Specter barely bothered to cover his ass this time. In return for deep-sixing any effective investigation into the ongoing NSA wiretapping the White House promises to think real hard about legislation requiring that the Bush administration will follow the law. The saddest part of all:
They said Cheney, who plays a key role supervising NSA counterterrorism efforts, promised that the Bush administration would consider legislation proposed by Specter that would place a domestic surveillance program under scrutiny of a special federal court.
I propose a deal with anybody who thinks that Specter made a smart bargain. You send me fifty dollars and I will consider sending you the keys to my Honda. I may go even farther and think real hard about it. Sounds like a winner, no?
People who assume innocence because nothing has been proven can celebrate because, surprise!, we won’t have an investigation. It sure would be nice if I could “beat” a murder charge by stonewalling the investigators, but apparently only government elites get that priviledge. Bully for them.
Mr Furious
I said it the other day regarding a completely different issue, and I say it again here: When will someone put Specter out of his/our misery.
I was reallly hopeful that a battle with cancer, the fact that he is never running again and his general irascibility meant he would start standing up to these guys…I mean, what exactly are they holding over him at this point?
Pb
What does that even mean?
That they won’t veto it? They don’t veto anything!
That they’ll tap the majority leader on the shoulder and say “psst consider this bill by this Specter guy, I know he’s only the head of the judiciary committee and not a lobbyist but you should look at it anyhow”?
Or did they quietly seize lawmaking powers as well under some bogus Article II argument while I wasn’t looking?
Last I checked, Congress considers legislation, not the Bush administration. They’re, like, the ‘lawmaking body’, and stuff. Note to Cheney: don’t become a civics teacher–unless it’s Roman civics.
Pb
Mr Furious,
Maybe they’ll replace his medications with fake pills if he doesn’t co-operate? Sometimes you can’t teach an old dog new tricks–and all this one knows how to do is roll over and play dead…
Tim F.
His committee chair.
Mr Furious
Yeah, I realize that. But would they really yank it? At this point he’s not really using it anyway… Does he go home and feel like the complete jackass sell-out that he is, or is he proud of himself?
Get some fucking dignity, Arlen.
yet another jeff
Yep, the chair…they’ll take away his power to do what he’s told if he doesn’t do what he’s told.
So, he’s going to consider a law requiring the President to obey the law. Sounds like a winner.
John S.
Ask Trent Lott about what the Republican party is willing to do. I think you’ll find the answer to your question is a resounding ‘yes’.
JoeTx
So has Trent Lott rebuilt his house on the coast so that he and dubya can sit and swing their retirement days away?
PeterJ
And some people say wiretaps don’t work.
At least Senator Specter knows better now.
Leo
The testicular cancer seems to have spread to his spine.
(ouch i can’t believe I wrote that)
PeterJ
Actually, the doctors had to remove his balls.
Pooh
Doesn’t the law already do that? Hint: it starts with an F and ends with an A…
Of course, by ‘consider’ Cheney just means he’ll tell Congress to go fuck itself to their faces.
srv
I hear his Medal of Freedom is in the mail.
Mark-NC
You filed this under “Republican Stupidity”.
It should be simply – Republican!
Jon H
“Of course, by ‘consider’ Cheney just means he’ll tell Congress to go fuck itself to their faces.”
With a shotgun.