Interesting development:
I believe that our executive branch cannot continue to operate without the checks of the other branches. However, I stand behind the President in encouraging Congress to operate cautiously during the hearings so that sensitive government intelligence is not given to our enemies.” — Paul Weyrich, chairman and CEO, Free Congress Foundation“Public hearings on this issue are essential to addressing the serious concerns raised by alarming revelations of NSA electronic eavesdropping.” — Grover Norquist, president, Americans for Tax Reform
“The need to reform surveillance laws and practices adopted since 9/11 is more apparent now than ever. No one would deny the government the power it needs to protect us all, but when that power poses a threat to the basic rights that make our nation unique, its exercise must be carefully monitored by Congress and the courts. This is not a partisan issue; it is an issue of safeguarding the fundamental freedoms of all Americans so that future administrations do not interpret our laws in ways that pose constitutional concerns.” — David Keene, chairman, American Conservative Union
“If the law is not reformed, ordinary Americans’ personal information could be swept into all-encompassing federal databases encroaching upon every aspect of their private lives. This is of particular concern to gun owners, whose rights guaranteed under the Second Amendment are currently being infringed upon under the Patriot Act’s controversial record search provisions.” — Alan Gottlieb, founder, Second Amendment Foundation
My two centavos: It’s pretty clear that hearings will be conducted on this issue. It’s simply that big, and that important. It’s also an issue that bridges the ideological gap between Liberals and Conservatives. (With the exception of devout Christian supporters of the President, whose ideology and worship of Bush is more important than adhering to any democratic rule of law.)
And, it all comes down to this: Why did the NSA do an end run on the FISA Court and who knew? Classic.
