Senate Judiciary Committee
Attorney General Gonzales testified at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings investigation of Bush's claim that the Congressional resolution authorizing the use of force against al Qaeda provided Bush with the power to bypass restrictions of the domestic surveillance imposed by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Conservative Republican Lindsey Graham said: "I'll be the first to say, when I voted for it, I never envisioned that I was giving to this president or any other president the ability to go around FISA carte blanche."
Regarding the argument that Bush has the power under the Constitution to authorize the warrantless wiretapping, Senator Graham stated: “Such a view would undermine the principle of checks and balances. Taken to its logical conclusion, it could basically neuter the Congress and weaken the courts. When the nation's at war, I would argue you need checks and balances more than ever."
Under questioning by Democrat Joseph Biden it became clear that Bush's domestic spy program isn’t contributing anything to protecting Americans from al Qaeda type terrorism. Senator Biden asked whether the program had achieved any results. Attorney General Gonzales claimed, it had helped identify would-be terrorists here in the United States. Biden asked: "Have we arrested those people we've identified as terrorists in the United States?" Gonzales replied: "When we can use our law enforcement tools to go after the bad guys, we do that." Senator Biden concluded: “It kind of worries me because you all talk about how you identify these people, and I've not heard anything about anybody being arrested."
The reason Gonzales was reluctance to discuss the achievements of Bush's domestic spying program was revealed on the front page of The Washington Post. The articles stated: "Intelligence officers who eavesdropped on thousands of Americans in overseas calls under authority from President Bush have dismissed nearly all of them as potential suspects after hearing nothing pertinent to a terrorist threat, according to accounts from current and former government officials and private-sector sources with knowledge of the technologies in use."
Republican members of Congress accept being neutered, in order to continue to receive reelection support from a culture of corruption.
Conservative Republican Lindsey Graham said: "I'll be the first to say, when I voted for it, I never envisioned that I was giving to this president or any other president the ability to go around FISA carte blanche."
Regarding the argument that Bush has the power under the Constitution to authorize the warrantless wiretapping, Senator Graham stated: “Such a view would undermine the principle of checks and balances. Taken to its logical conclusion, it could basically neuter the Congress and weaken the courts. When the nation's at war, I would argue you need checks and balances more than ever."
Under questioning by Democrat Joseph Biden it became clear that Bush's domestic spy program isn’t contributing anything to protecting Americans from al Qaeda type terrorism. Senator Biden asked whether the program had achieved any results. Attorney General Gonzales claimed, it had helped identify would-be terrorists here in the United States. Biden asked: "Have we arrested those people we've identified as terrorists in the United States?" Gonzales replied: "When we can use our law enforcement tools to go after the bad guys, we do that." Senator Biden concluded: “It kind of worries me because you all talk about how you identify these people, and I've not heard anything about anybody being arrested."
The reason Gonzales was reluctance to discuss the achievements of Bush's domestic spying program was revealed on the front page of The Washington Post. The articles stated: "Intelligence officers who eavesdropped on thousands of Americans in overseas calls under authority from President Bush have dismissed nearly all of them as potential suspects after hearing nothing pertinent to a terrorist threat, according to accounts from current and former government officials and private-sector sources with knowledge of the technologies in use."
Republican members of Congress accept being neutered, in order to continue to receive reelection support from a culture of corruption.
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