Dick "Drunk On My Power" Cheney: "We have all the legal authority we need"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

February 07,2006 | WASHINGTON -- Vice President Dick Cheney shrugged off congressional criticism of the Bush administration's domestic eavesdropping program Tuesday, suggesting some in the know who previously raised no objections were changing their tune.

He also expressed little interest in working with Congress to settle legal disputes.

"We believe that we have all the legal authority we need," Cheney said in an interview on PBS' "NewsHour With Jim Lehrer."

Asked about calls from the day before from both Democratic and some Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to work with Congress to sort out differences, Cheney said, "Well, I don't think it would necessarily be in the interests of the country especially if we get into a situation where the legislative process leads to the disclosure of sensitive operational matters with respect to this program."

http://www.salon.com/wire/ap/archive.html?wire=D8FKIIC00.html

[LSparkle]

1. What a nasty old fuck ...

FIRST candidate for impeachment, IMHO.

[Webster Green]

7. I have a button that says: "Impeach Cheney First"...

I wore it when I met Al & Tipper Gore at a book signing, and they both loved the button.

[Mythsaje]

2. "Embracing the Dark Side feels so GOOD." n/t

[pinkpops]

3. He said legislators who were briefed "did not object until it became

public"
(answer = did not but could not)
Also said Republicans on the Judiciary committee are not in the class above because they were not briefed. (Why tell a bunch of lawyers when you don't need another opinion)

[orleans]

4. he is such a liar. can we impeach a vp first because i really

think he's the "brains behind the" puppet

[jcv1]

5. we are missing an opportunity

The point that needs to be made is not coming through... most, if not all Americans want to be able to use whatever means available to catch the "bad guys" and stop any planned terrorist attacks. The MEANS to do this is already available and our government HAS to abide by the Constitution and and applicable statutes... so, any argument that Bush makes that he already has the legal authority to conduct warrantless wiretaps on Americans can be countered by 3 reasons:

1. Bush stated in the campaign stop in Buffalo, NY that warrants are needed to wiretap, even potential terrorists

2. Tom Daschle has stated Bush wanted to insert exactly this type of authority to wiretap domestically in the Patriot Act and was REFUSED by Congress

3. Mike Dewine of Ohio tried to get the threshold for obtaining warrants lowered from probable cause to reasonable suspician in 2004 and the Bush Administration DECLINED

Jimmy Carter said today Bush broke the law and he hopes the Supreme Court rules on it... I think despite the right-wing bent of the Court now, they will be swayed by the full Congressional consideration during debates that what the NSA is doing now is ILLEGAL

[Klukie]

8. constitutional question?

I have no doubt that what this administraton is doing is illegal in reguards to this program. They seem to be ruling over the rights granted to us in the fourth amendment via article 2 of the constitution. My question pertains to the ninth amendment in the bill of rights. I may be completely wrong here, but isn't this amendment providing for this exact situation?

[jcv1]

9. 9th amendment

Not sure what you are aiming at but my interpretation of the 9th is that whatever rights (of the people) are enumerated do not mean the list is exclusive... it doesn't mean the government has unlimited rights

[Klukie]

11. ninth amendment

I'm really not sure of the interpretation of this amendment. Today was the first time I ever read it. I am probably completely wrong, but I read it to mean that one right couldn't be used to stamp out any other rights. Hopefully someone can educate me on this.

[Vickers]

10. Are you saying that the 9th *protects* against stuff like illegal

wiretapping? I could see that.

What the 9th Amendment does in my non-lawyer mind is remind the government that it is impossible to point out every stinking thing that should be a right, so they made a blanket statement to say "Don't be a dick."

[Flabbergasted]

6. Striking Resemblance to Darth Vader

[LittleClarkie]

12. Gee, would those sensitive matters

be the information y'all said you'd ALREADY given to Congress?

Which is it? You're keeping them informed, or you're keeping them in the dark?

[JudyM]

13. OK, well since the sneermonkey thinks so, it must be. And his conflicts

of interest with energy co's and Halliburton are also perfectly ethical.