Roberts Turns Around
18 February 2006 9:23 am by Taylor Marsh
Roberts Turns Around
The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said
Friday that he wanted the Bush administration's domestic eavesdropping program
brought under the authority of a special intelligence court, a move President
Bush has argued is not necessary.The chairman, Senator Pat Roberts, Republican of Kansas,
said he had some concerns that the court could not issue warrants quickly
enough to keep up with the needs of the eavesdropping program. But he said
he would like to see those details worked out.Mr. Roberts also said he did not believe that exempting
the program from the purview of the court created by the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act “would be met with much support” on Capitol Hill.
Yet that is exactly the approach the Bush administration is pursuing.Mr. Roberts also said he did not believe that exempting
the program from the purview of the court created by the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act “would be met with much support” on Capitol Hill.
Yet that is exactly the approach the Bush administration is pursuing. …
…
Senate
Chairman Splits With Bush on Spy Program
Don't kid yourself, this is a problem for the president. Roberts
doesn't buck the bosses often, but it seems he's had an attack of I'm looking
like an ass. It's also just as likely, especially given that last part
I posted above, that a couple of Republicans got in his face. There is no way
this doddering butt kisser wants to be cast aside by his own, because he just
doesn't have the spine for it. He's a “chairman” as much as much as
George W. Bush is a listener. Roberts likes his post, but he's basically there
to push what the president and vice president want.
I don't think it's a stretch to also say that Vice President Dick
Cheney has lost some power this week over his reprehensible behavior, lack of
candor and very poor judgment. Roberts and Cheney are very close. The NSA spying
program is partially Cheney's child. All you have to do is listen to Gonzales
talking to Charlie Rose to understand Cheney is considered the “expert”
where this illegal spying is concerned. It's not an accident that Roberts turned
around to go in a different direction at the end of a week that had Bush's muscled
man publicly emasculated, at least where members of the Senate are concerned.
Some in middle America may not be paying attention to Cheney's
alibi shenanigans, but hunters across this country certainly are interested,
with Republicans in the Senate, even some in the House, realizing that this White
House isn't going to be much help in 2006. Or maybe they've just had enough? Cheney shooting Whittington accidentally
wouldn't have done this alone, but the way it was handled, including Cheney believing
he had the right to evade local authorities goes to the heart of the arrogance
and abuse of power of this Administration.
It's a long way from over, but this is a sign of a much larger
problem for the president on his illegal wiretapping. We still may not get a
verdict on its illegality, but if Specter can get it reviewed by the FISA court
we may be able to get a solid and binding opinion on its constitutionality.
