Bush Administration accused of abusing "state secrets" privilege

In federal courts and on Capitol Hill, challenges are brewing to a key legal strategy President Bush is using to protect a secret surveillance program that monitors phone calls and e-mails inside the United States.

Under grilling from lawmakers and attack by lawsuits alleging Bush authorized the illegal wiretapping of Americans, the White House has invoked a legal defense known as the "state secrets" doctrine — a claim that the president has inherent and unchecked power to shield national security information from disclosure, either to plaintiffs in court or to congressional overseers.

The principle was established a half-century ago when, ruling in a wrongful-death case brought by the widows of civilians killed in a military plane crash, the Supreme Court upheld the Air Force's refusal to provide an accident report to the plaintiffs. The government contended releasing the document would compromise information about a secret mission and intelligence equipment.

Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the senior Republican on the Judiciary Committee, believes the White House has gone too far in invoking state secrets to halt civil lawsuits.

"We have the authority to define the state secrets doctrine," Specter says. "I don't think that the simple assertion of state secrets ought to be the end of the matter."

Specter, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and others are working on legislation that would direct federal judges to review the president's state secrets claims and allow cases with merit to go forward.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071126/ap_on_go_co/state_secrets

him one of these days the lying snake.

You cannot base a democratic government on hiding government from the citizenry.

Like he was merely going overboard a little and not committing crimes under the guise of state secrets...

First you say you will, then you won't.
First you say you do, then you don't.

So stop with the blah blah and DO something already!! JHC, a person could wind up farting dust waiting for a little justice.

W's defence to anything and everything has been "state secrets" (or "executive privelidge" which amounts to the same thing).

I don't know that he always has been, like some Bushies, but he definitely is now.

Pathetic.