First it's the "Father Knows Best" defense from Preznit Criminally Culpable:
President Bush and the nation's deputy national intelligence chief today defended the legality of a controversial domestic spying program, describing it as a vital tool in the war against terrorists and denying that it violates the civil liberties of Americans.
...
Bush said of the intercepted communications, "These are not phone calls within the United States. This is a phone call of an al Qaeda -- known al Qaeda suspect -- making a phone call into the United States."
He said, "I'm mindful of your civil liberties, and so I had all kinds of lawyers review the process. We briefed members of the United States Congress . . . about this program.
"You know, it's amazing that people say to me, 'Well, he was just breaking the law.' If I wanted to break the law, why was I briefing Congress?" Bush said with a chuckle.
...
"Congress gave me the authority to use necessary force to protect the American people, but it didn't prescribe the tactics," he said. "It said, Mr. President, you've got the power to protect us, but we're not going to tell you how."
Except for that little document that you swore to uphold and defend...the one that you wipe your ass with daily, The Constitution. Preznit Intellectually Impaired is so fucking stupid, that he doesn't even get one point: Any lawyer you are paying will tell you what you want to hear, especially if there's a carrot in it for them, be it more billable hours defending your ignorant hypothesis, or in the case of a 1600 Crew mouthpiece, currying favor with Beloved Leader or the recipeint of the Hispanic Salute Award 1989 from the Houston Metro Area Ford Dealers. So there's for the lawyering part of the defense.
Second, there's this extension of the Crashhcart Mythology:
Hayden said that if the program had been in place before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, "it is my professional judgment that we would have detected some of the 9/11 al Qaeda operatives in the United States and we would have identified them as such."
Why how true! Oh, sorry wasn't there a PDB in August that mentioned something about Bin Laden wanting to attack the US? Gee, I think there was. Oh, and by my stars I seem to recall that before the day that changed it all, the 1600 Crew was actively involved in de-funding counter-terrorism programs. Golly, say it ain't so...
posted by Jo Fish on 01.23.06 at 05:50 PM
Comments:
...and hadn't someone ALREADY identify people taking flying lessons (skipping the part about LANDING the damn thing) before 11 Sep 01? ...and exactly WHOM in congess did he brief? And doesn't his response about being authorized but not told how ("It said, Mr. President, you've got the power to protect us, but we're not going to tell you how.") really make your skin crawl when you think about the renewal of the so-called 'Patriot' Act? The right wing wants a unitarian presidency but I wonder how they'll react when a DEMOCRAT takes the reigns of presidential power. I hope they rue the day!!!!
But the intelligence community didn't need a warrant to collect on the September 11 hijackers because they were not US citizens or permanent residents of the US. Per the FISA and Executive Order 12333 and DoD Directive 5240.1. General Hayden knows better.
Ray, I don't think they will ever let a Dem be president ever again.
Love your posts and the way you come up with a million fitting names for the commander-in-thief. Does anyone know when the Real ID Act of 1984 go into affect? It's hard living when chills are constantly going up your spine isn't it? I found your site from the Angry Patriot's site. Thanks for the posts.
posted by: Janela on 01.28.06 at 12:41 AM [permalink]
