Atty. Gen. Alberto Gonzales told lawmakers Thursday warrantless spying on purely domestic phone calls between Americans on U.S. soil was an option in the war on terrorism.There was a time when an administration's claim of unlimited presidential power over Americans would have merited a spot somewhere on the Tribune's front page.
In a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee, Gonzales said, "I'm not going to rule it out."
He said administration lawyers would have to look at what other presidents have authorized in times of war.
UPDATE -- "Obviously we have a commander-in-chief who believes that anything in the name of fighting terrorism he has the authority to do. I would remind people who don‘t feel concerned about that, that a nation that loses control in the check on its the commander-in-chief is something other than a democracy." -- John Dean, Nixon White House counsel and author of “Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush.”
2 comments:
It's not that I have a real problem with tracking the activities of the bad guys. My issue is that the definition of the "bad guys" seems very fluid and adaptable in the Chimperor's Big Book of Evil-Doers.
Of COURSE though, you have to investigate anti-war protester groups to make sure they are not being manipulated by The Evilness. On the other hand, check out those groups that support your goals also. Evil takes many forms. And the BushCo culture is too nearsighted to realize that. After all, 3 years after 9/11 they still had a foreign spy in the White House.
I don't think enough of this can be made - it's about the fundamental structure and relationship of our government to the governed. It's about our Democratic Republic - and the promise of the American our founders shed their blood to create. It's about who we are.
You might also want to read what Rick Klau has said on the topic.
It's been a rough couple months for a lot of people, yourself included. Thanks for continuing to fight on. It matters.
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