Sen Kerry hits Hayden nomination, unchecked NSA spying in AU speech today

[TayTay]

Sen. John Kerry has included the following remarks in his speech to American University today:

America has always embraced the best traditions of civilized conduct
toward combatants and non-combatants in war. But today our leaders hold
themselves above the law—in the way they not only treat prisoners in Abu
Ghraib, but assert unchecked power to spy on American citizens.

We witnessed the CIA being bullied by the Rumsfeld Pentagon and the Cheney
White House into shredding its credibility with unfounded claims of “slam
dunk” evidence for mythical weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Now that
the President has tapped the chief defender of his warrantless wiretapping
program to become CIA Director, we must demand a full and vigorous debate
over the nomination of Michael Hayden to head this wayward agency.

Peter Hoekstra, Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee
describes this nominee as “the wrong person, in the wrong place, at the
wrong time.”

His words ring especially true on a day when we are reminded of the
Administration’s determination to keep the extent of their illegal
domestic spying program secret. Just today, the Department of Justice
abruptly ended an investigation into the conduct of department lawyers who
approved the program – not because the approving lawyers were cleared of
wrongdoing but because investigators were denied the information to
conduct the investigation. All this on a day when we learn the NSA isn’t
just listening to international calls but is collecting the phone call
records of tens of millions of Americans who aren’t suspected of
wrong-doing. How many times will government secrecy shield decision-makers
from any kind of accountability?

Enough is enough. It is long overdue for this Congress to end the days of
roll-over and rubber stamp and finally assert its power of advise and
consent before General Hayden becomes Director Hayden and proves Chairman
Hoekstra right by doing the job wrong.”

Kerry has been giving a series of speeches recently to highlight his plan for a withdrawal of troops from Iraq and the right of Americans to dissent from the Administration's position on the war and other issues.

[seabeyond]

1. illegal domestic spying program

kerry couldnt be any more clear on his position

[TayTay]

2. Unbelievable. This Admin is just criminal

They want to create a record of all domestic phonecalls? This is beyond disgusting and way, way beyond what current law and the Constitution allows.

I want to hear all Dems (hell all Repubs as well) speaking up about this. We have a right to be 'secure in our persons against unreasonable searches and seizures.'

The Bush Admin is engaged in criminal conspiracies to deprive the people of the liberties.

[emulatorloo]

3. and it bears repeating - Kerry: "thier illegal domestic spying program"

EOM

[seabeyond]

15. and again, cause some dem is going to say kerry never spoke out

against the illegal domestic spying program..... lol lol lol

you are funny

[yellerpup]

4. Good start, Mr. Kerry

Now step up and claim your presidency.

[blm]

28. The public may be just about ready to listen about machine fraud, too.

.

[bigtree]

5. fighting for us

k'd & r'd

[wisteria]

6. Alright! I am mad about the report today in USA Today. It is time

to get upset now. Any of us could be on this list. Hayden is part of this process. This all reminds me of the Beetles lyrics to "Back in the USSR".



Honey disconnect the phone
I'm back in the U.S.S.R.
You don't know how lucky you are boy
Back in the U.S.
Back in the U.S.
Back in the U.S.S.R.

I am happy to know that Senator Kerry is speaking up!

[saltpoint]

7. Beautiful. Hurray for John Kerry. This latest report on NSA data-mining

is appalling.

[TayTay]

8. It is unconstitutional! This is what brought down Nixon.

This is untrammeled abuse of the rights of Americans.

4th Amendment to the US Constitution:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

[saltpoint]

11. Hi, TayTay. Yes. I'm piping mad on this one. The sheer gall of these

assholes is beyond belief.

In another thread I urge DUers to contact their government officials to express their displeasure at the NSA data-mining. For anyone on this thread, the contact forms are at:

Members of the U.S. Senate:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senat...

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives:

http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml

President Bush:

[e-mail]

or

[e-mail]

= = = = ==

I think you are exactly right about the pure illegality of the program, and I expect pressure to mount now on REPUBLICANS to consider articles of impeachment.

I've had about all I can take of these thieves and liars.

[TayTay]

13. Me too Old Crusoe, me too!

Republicans are in violation of their oaths of office if they don't question this program. They swored to 'preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.'

This is beyond disgusting. These peole have engineered a silent coup of the US government. They need to be brought down.

[WiseButAngrySara]

16. Thanks Old Crusoe! Maybe you can list the DU link in this post so

the original thread can be kicked, and more DUers will see it and likely respond to it?

[saltpoint]

18. I won't without a green light from TayTay.

Happy to throw in to spread the word but it's TayTay's original message, and would defer to OP's wishes.

[TayTay]

20. Please, please do!

OC: All hands on deck and all good calls for people to SEE what is really going on are most welcome.

(And you can 'hijack' a thread of mine anyday. I can only imagine it being improved by your kind and thoughtful comments.)

[saltpoint]

23. The earned praise is yours for the posts you contribute on these

boards, TayTay.

