Senator Byrd coming up on C-Span 2 n/t

[Sydnie]

[stevedeshazer]

1. On now

Democrates

[Up2Late]

2. Oh this should be GOOD!

might take him a bit of time to get crankin' though. He's starting off with very historic references.

[Sydnie]

3. "Who least serves the State? He who does not speak his mind"

Talking about the I Spy President!

[rpgamerd00d]

4. Oooo, he waved his constitution at them! :)

:D

[suffragette]

5. Constitution time

:) Go, Senator Byrd.

[stevedeshazer]

6. "Those who disagree w/ this President are deemed Domestic Terrorists!" n/t

[stevedeshazer]

7. Rendition - Black Sites - Secrets

[Sydnie]

8. Already shown his constitution.

FBI has requited 10's of thousands of Americans to turn over their records and no way to challenge a permenant gag order.

Charges of secret renditions - where abuse and terror has been exported to protect us against human rights abuses.

We know that Cheney has asked for exemption from the McCain bill.

[Kadie]

9. Shame! Shame!

Go Sen. Byrd!

[stevedeshazer]

10. Thank God VP Cheney rejected

Stomach-churning - Bush circumvented courts and Conghress - SHAME SHAME SHAME

[stevedeshazer]

11. Fourth Amendment

[stevedeshazer]

12. MUST SEE TV

C-Span 2

[Sydnie]

13. "What is the President thinking?"

Clear violation of the Fourth Amendment.

If anybody in this country knows when there has been a violation of the Constitution ... It's Byrd.

[LSK]

14. where in the Constitution are they allowed to spy on citizens

[stevedeshazer]

15. KICK

[CountAllVotes]

16. a clear violation of the 4th Amendment!!!

Byrd keep on going! We need a real patriot like you! :patriot:

:kick:

[bluedog]

18. loud and clear"violation" of 4th Amendment! !n/t

[stevedeshazer]

17. President claims - hear me - are within his control

Make no mistake the powers granted are specifically as those of the armed forces

[Sydnie]

19. Powers granted to the President are of head of the armed forces

not to spy on innocent citizens. Conducted against citizens on American soil. There is nothing that grants the President the power to spy on American Citizens. <-- paraphrased

[Sydnie]

20. He is nailing them on everything

black sites, torture, spying on our citizens.

Those powers are only for KINGS!

[Sydnie]

21. This constitution STILL LIVES!

This constitution was written for all time!

Quotes Thomas Paine "These are the times that try mens souls."

[Drum]

22. OMG...continue to be so proud of him!

I grew up in WV...left there after m'first two decades, in '83, but I am still so proud and attentive to what he says. He loves the US Constitution, and relishes the opportunity to show it.

You rock, Senator Byrd!

I hope we can get a transcript of the speech (I missed the beginning) later. Will anybody post a link please?

[Sydnie]

27. Was raised there too - left in '79 - but I agree with you completely

My father was in the State House of Delegates when I was small. I saw Byrd often during that time. He was a giant to me then. He is bigger still now.

[Reciprocity]

I missed the beginning too. So yes a transcript of the speech is needed.

[BeHereNow]

23. RULE OF LAW...GO BYRD!

Exactly!
BHN

[underpants]

24. Byrd followed up by Stan Laurel

WOw talk about a big drop off

[helderheid]

25. I applauded at my computer screen - that was beautiful!

[Sydnie]

26. "our ancestors scorned to bear even a gentle master"

I love this man!!! :loveya:

[kentuck]

28. the Senator said it was time to stop the domestic spying on US citizens...

And he said it may need some judicial review. He is very angry at this surprise announcement by Dubya Bush...

[cinci_democrat]

29. Question...

What, if anything, could the dems in Congress that were informed of this breach of the constitution (i.e. Daschle, Reid...) do to to stop this? Did they have any recourse, or were they bound by the fact that this was top secret? Could the "leak" to the NYT have come from congress?

[Sydnie]

34. I'm not even sure I would classify this as a leak

A leak was what WPO was printing about Watergate. It was real time. It effected daily action at the time in which it took place. This is news that they (NYT) have SAT ON for over a year. Obviously, the NYT's thought it was time to come clean with what they knew for the good of the country. They should have "leaked it" last year before the election.

I think someone said something that lead to a conversation that revealed this info to the reporter. Then he was pressured not to say anything. I, for one, am glad they finally woke up and realized we had a right to know.

As for the "leak" coming from Congress ... have you heard of even ONE member stating, for a fact, that they KNEW this was going on and did nothing? Even now, when blivet** says they knew ... wouldn't someone step forward and back up his story that someone ... anyone ... other than those actually carrying out the order ... actually KNEW it was happening. If anyone knew, I would bet it was Frist, Delay and Hastert ... and no one else. Who else could they really trust other than those that are already so dirty that they are in their own personal spider holes already?

[cinci_democrat]

37. You're right NYT sat on the story

for a year or more, which just begs the question..why report it now, why come clean now? I do believe Daschle and Reid have said that they were informed that the unauthorized taps were occurring.

[Sydnie]

41. I haven't heard that about Daschle or Reid but I must stand corrected

http://upload.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5639974&mesg_id=5639974

It appears that Jay Rockefeller did know and names names/positions of those that were at the meeting too. He even went so far as to place a copy of his letter to Cheney about it in a secure place ... I presume in case he got "disappeared".

[Gregorian]

30. Sessions is a eunuch.

I just had to say that.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

31. Durbin up now...

"Everyone should read the speech Byrd just gave if they didn't see it."

[Drum]

32. Agreed!

A great follow-up, as if Sessions was only a commercial interruption...Durbin takes the baton and keeps running with it!

[Sydnie]

35. Durbin showing HIS constitution. I think every speaker on this issue

should do the same. Show your Constitution if you got on. If you don't ... get one NOW. Show it when you are speaking on this spying/law breaking event!

[Viva_La_Revolution]

33. His speech is up on his webpage..! whooohoooo!

December 19, 2005


No President Is Above the Law




Senator Byrd on Monday expressed his strong concerns about possible violations of the Constitution in the Bush Administration's admitted practice of spying on American citizens.

"Americans have been stunned at the recent news of the abuses of power by an overzealous President. It has become apparent that this Administration has engaged in a consistent and unrelenting pattern of abuse against our Country’s law-abiding citizens, and against our Constitution.

We have been stunned to hear reports about the Pentagon gathering information and creating databases to spy on ordinary Americans whose only sin is choose to exercise their First Amendment right to peaceably assemble. Those Americans who choose to question the Administration’s flawed policy in Iraq are labeled by this Administration as “domestic terrorists.”

We now know that the F.B.I.’s use of National Security Letters on American citizens has increased one hundred fold, requiring tens of thousands of individuals to turn over personal information and records. These letters are issued without prior judicial review, and provide no real means for an individual to challenge a permanent gag order."


the rest here... http://byrd.senate.gov/newsroom/news_dec/law_for_all.html

[Reciprocity]

36. Thanks Viva for posting this.

I don't know about you, but I'm still recovering from last night. My brain is mush.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

39. I was just thinking a nap would be reaalllyy good right now!

[doublethink]

40. Make that three of us ......

:boring:

[CountAllVotes]

38. thanks

I'm going to print this! Thank you!! :kick:

:kick: