Is the Bush Administration getting nervous about growing GOP defections concerning their warrantless NSA domestic eavesdropping program?
A rare Saturday email to Congressional members announcing a last-minute scheduled briefing on Monday by the Dept. of Justice would seem to indicate that may be the case.
The email, sent earlier today and obtained by The BRAD BLOG, notified Congressional Republicans and Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee of the newly announced briefing for Monday — in advance of next Wednesday’s mark-up of two Resolutions of Inquiry being put forward in the committee.
The email announcement follows in full…
Sent: Saturday, February 11, 2006 11:14 AM
To: Cylke, Chris; Judiciary, Rep Leg Staff; Judiciary, Dem Staff & LAs
Cc: Judiciary, Majority Staff
Subject: Unclassified briefing by DOJ on NSA surveillance program
Importance: High
Will be held at 3 pm on Monday, Feb 13th. Presentation will be followed by an opportunity for Q & A. This briefing is for Judiciary Committee Members and staff only. If you have questions, please contact Beth Sokul at 5-3951.
Christopher Cylke
House Judiciary Committee
A House staffer confirmed to The BRAD BLOG that such Saturday notices are very unusual and speculated that the White House may be becoming increasing concerned about GOP defections concerning the legality of their warrantless domestic eavesdropping program.
The staffer speculated the move may be meant as an attempt to give the House Judiciary Committee a way to say, “Well, we’ve had this briefing now, so there’s no need for full hearings on it.”
Next Wednesday, the Committee is scheduled for mark-up of the two following resolutions:
The mark-up conference will be carried live on the web next Wednesday, February 15, 2006 beginning at 10:00am ET.
Full audio and video will be available via the Judiciary Committee website at www.Judiciary.House.gov
You know what? Fuck em. The thugs couldn’t tell the truth if their lives depended on it.
Between this event, the national security whistleblowers hearing (with an NSA person testifying) on Tuesday, and Able Danger on Wednesday, next week looks like an important week.
My birthday is next Sunday, and I want the whole administration behind bars for my birthday present, please.
I’ve read the resolutions as stated above.
One has to wonder what there is to "mark-up." Is that Beltway-speak for "take all the life out of it?"
I suspect so. Where republicans are, thither goeth filth and corruption.
Bloviate about nsa for three days do nothing and Brownie is all forgotten. Excellent plan Karl.
The word "briefing" carries an air of legitimacy, as in "the facts." But the White House isn’t interested in dispensing facts, only self-protective crap, like Gonzales offered at the hearings.
Let’s not use "briefing" any more. Let’s find a better word. How about "dissassembling?"
Sorry, W. I couldn’t resist.
Lets make sure they’re MORE than worried….
Put every member of congress’ job on ice, support their challenger and vow to PERMANENTLY kick them out if they do NOT open up an NSA spying probe….
Aka impeachment probe. That will get them moving and force them to not try to change the law.
Get busy in your own states…..take away the voting machines, and ban their illegal use by going to the court and other.
Doug
I would not read too much into this, they are more nervous about me. 🙂
http://patrickjfitzgerald.blogspot.com 😎
I recommend an email to the commitee. Here is mine.
To Judiciary Committee Members and staff,
I am very concerned that the house of representatives has not been investigating the wiretapping invextigations on thier own. This is a particular example of the flagrant violations of the house of representatives that have been going on in the last few years.
It worries me and my friend and family when I hear that the president is breaking the law and he is determined to continue doing so. I am also very worried by press reports of republicans being threatened by blacklisting by Karl Rove and the executive branch.
I think we should have hearings about Mr Rove threatening the operation of the other branches of the goverment. With the scandels and war going on right now I am curious why The House has not made it self heard.
I was very heartened by Rep Wilson’s ability to lead on the wiretap issue but I fear that other voices are being bullied by the executive branch. I hope that there will be hearings on this and the issues that Mr. Conyers has been addressing.
On another note I am curious why the house is no longer in control of making war. It seems as if we have been involved in several deceptions since the gulf of tonkin that have led to terrible war and money lost. Why has The House , which was our bulwark aginst this, neglected it’s duty in this respect? I love this country but what is going on with our goverment?
With respect,
Charles Manning
This is a push to release details hitherto unreleased
(i.e., lies) about the wonderful results achieved under the present NSA/warrantless wiretap program. Betcha money. Variation on the spin of "how we saved the LA tower". They are trying to fake a justification. Those FISA judges who resigned and protested had better speak up to provide some credible resistance. The eyes are coming off the ball if people start thinking "this program actually did work at least once to stop terrorists"—
RLM #6 –
Exactly. Another pre-emptive spin session to bore, blur, blinker and blind the already dull-witted, sinecure-bloated and -dependent members of OUR congress? Oh, yes. And since Roverer has publicly threatened "defectors," you can be sure the consciousness of that will enter into the mix too.
A great comment I read somewhere and won’t forget, is that the only way for the Bush cartel to crumble is from patriotic Republicans who take them down. As long as all the Republicans fall in line with the non-conservative radical neo-cons, we’ll keep getting stonewalling and Bush’s appointees telling US he’s not breaking the law. And it’s happening. Thank God.
They should be mad, anyway, because the neo-con creeps took over the Republican party. And it’s not even the actual elected Republicans, it’s the cabinet and other non-elected people Bush nominatied or picked. I think the elected Republicans should be ripping mad that Bush took down the Republican Party. And I think rightwing media is in on it, like the Rush Limbaugh show. You see how quickly Rush Limbaugh will turn against any Republican who disagrees with Bush. No debate, even within the GOP. The Republicans have been castrated by Bush & the non-elected neo-cons. They are just as useless as the Democrats (the Republican Party – Bush).
Anyone think Bush will be in there past the 8 years? Cross anyone’s mind? Like a timely manufactured terror attack on American soil, just before the 2008 election? Get ready…can you really see Bush/Cheney’s term ending, and they just go off into the sunset?
Remember, Bush/Cheney were in charge on 9/11. So, they are either:
1. Inept, and didn’t protect us.
or
2. Were in on it.
Which choice is worse? I’m still trying to decide.
OH! His idiotic followers forgot they were in power on 9/11! I forgot! Some other party was in their, or some other people, not Bush/Cheney!
If you think it’s a law that a president serves 2 terms, do you think illegal wiretapping was against the law? Are they following American law and rules?
For Peg C. and Big Dan: I sense (finally) a real backlash from House and Senate Republicans against Bush. Karl Rove’s threat could backfire.
These are men with elephantine egos. Yes, they’re loyal to the party, but when loyalty extends to justifying illegal conduct and/or having to genuflect to a flub-a-dub like Rove, many will draw the line. Bush stole two elections, remember…he’s never been the people’s choice, except in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Republicans in Congress know this privately, no matter what they tell the press, and with Bush around 40% approval in the polls, any Republican up this year in a battleground state who follows him slavishly will have a problem.
Santorum is a perfect example. He’s in deep do-do.
It’s probably too late for him to break with Bush, but not too late for people like Heather Wilson and Sensenbrenner who head important committees in the House.
Fitzgerald
Get off this blog that’s an order!!! And get your ass back to investigating those crimes and prosecuting. 😉
Just joking by the way. Thanks for all you do, and keep those neocons at your blog on the run!!!!
The more they try to hack us down, the more voices are added to the insurrection…..neocon fryin’ time.
Doug E
THE THREE WINDSOF THE SNOW JOB
I hear it is really snowing up there … so in the spirit of the moment the neoCons head for the hill to do another snow job.
Snow jobs (lying and deceiving congress) are legal in bu$hit "jurisprudence". No matter who does it or when.
But blow jobs are not legal in bu$hit "jurisprudence" No matter who does it when.
Sounds like a hangup posing as righteousness, and bu$hit posing as jurisprudence.
Dredd,
Oh man, you’re forcing me to expose my ignorance. Please identify those guys (#16).
From another Blog, links to some very interesting online video: one discusses at length the run-up to the war in Iraq and one discusses the holes in evidence about 9-11 itself. The former probably summarizes things better than most things I have seen. The latter asks some interesting questions and poses a mix of obvious questions and speculation–all of it healthy. They run about an hour apiece–entirely free.
http://www.informationclearingh...rticle6895.htm
http://video.google.com/videopl...59923762628848
Months ago TPM had a link to a government site to prove that Sensenbrenner (Repug head of the Judiciary) had introduced a bill to get rid of term limits for POTUS.
someone said it takes years for an amendment like that but Bushco has broken the law so many times with the deaths of thousands of Americans on 911 and in Iraq, what’s to stop him from doing this? :crazy: 😥 :angry:
Joan #17
Negroponte, Goss, and Mueller … Bush selected spy chieftans.
Thank you, Dredd.