Diane Feinstein Denounces Decision of the President to Authorize Domestic Spying by the NSA
http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=1425"If the President of the United States is not going to follow the law and he simply alerts eight Members, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t violate a law. I repeat, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t violate a law. FISA is the exclusive law in this area, unless there is something I missed, and please, someone, if there is, bring it to my attention."
"I would argue the resolution authorizing use of force was not a declaration of war. I read it this morning carefully. It does not authorize the President of the United States to do anything other than use force. It doesn’t say he can wiretap people in the United States of America. And apparently, perhaps with some change, but apparently this activity has been going on unbeknownst to most of us in this body and in the other body now since 2002."
"What is concerning me, as a member of the Intelligence Committee, is if eight people, rather than 535 people, can know there is going to be an illegal act and they were told this under an intelligence umbrella — and therefore, their lips are sealed — does that make the act any less culpable? I don’t think so."
"We are a government of law. The Congress was never asked to give the President the kind of unilateral authority that appears to have been exercised."_________________________________________________________________
Russ Feingold:
http://atrios.blogspot.com/ (excerpt)
“The President's shocking admission that he authorized the National Security Agency to spy on American citizens, without going to a court and in violation of the Constitution and laws passed by Congress, further demonstrates the urgent need for these protections. The President believes that he has the power to override the laws that Congress has passed. This is not how our democratic system of government works. The President does not get to pick and choose which laws he wants to follow. He is a president, not a king.
“On behalf of all Americans who believe in our constitutional system of government, I call on this Administration to stop this program immediately and to fully cooperate with congressional inquiries and investigations. We have had enough of an Administration that puts itself above the law and the Constitution.”__________________________________________________________________
Sen. Edward Kennedy-
http://www.redorbit.com/news/general/332095/report_of_nsa_spying_prompts_call_for_probe/index.html?source=r_general"This is Big Brother run amok."
"We cannot protect our borders if we cannot protect our ideals."____________________________________________________________________
Sen. Patrick Leahy-
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051217/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_12 "The Bush administration seems to believe it is above the law."
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