Two-Faced McCain and Spying on Americans

Guess who's defending the President's right to spy on Americans without a court warrant?

John McCain.

Sen. John McCain disappointed Democrats on Capitol Hill on Sunday by defending the Bush administration's decision to use the National Security Agency to monitor a limited number of domestic phone calls in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

Saying that Sept. 11 "changed everything," McCain told ABC's "This Week": "The president, I think, has the right to do this."

"We all know that since Sept. 11 we have new challenges with enemies that exist within the United States of America - so the equation has changed."

McCain said that while the administration needs to explain why it didn't first seek approval from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, he suggested that the Patriot Act might have superseded the 1978 FISA Act, allowing "additional powers for the president."

 McCain said the fact that congressional leaders - including top Democrats - were consulted on the NSA authorization "is a very important part of this equation." He suggested that any congressional hearings into the Bush decision focus on that aspect.

"I'd like to hear from the leaders of Congress, both Republican and Democrat, who, according to reports, we're briefed on this and agreed to it," he told "This Week." "They didn't raise any objection, apparently, to [whether] there was a, quote, violation of law."

Asked about House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's claim that she "raised concerns" about granting the NSA new powers during one meeting with White House officials, McCain said: "I don't know about any meetings, but I certainly never heard complaints from anyone on either side of the aisle.

"When this process was being carried out I would imagine that the leaders of Congress would be very concerned about any violation of law as well," he said. "Apparently [those concerns have] not been raised until it was published in the New York Times."

McCain also warned that any congressional investigation should take care not to force additional disclosures from the White House that could help the enemy, saying: "I don't see anything wrong with congressional hearings but what kind of information are you going to put into the public arena that might help the al Qaida people in going undetected."

Aside from the fact that he's a scumbag, at least he's on the record.  Wouldn't it be nice if we knew where everyone in Congress stood...  Stay tuned...



Display:


The no objection myth (none / 0)

Rockefeller and Pelosi both raised objections.  Furthermore, not much could have been said or done since the information was classified.  You see, unlike Republicans, Democrats respect the law.
Tennesseans for Russ Feingold
by schwompa on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 09:03:07 AM EST

I can see the ad campaign now (none / 0)

"REPUBLICAN John McCain says that there is nothing wrong with the government spying on your family, listening to your private phone calls....."
by Sam Loomis on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 09:13:50 AM EST

private v/s super-secret (none / 0)

the republicans have bashed Dems for years about the ills of big government...now the Bush Admin is creating the worst kind of big government...the kind that makes my private life super secret in which i have no control nor knowledge nor say!!    

by chamben on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 09:39:07 AM EST

This issue is a bad frame (none / 0)

I think this issue turns out bad for us in the long run, for these reasons:

  1.  Bush didn't try to pull a fast one.  They were apparently giving disclosures as they went along, and Bush didn't try to weasel out of this when it came out.  This was much better handled than every other Bush gaffe of the past two years.

  2.  The complaint about spying on Americans, if eventually the list of targets comes out, and its a bunch of Arab guys from Saudi Arabia, then people are going to quickly forgive the potential threat on civil liberties.

by alhill on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 10:14:29 AM EST

bad frame? (none / 0)

"They were apparently giving disclosures as they went along, and Bush didn't try to weasel out of this when it came out."

No.

There was a procedure for these sorts of things - that they could get the warrant from the (already secret) court within 72 hours after the surveillance. They just didn't want to do that.

"The complaint about spying on Americans, if eventually the list of targets comes out, and its a bunch of Arab guys from Saudi Arabia, then people are going to quickly forgive the potential threat on civil liberties."

This is extraordinarily unlikely, that it's entirely "Arab-sounding guys." There are thousands of people that were on this list, and we already know that not just the NSA but the Army, FBI, etc. are surveilling (though we don't know quite how extensively) peace groups and the like. This is us that they are spying on.

by jkdism on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 10:31:15 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: bad frame? (none / 0)

"Feinstein said that informing a handful of members of Congress who are restricted from reporting or responding to the information in any way did not make the policy legal or constitute congressional oversight."

http://www.warandpiece.com/blogdirs/003288.html

The fact that he's admitted this is positive, not negative, imho.

by DemKY4 on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 11:13:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]

McCain--Worse Than Bush! (none / 0)

What Else Would McCain Do???

McCain has struck a deal bonding him to Bush.  We've all seen the pictures. The birthday cake while Rome burned/New Orleans drowned. The only conflicts they will have are symbolic--the better to give added weight when, as now, McCain defends the indefensible.

This is, in the end, proof positive that McCain is worse than Bush.  Bush, after all, is a narcissistic sociopath.  Put simply, he can't help himself.  It's all he knows.

McCain is quite deliberate.  He's in Cheneyland.

by Paul Rosenberg on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 10:28:47 AM EST

bad frame? (none / 0)

Exactly right - Bush just didn't want to wait 72 hours! He's lived above the law all of his life & just doesn't comprehend what it's like to have to adhere to the rules.  Most of the attorneys I know agree that he broke the law & that it might be an impeachable offense - & living in Washington D.C. - I know a lot of lawyers!!
by krachmanj on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 11:05:26 AM EST

Naturally.... (none / 0)

...all the pro-McCain people who comment on this site will see this as another example of his maverick-like straight shooting and just love him all the more.  
by howie14 on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 12:34:46 PM EST

McCain is being a traitorous coward because... (none / 0)

those illegal taps got some embarrassing or incriminating dope on HIM.  He is sweating it because HE is one of the spied-upon who is in the crosshairs.



by praedor on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 03:52:20 PM EST

McCain is in line for Cheney's job (none / 0)

Followed by Bush's job, with a big pardon for Bush.  He will kiss Bush's ass until his lips are too chapped to do it anymore.
by steve expat on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 04:08:35 PM EST

McCain (none / 0)

I wish people would stop trying to make McCain into something that he's not. Bottom line is he's a republican and no matter what, when it all comes down..he'll play to his base and that's the story of John McCain.
We can't get caught up just because he seems like a better guy then the rest of them...he will always stay true in the end, to the repubs....he'll be the candidate  2008..and that is something we all need to be really careful of...he could win because people (some Dems) like him and think he'll do what's best for all....but he won't....he'll ultimitaley do what's best for his party.....another wolf in sheeps clothing... I'm telling you guys..it's true...watch out!
by kimmer on Mon Dec 19, 2005 at 07:06:56 PM EST


You are not logged in.

In order to post a comment, you must be logged in. If you have a member account, please log in to comment.

If not, you can make an account right here. It's quick and free.