Bush said that spying on US citizens is legal. How does he explain that?

[Poiuyt]

Under what provision would this be justified? He said that the he checked with the Justice Dept and they OKed it. Has he said anything besides what he did was legal?

It's important to know their arguments in order to refute them.

[liberalnurse]

1. Let's have it validated

through a Special Counsel......a Court of Law! Cause, He CAN'T back it up!!!!!!!

[Guckert]

2. He has deemed is so. that is why it is legal. The King cannot be wrong.

[stepnw1f]

3. He's Fried

NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT.... HE BROKE THE LAW OF THE LAND!

[peacebird]

5. he broke several different laws.

but he's only fried if we the people hold the feet of our Reps in Congress to the virtual fire of our anger.

Short of that they will turn a blind eye and nothing will happen.

PLEASE CALL YOUR REPS IN CONGRESS. PLEASE???

[chefgirl]

4. Link

I believe this thread holds the answer you're looking for.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5627489

Same concept as " The United States does NOT torture " No George, we just ship our captives out to other countries and let them do it for us.

-chef-

[Skidmore]

6. He doesn't have to. All he has to do is smirk and giggle and

make a funny and we all accept it because he says so. He's not concerned about legal really. He just wants to be loved.

[madeline_con]

7. According to "The Australian"

"Mr Bush countered it was the disclosure of the "secret program" that was illegal."

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17606966%255E2703,00.html

[FloridaPat]

8. It's in the Constitution - page 104, paragraph 54, sentence #178:

Emperors can do anything they want. Or do I have this confused with the Roman Empire consitution?

[jane_pippin]

9. He thinks presidents can do anything by virtue of their being president.

Also, he's a prick.

Russ Feingold on CNN mentioned that there of couse are legal ways to spy on people, even a 72 hour period for an emergency in which a warrant would not be required, but even then there would have to be notification that it was done when the 72 hour time limit was over. He said it can be done, but it needs to be done legally and with a reason. (I'm just paraphrasing his points, not quoting.)

But our boy George thinks he's above all that legalese, heh heh heh. He's a war president, see. That means it's his job to protect us from terra. The president has the power to do what it takes to protect Amurica's Freedom. Oceans no longer protect us. He's got to make sure the folks are able to raise their families free from the threat of an evil enemy who only wants to attack our Liberties and harm our way of life. And if it means he's got to use intelligence gathering methods that make some people uncomfortable, then he will do so, see. It's hard work that must be done in order to defend Liberty, and the people out there workin' hard every day are doin' a heckofa job, and he appreciates that. Heh. Heh. Heh. Amuricans need to know that he's doing whatever it takes to keep 'em safe, and as president it is his duty to use the power of the presidency to protect us from the enemy, who could lurk anywhere waiting to harm Amurican Citizens.

Oh, and war is peace and we were never at war with Eurasia.

[RDANGELO]

10. George Will said something about implied powers of the Commander

in Chief. Now that sounds like judicial activism to me. Isn't **** supposed to be a strict constructionist? Actually, I think it is BS.

[rodeodance]

17. G. Will was upset by Jr use of 'implyed powers"--said Jr could

potententially use in any issue. He did not agree with this concept.

[AtomicKitten]

11. If he were dictator, he could declare them "legal"

but he is an employee of the US. Yet again we are at a point in our history where another Republican needs to learn the lesson that he is not above the law.

[Walt Starr]

12. BEcause, Republican presidents are above the law

at least, that's the way he sees it.

[cliss]

13. Well, Bush said that he was only

"keeping track of Al-Qaida" in this country.

The problem is, they spied on HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of people. Do we have hundreds of thousands of Al-Qaida in this country?

[Poiuyt]

14. I want to write my Representative, but I want the facts on my side first

My Rep is a very conservative non-thinking, Bush lap-dog. He will just echo what Bush has said. Did Bush ever say WHY the spying was legal? Was it because of the Patriot Act?

[rodeodance]

18. Condi said they used FISA and 'other authorities"---to which Levin said

that both jr and condi have 'refused' to say which law they followed when they said they followed the law.

[Cleita]

15. By that logic, some agency should be spying on him.n/t

[rodeodance]

16. Levin said this am that both jr nor Condi have 'refused' to say which

constitutional authority they used to make the claim they followed the law.