relinquish one of his "toys" just yet.

In February, 2006 Senator Russell Feingold had some choice remarks on the floor of the Senate about President Chimpy's abuse of the FISA law on the floor of the Senate:

Last week the President of the United States gave his State of the Union address, where he spoke of America's leadership in the world, and called on all of us to "lead this world toward freedom." Again and again, he invoked the principle of freedom, and how it can transform nations, and empower people around the world.

But, almost in the same breath, the President openly acknowledged that he has ordered the government to spy on Americans, on American soil, without the warrants required by law.

The President issued a call to spread freedom throughout the world, and then he admitted that he has deprived Americans of one of their most basic freedoms under the Fourth Amendment -- to be free from unjustified government intrusion.

The President was blunt. He said that he had authorized the NSA's domestic spying program, and he made a number of misleading arguments to defend himself. His words got rousing applause from Republicans, and even some Democrats.

The President was blunt, so I will be blunt: This program is breaking the law, and this President is breaking the law. Not only that, he is misleading the American people in his efforts to justify this program.

How is that worthy of applause? Since when do we celebrate our commander in chief for violating our most basic freedoms, and misleading the American people in the process? When did we start to stand up and cheer for breaking the law? In that moment at the State of the Union, I felt ashamed.

Senator Feingold continued:

The President suggests that anyone who criticizes his illegal wiretapping program doesn't understand the threat we face. But we do. Every single one of us is committed to stopping the terrorists who threaten us and our families.

Defeating the terrorists should be our top national priority, and we all agree that we need to wiretap them to do it. In fact, it would be irresponsible not to wiretap terrorists. But we have yet to see any reason why we have to trample the laws of the United States to do it. The President's decision that he can break the law says far more about his attitude toward the rule of law than it does about the laws themselves.

This goes way beyond party, and way beyond politics. What the President has done here is to break faith with the American people. In the State of the Union, he also said that "we must always be clear in our principles" to get support from friends and allies that we need to fight terrorism. So let's be clear about a basic American principle: When someone breaks the law, when someone misleads the public in an attempt to justify his actions, he needs to be held accountable. The President of the United States has broken the law. The President of the United States is trying to mislead the American people. And he needs to be held accountable.

Unfortunately, the President refuses to provide any details about this domestic spying program. Not even the full Intelligence committees know the details, and they were specifically set up to review classified information and oversee the intelligence activities of our government. Instead, the President says ­ "Trust me."

To me, that's like "the check's in the mail, etc." The last time I trusted someone who assured me over & over he was trustworthy? I ended up in the hospital with a tube up my nose for a week! No thanks.

Has Bush given us any reason at all to trust him other than rhetoric? No. His actions and the actions of his administration speak otherwise. Dubya didn't provide details on Iraq, or any of his actions other than verbal posturing. He and his cronies are too arrogant or, honestly, they really don't know what they are doing other than just doing it for the sake of power or "doing as they please." This is unconcionable in America for any President to do. Ever.

More from Feingold:

This is not the first time we've heard that. In the lead-up to the Iraq war, the Administration went on an offensive to get the American public, the Congress, and the international community to believe its theory that Saddam Hussein was developing weapons of mass destruction, and even that he had ties to Al Qaeda. The President painted a dire ­ and inaccurate ­ picture of Saddam Hussein's capability and intent, and we invaded Iraq on that basis. To make matters worse, the Administration misled the country about what it would take to stabilize and reconstruct Iraq after the conflict. We were led to believe that this was going to be a short endeavor, and that our troops would be home soon.

We all recall the President's "Mission Accomplished" banner on the aircraft carrier on May 1, 2003. In fact, the mission was not even close to being complete. More than 2100 total deaths have occurred after the President declared an end to major combat operations in May of 2003, and over 16,600 American troops have been wounded in Iraq. The President misled the American people and grossly miscalculated the true challenge of stabilizing and rebuilding Iraq.

In December, we found out that the President has authorized wiretaps of Americans without the court orders required by law. He says he is only wiretapping people with links to terrorists, but how do we know? We don't. The President is unwilling to let a neutral judge make sure that is the case. He will not submit this program to an independent branch of government to make sure he's not violating the rights of law-abiding Americans.

So I don't want to hear again that this Administration has shown it can be trusted. It hasn't. And that is exactly why the law requires a judge to review these wiretaps.

It is up to Congress to hold the President to account. We held a hearing on the domestic spying program in the Judiciary Committee yesterday, where Attorney General Gonzales was a witness. We expect there will be other hearings. That is a start, but it will take more than just hearings to get the job done.

And just look how well Gonzo's doing! He keeps forgetting & remembering vital details about his actions as A.G. Again, a clear picture of the "we are above the law" attitude about the politicians who are supposed to serve US the American People.

Senator Feingold:

We know that in part because the President's Attorney General has already shown a willingness to mislead the Congress.

And everyone else!

Today's news on more of the arrogant and blind determination of the current Administration:

Bush signs bill to expand wiretap powers
Democrats concede to Bush administration on warrantless surveillance

President Bush on Sunday signed into law an expansion of the government’s power to eavesdrop on foreign terror suspects without the need for warrants.

The law, approved by the Senate and the House just before Congress adjourned for its summer break, was deemed a priority by Bush and his chief intelligence officials.

Bush signed the bill into law on Sunday afternoon at his retreat at Camp David, Md.

“When our intelligence professionals have the legal tools to gather information about the intentions of our enemies, America is safer,” Bush said. “And when these same legal tools also protect the civil liberties of Americans, then we can have the confidence to know that we can preserve our freedoms while making America safer.”

The administration said the measure is needed to speed the National Security Agency’s ability to intercept phone calls, e-mails and other communications involving foreign nationals “reasonably believed to be outside the United States.”

The law is designed to capture communications that pass through the United States.

Civil liberties groups and many Democrats say it goes too far, possibly enabling the government to wiretap U.S. residents communicating with overseas parties without adequate oversight from courts or Congress.

The new law updates the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and it will expire in six months unless Congress renews it. Bush wants deeper, permanent changes.

“We must remember that our work is not done,” Bush prodded. “This bill is a temporary, narrowly focused statute to deal with the most immediate shortcomings in the law.”

SOURCE

And the Democrats who were swept in this past November on a "hold them accountable" platform, once again bent over and allowed more of Bush's fear-mongering.

My prayers for those who end up cleaning up this mess in 2008.


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