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December 20, 2005
Wiretaps, Security and Excuses
The current wiretap flap is disturbing on many levels. The President is acting in a manner more befitting a dictator than the leader of a democracy, Congress is grandstanding and many right wing pundits are doing their usual partisan cheerleading instead of questioning the validity of the White House's actions.
I don't think there is any doubt that the White House is treading on very thin ice. They were well aware of the fact that their actions were legally dubious. I say this because they made a concious decision to not discuss this with Congress. They knew they would never get approval for their surveillance initiatives. They were warned about expanding their powers from numerous people, including Sen. Rockefeller, yet they went ahead anyway. The arrogance of power strikes.
Harry Reid mentioned that he knew about this a few months ago. If he knew, then others in Congress knew as well. Why did they not say something earlier? Why only after the NY Times broke the story did he and others call for an investigation and denounce the practice. Perhaps I am missing something, but it seems rather hypocritical to me.
And then there are the pundits. I listened to Laura Ingraham this morning on Good Morning America, or Today. She claimed that the White House needed these powers in the interest of speed, not mentioning the ability of the White House to get a court order 72 hours after the fact if needed. She knows that White House is treading on tenuous legal grounds, yet she refuses to admit it. That is reprehensible. She is not alone in siding with Bush. What will it take for her and others on the right to seriously question the administration? How far can they go in ignoring the law, deceiving the country or acting incompetently before she will say they are wrong? Or is she really just a intelligent, well-spoken cheerleader. A partisan debater, willing to take any position and argue before the public to further a political agenda despite its true validity. Never question, always accept seems her motto. My team, do or die.
No one is above the law in this country. Our government institutions are based on accountability and the concept of checks and balances. The President cannot act in a manner that ignores Congress or the courts. He is doing that now. The Imperial Presidency creeps closer.
Posted by Chip Spear at December 20, 2005 9:00 AM