tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734864.post113504005179597499..comments2024-01-04T08:02:29.500-05:00Comments on Attempts: On the Dangers of George Bush's Unconstitutional WiretapsStephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16524368948187746248noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734864.post-1135460195282170252005-12-24T16:36:00.000-05:002005-12-24T16:36:00.000-05:00Dear RU:I read Schmidt's piece, and was unimpresse...Dear RU:<BR/><BR/>I read Schmidt's piece, and was unimpressed (and certainly unpersuaded). I think perhaps we should agree to disagree.<BR/><BR/>As for your Article 2 point, all I'll say is that it's begging the question. <I>Of course</I> the President has powers Congress can't take away; the question is whether or not warrantless wiretaps are among them. I think -- and the solid majority of the legal opinions I've seen claim -- that they quite clearly aren't. Though obviously this will be clarified if there's ever a proper investigation.<BR/><BR/>I think that, at the very least, the impeachment of Bush is both warranted and necessary; that this question needs to be explored with subpoena powers that can get at what he really did. I am open to the possibility that, once fully explored, he will be found to have acted within the law -- this is a reality-based blog, after all -- but I seriously, seriously doubt it.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, Merry Christmas to all you Central Standard Time folks too.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16524368948187746248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734864.post-1135362028223142112005-12-23T13:20:00.000-05:002005-12-23T13:20:00.000-05:00Did you read John Schmidt's Chicago Tribune piece ...Did you read John Schmidt's Chicago Tribune piece I sent you? <BR/><BR/>Article II has long been viewed as conferring powers on the President that Congress, despite its best efforts, cannot limit or constrain.<BR/><BR/>To get on this left-wing impeachment bandwagon is silly. Stick to evolution, where you are right on.<BR/><BR/>Merry Christmas!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734864.post-1135202523161917752005-12-21T17:02:00.000-05:002005-12-21T17:02:00.000-05:00The question is not whether or not we can monitor ...The question is not whether or not we can monitor Al Queda communications on a real-time basis. That's allowed under FISA (with retroactive warrants allowed if time is an issue, so it's not a question of efficiency either). The question is whether or not the President should have the authority to do this without supervision, or if he should have to go to a judge (when -- to repeat -- this does not hamper efficiency).<BR/><BR/>Actually, even that's overstating matters. If people really thought that the President had to do this without warrants for security reasons (say, that a new technology makes warrants effectively impossible, as some are speculating), then go to Congress and get the authority. So the issue isn't even warrants or no (although that <I>should</I> be an issue when Congress debates it, as should the issue of a check on Presidential authority). The issue is whether or not the President can <I>unilaterally set aside the law based only on his own belief that it's necessary</I>.<BR/><BR/>If he can, the constitution is meaningless and we live in a dictatorship. I prefer the constitution.<BR/><BR/>Impeach George Bush. Impeach him now.<BR/><BR/>SF<BR/><BR/>PS: "inconsistent with all of his predecessors" -- I just don't think this is factually accurate.<BR/><BR/>PPS: Whatever happened to conservatives being suspicious of excessive government power?Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16524368948187746248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13734864.post-1135171825443488182005-12-21T08:30:00.000-05:002005-12-21T08:30:00.000-05:00Now this might be an impeachable offense: A POTUS...Now this might be an impeachable offense: A POTUS, relying on a narrow reading of Art II, US Const. (inconsistent with that of all of his predecessors, by the way) refuses to allow the intercept and translation on a real-time basis of electronic communications between Al Queda operatives, and as a result, four commercial jetliners are highjacked and then crashed in the US -- killling thousands --all of which could have been prevented if we had had the intercepts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com