Ending NSA's TSP

Prior to Wednesday, Democrats could say that they didn't want to shut the NSA's TSP down, that they only wanted the "White House to follow the law." That facade is gone now that 71 Democrats and a Socialist filed an amicus brief to a lawsuit asking the courts to shut the program down.

"It is very disturbing that, on the same day we learn that the NSA has been secretly collecting the phone records of tens of millions of Americans, we also learn that the Department of Justice has abruptly cancelled its investigation into the Agency's warrantless wiretapping program," said Rep. John Conyers, the ranking House Judiciary Democrat who is spearheading the initiative. "These developments clearly point to the urgent need for oversight and review of this program. Congress has failed to provide this critical oversight which has led us to the courts."

Mr. Conyers would be a national embarassment if he weren't such a nobody. He was quick to express outrage when the 9/11 Commission said we didn't connect the dots. Now he's outraged that we're connecting the dots. That makes sense but only in the mind of a liberal.

"As our brief makes clear, this Congress dealt with this issue authoritatively almost 30 years ago, warrantless spying on American soil is flatly prohibited," Conyers added. Conyers cited the Church Committee, a special senatorial committee in the 1970s that gave Congress more oversight of the intelligence community in the wake of President Nixon's Watergate scandal.

No, it isn't, Mr. Conyers. Sit down and shut up. Forever.

The following 72 Representatives signed the amicus brief:

John Conyers, Jr. , MI, Neil Abercrombie, HI, Gary Ackerman, NY, Brian Baird, WA, Tammy Baldwin, WI, Howard Berman, CA, Shelley Berkley, NV, Earl Blumenauer, OR,Rick Boucher, VA, Corrine Brown, FL, Michael Capuano, MA, Julia Carson, IN, William Clay, MO, Artur Davis, AB, Peter DeFazio, OR, Diana DeGette, CO, William Delahunt, MA, Sam Farr, CA, Chaka Fattah, PA, Barney Frank, MA, Al Green, TX, Raul Grijalva, AZ, Maurice Hinchey, NY, Ruben Hinojosa, CA, Michael Honda, CA, Jesse Jackson, JR, IL, Sheila Jackson-Lee, TX, Eddie Bernice Johnson, TX, Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, OH, Dale Kildee, MI, Carolyn Kilpatrick, MI, Dennis Kucinich, OH, Tom Lantos, CA, Barbara Lee, CA, Zoe Lofgren, CA, John Lewis, GA, Carolyn Maloney, NY, Edward Markey, MA, Jim McDermott, WA, James McGovern, MA, Marty Meehan, MA, George Miller, CA, James Moran, VA, Jerrold Nadler, NY, Eleanor Holmes Norton, DC, James Oberstar, MN, John Olver, MA, Major Owens, NY, Don Payne, NJ, Charlie Rangel, NY, Linda Chavez, CA, Bernie Sanders, VT, Janice Schakowsky, IL, Bobby Scott, VA, Jose Serrano, NY, Brad Sherman, CA, Louise Slaughter, NY, Hilda Solis, CA, Fortney Pete Stark, CA, Bennie Thompson, MI, John Tierney, MA, Tom Udall, NM, Chris Van Hollen, MD, Debbie Wasserman-Shultz, FL, Melvin Watt, NC, Maxine Waters, CA, Diane Watson, CA, Henry Waxman, CA, Robert Wexler, FL, Lynn Woolsey, CA, David Wu, OR, Albert Wynn, MD.

It's time for America to notice how little Democrats care about protecting the American people. They demand that we connect the dots but then file lawsuits to prevent the dots from being connected. That's logical only in the mind of a liberal.

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Posted Friday, May 12, 2006 12:35 PM

Comment 1 by Steve Beren at 13-May-06 12:55 PM

I enjoyed the post on the Democratic (plus 1 Socialist!) opposition to the terrorist wiretapping effort. My opponent, Jim McDermott, is a total hypocrite on the subject, since he has been involved with REAL domestic wiretapping of political opponents. Please consider adding a link to my campaign website on your home page. Also, please consider interviewing me for your blog. My campaign against McDermott is not just local, but also national, since McDermott is practically the poster child for the extremes of the Democratic Party.

Steve Beren
www.steveberen.com
www.berenforcongress.com