Censure moves to committee

Where many good ideas go to die a slow, tedious death of strangulation and neglect...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican-led U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee announced on Friday it would hold a hearing next week on a call by a Democratic lawmaker to censure President George W. Bush for his domestic spy program.

In a one-sentence notice, the panel said the hearing would be held next Friday by the order of its chairman, Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who has opposed censure.

Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin introduced a resolution last week calling for a Senate censure of the president, charging that Bush's warrantless domestic surveillance program was illegal. Revelation of the once-secret program has triggered a political uproar.

http://news.yahoo.com/...

AP Continued...

"Some Democrats in Congress have decided the president is the enemy and the terrorist surveillance program is grounds for censuring the president," Vice President Dick Cheney told a Republican fund-raiser in Orlando, Florida, on Friday, adding, "The American people have already made their decision. They agree with the president."

Although it's true that most of the country doesn't support Censure, yet -- I think they'll be a point in the not too distant future - um, like November -when Republicans will be kicking themselves for noting taking Feingold up this oppurtunity when they had the chance.

The chances of this resolution getting through the Republican dominated Intelligence committee as somewhere far short of slim and none. But a few hearings on the subject, where Feingold will have a few more chances to make his case -- and we get a wonderful oppurtunity to watch more Republican play "Rally round the President" for a few days.

Case in point...

Specter has questioned the legality of Bush's surveillance program but has argued that censure is not justified.

In Senate comments last week, Specter noted that experts had disagreed about whether the president has the constitutional power to conduct the program without court warrants.

Experts disagree? Is this anything like "experts disagree on Climate Change?" because if so it's more like "Most experts agree, except for a few howling wingbat shills clinging to the far right of reality.

What the law does and does not authorize is perfectly clear. It's also perfectly clear that Bush has not followed the law, and has admitted failing to do so. The only remaining question is whether the Congress will, or won't hold him accountable.

"When he (Feingold) comes to the resolve clause and speaks about censure and condemnation of
President Bush, I think he is vastly excessive," Specter said.

As a member of the Judiciary Committee, Feingold will have an opportunity at next week's hearing to debate Specter.

Feingold vs "Single-Bullet-Theory" Specter?

That should be a hum-dinger. I'm bringing popcorn.

There's nothing like having a ring-side seat to the death of democracy...

Vyan