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Alberto Everywhere

Thursday's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee by Alberto Gonzales was incredibly revealing. We learned that in the future the administration will continue to use warrant-less wire-taps and they believe they have every right to tap calls inside the United States if need be. In the past, the President and the Attorney General both claimed this program was only being used on suspects calling outside the good old USA. This thing just gets worse.

Watch the Debate: Live!

The senate hearing on the Feingold Censure measure is on live now at CSPAN.org check it out.

O'Conner's Dictatorship Comment

In a story that was mostly avoided by the mass media Nina Totenberg, reporting for NPR, quoted Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Conner expressing concerns that the recent vitriolic attacks by the right were signs that the US government was starting to act in the manner of a dictatorship. Why has this not been reported? When a Ronald Reagan appointee starts to challenge the actions of a group of Republicans we all should take notice.

The Laws for Dummies

Just to review, there are 4 proposals in Congress right now that hope to address the issue of secret wire-tapping. 

The first is a GOP proposal, which the President is in favor of, that would legalize the secret wire-taps as they have been working. The irony of this proposal begs the question, if G.W. thought the program was legal in the first place why is he bothering to support a bill to make legal, again?  The second proposal from the party of Lincoln would create a system similar to FISA to monitor the snooping.

From the Democrats, there is Russ Feingold’s bill to censure the President, and then today, Chuck Schumer (NY) proposed a bill that would create legal standing for a group of academics, journalists and business people to challenge the program before a three-judge panel. Then the case would go directly to the high court, which could rule by the fall.

Lansing's Call

Check-out this piece from the Lancing State Journal. This is yet another call for a stronger check of the administration by the Congress. The more the heartland awakens to the agressive stance of the White House, the better we say.

Checks, balance: Congress, exercise your oversight