It doesn't even have to be regarding Senator Kerry, although your posts on Kerry are very good 10% of the time and magnificent the other 90%.

I will try a link or two and see if it generates any traffic.

This NSA update report today could be Mr. Bush's undoing. If NSA officials are permitted to monitor our phone calls, is it also ok for them to peep into our windows at night?

I think the Democratic Party needs to ram this one down the Republicans' throats.

[TayTay]

24. Agreed!

(and, blush, blush. You silver-tongued devil you.)

This could force the Rethug Congress to address this. It is one thing for Rethugs to stand up and say, 'What's all the fuss about? We only tap the phones of terrorists' to seeing that MILLIONS of phone calls, domestically, are being tapped and recorded.

Bastards. Friggin power-hungry bastards.

[Frustratedlady]

29. You asked "is it also ok for them to peep into our windows at night?"

They probably have on their way to lie under our bed. You know how this bunch can be about that kinda stuff. ;(

[saltpoint]

30. LOL! And they don't just lie under the bed, either. They lie at

press conferences, staff briefings, public events, campaign appearances, radio and television interviews -- they lie all the time no matter where they are.

[jean]

9. Speeches water the issue down and won't be televised. Short, hard-hitting

sound bytes will make their way online and on screen to more people than a nice speech will.

I understand Sen Kerry is giving speeches to delineate his Iraq exit plan, but this issue really needs immediate one-two punches, nonstop. We need a drumbeat, thumping and pounding.

[TayTay]

14. I agree with this.

Dems need to be all over this on tv and radio and in OpEds.

This is unAmerican.

[jean]

17. The country needs patriots pounding the hell out of this NOW - on every

every available radio, tv and computer screen.

[MH1]

34. He's giving speeches to college students to work them up...listen to it

There's an audio link to the speech floating around DU. You should listen to the speech, especially toward the end (skip to the last 10 minutes if you're short of time), and then maybe it will seem more useful for him to be giving speeches like this.

Edit to add: the audio file is posted here - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2951
Please check it out... I think what you say is important and true to some degree, but he is out there trying to reach the youth through colleges and universities... I think both methods are called for!

[jean]

37. I love Kerry's speeches, always. It's just we need sound bytes on tv

and radio and that won't happen with speeches

[sandnsea]

40. "illegal domestic spying program"

What more do you want?

[M_Moretti]

36. ROFLMAO

Sorry, but your soundbyte theory is a prime example of your underestimating the intelligence of the American people. We don't want our politics marketed to us... you'd think you'd learn after all this bs went down in flames after Dean's loss. The people rejected having soundbytes thrown at them.. we want substance, not catchphrases.

I like Kerry's speeches, they illustrate just how right on he is on the subject and just how foolish those who refused to vote for him were the last time.

[jean]

38. I love Kerry's speeches - fabulous orator. It's not 'my' theory, sorry.

Just the way our media works.

[democrank]

10. Thank you, Senator Kerry.

He`s right. Enough is enough.

[demdiva]

12. Bravo! Thank you Senator Kerry.

And thanks karendc for posting it!

[cascadiance]

19. I wonder if spies were in my house yesterday?...

Came home to find my living room computer rebooted. Everything else in that area and house circuit was intact, including a DVD paused where I'd left it paused in a DVD player from yesterday, so it wasn't a power outage. I'm going to have to check the logs later when I get some time to do so.

Normally I'd write it off to some weirdness that caused NT to reboot, which it's not known to do. But with all of the spying going on now, and my various posts on web sites, etc. one has to wonder when these sort of things happen! It's a shame that we now have to second guess such things in our country now! :(

[Reader Rabbit]

21. In Sci-Fi circles, AU = Alternative Universe

And that's how I originally interpreted your subject line. Let's hope that Dems standing up and speaking out stops being AU behavior.

[TayTay]

26. Ahm, Rethuglia is an AU

I kind of think that is a good slip. It's true.

[Sparkman]

22. Better late than never. Kerry could have been President, damn the media.

Why the docile public tolerates corporate news management prooves how punk the U.S. has become.
Strong nations don't support despots, straw-grasping Empires need dictators to make the wealthy, feel secure, and disconnected from daily struggle for necessities.

[TayTay]

25. Post from Sen. Kerry up on DKos

that further explains this.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/5/11/131958/592

[demdiva]

27. WhooHooo! I love Kerry posts.

[MH1]

33. Me too! nt

[saltpoint]

31. 'appreciate your posting this.... I'll hop over there and check it out.

[ProSense]

32. Fantastic! Thanks. n/t

[autorank]

35. John is going up river for us. I am truly gateful he's pursing this fight

He's the best positioned Democrat to do it after BCCI "boot camp."

* is toast on this one.

[DearAbby]

39. SHUT IT DOWN!!

Until you get answers, this has to stop NOW! The Constitution is in danger, the enemy is DOMESTIC, it is the Administration. SHUT IT DOWN, Not one more item debated, not one more bill passed, until you get answers, and stop this abuse of Power!


SHUT THE GOD DAMN THING DOWN!