Sen. Graham: “I Don’t Know Of Any Legal Basis” For Bush’s Secret Spying

[Thom Little]

It’s not just liberals who are suggesting that Bush’s secret domestic spying program was illegal. Here is conservative Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) this morning on Face the Nation:

SCHIEFFER: The Secretary of State said this morning that the president has statutory and constitutional authorization to do what he did. So I’ll start with Senator Graham. Does he have that authority, Senator?

LINDSEY GRAHAM: If he has the authority to go around the FISA court, which is a court to accommodate the law of the war of terror, the FISA Act was–created a court set up by the chief justice of the United States to allow a rapid response to requests for surveillance activity in the war on terror. I don’t know of any legal basis to go around that. There may be some, but I’m not aware of it. And here’s the concern I have. We can’t become an outcome-based democracy. Even in a time of war, you have to follow the process, because that’s what a democracy is all about: a process.


http://thinkprogress.org/2005/12/18/no-legal-basis/

[buddysmellgood]

1. Unfortunately, we don't have a form of democracy anymore. It's a police

state.

[shenmue]

2. That's true, Sen. Graham...

because there isn't any.

What B*** did is actually illegal.

[Kablooie]

6. God I hope so but ...

... there are legal arguments made in support of Bush's position and it
will be up to the Supreme Court to decide if those arguments were valid or not.

With our good friend Alito on the court, they may agree with the asshole opinions.
I sure hope not but their tentacles are still long.


http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/terrorism/fisa111802opn.pdf

[dwightspencer]

3. Senator Graham and His Conscience

All of Senator Graham's appearances lately have shown that he is not beholden to the whims of the administration or his party. You may recall that last Sunday he was sitting opposite Secretary Madeline Albright on Tim Russert's Meet the Press and one of the things he commented on most definitively was his disapproval of the RNC ad with the soldier standing in front of the doctored TV image with the white flags being waved by the Democratic leadership.

Senator Graham may prove to be a statesman above the culture of corruption that has taken over the beltway. Look for him to challenge the White House in the future, but he has to have some backup. We all know that nothing is done without coalitions in Washington. Right now he has Senators John Warner, and John McCain giving him support. Unfortunately, those two are playing a presidential bid too close to their chests to be believed.

[neverforget]

4. The process is all about Bush assuming complete control.

[ngGale]

5. Did you notice how Sen. Graham threw this in...

regarding voting in Iraq, "well you could also take look at the US." They just ignored that remark and kept moving forward. :thumbsup: