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Gonzales Testifies About NSA Warrantless Surveillance Program

By Jeralyn, Section War on Terror
Posted on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 08:42:41 PM EST
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The Bush Administration may be running on empty when it comes to the warrantless NSA electronic surveillance program. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testified Wednesday at a Senate subcommittee hearing on budget needs, and even Republicans like Sensenbrenner weren't buying it:

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales left open the possibility yesterday that President Bush could order warrantless wiretaps on telephone calls occurring solely within the United States -- a move that would dramatically expand the reach of a controversial National Security Agency surveillance program.

In response to a question from Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) during an appearance before the House Judiciary Committee, Gonzales suggested that the administration could decide it was legal to listen in on a domestic call without supervision if it were related to al-Qaeda.

"I'm not going to rule it out," Gonzales said.

Up until Wednesday, the Administration refused to address the question of authority to engage in warrantless eavesdroppoing of purely domestic calls.

In yesterday's testimony, Gonzales reiterated earlier hints that there may be another facet to the NSA program that has not been revealed publicly, or even another program that has prompted dissension within the government. While acknowledging disagreements among officials over the monitoring efforts, Gonzales disputed published reports that have detailed the arguments.

"They did not relate to the program the president disclosed," Gonzales testified. "They related to something else, and I can't get into that."

James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) said Gonazales was stonewalling:

At one point during Gonzales's testimony, Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (Wis.), the committee's Republican chairman, accused the attorney general of "stonewalling" for refusing to discuss how the NSA program was authorized.

"I think that saying that how the review was done and who did the review is classified is stonewalling," Sensenbrenner said. "And if we're properly to determine whether or not the program was legal and funded -- because that's Congress's responsibility -- we need to have answers, and we're not getting them."

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    • Gonzales Testifies About NSA Warrantless Surveillance Program | 8 comments (8 topical)
    Re: Gonzales Testifies About NSA Warrantless Surve (none / 0) (#1)
    by rigel on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 10:22:38 PM EST
    he's not going to rule it out because it's already been done. but noone has leaked it yet.

    Re: Gonzales Testifies About NSA Warrantless Surve (none / 0) (#2)
    by phat on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 10:30:22 PM EST
    We will be hearing sometime in the future that domestic phone calls were tapped. The apologists will come up with some sort of inane claptrap to defend it. It'll likely be along the lines of "inherent constitutional authority." Which is, of course, what the president asserts. We will also likely hear about warrantless house searches. They have happened. I'm convinced of this. This will be defended with the same claptrap. Mark my words. phat

    Re: Gonzales Testifies About NSA Warrantless Surve (none / 0) (#3)
    by Edger on Thu Apr 06, 2006 at 11:28:54 PM EST
    "I'm not going to rule it out," Gonzales said. Of course not. He would be ruling himself out of his job.

    Re: Gonzales Testifies About NSA Warrantless Surve (none / 0) (#4)
    by jondee on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 12:13:47 AM EST
    We're entering an interesting phase with Bush's numbers so low and some of his former confederates getting tough - or,trying to look like theyre getting tough - in order to grandstand for thier constituents. The vessal is getting very leaky and some of the rats are going to start jumping ship.

    Re: Gonzales Testifies About NSA Warrantless Surve (none / 0) (#5)
    by Sumner on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 02:11:51 AM EST
    Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales was sworn in before this testimony. He swore that he would tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. He apparently declined to answer questions anytime he thought those answers weren't appropriate. The attorney general also spoke strongly about the necessity of mandatory minimum sentences post Booker. When the attorney general violated his oath surrounding his testimony, it was apparently based on sound "reason" in his mind. Surely there are cases where people also had "reason" for their offenses. So why does the A.G. not recognize the disconnect between his violation and violations of others? Rep. Zoe Lofgen spotted when the A.G. asserted that the Patriot Act was also intended to use for other types of threats to America. Porn? Drugs? Rep. Lofgen challenged that change-up. She observed that in conversations, former Assistant Attorney General Viet Din had assured members of Congress that the Patriot Act was solely intended to combat terrorism, not to circumvent domestic criminal law.

    Re: Gonzales Testifies About NSA Warrantless Surve (none / 0) (#6)
    by scarshapedstar on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 06:40:10 AM EST
    The slope is getting slippery and it's not to my surprise My Bush, he rules irregularly and the press is filled with lies Apologies to Primus.

    Re: Gonzales Testifies About NSA Warrantless Surve (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Apr 08, 2006 at 02:59:53 PM EST
    Rep. Zoe Lofgen spotted when the A.G. asserted that the Patriot Act was also intended to use for other types of threats to America. Porn? Drugs?
    Rep. Lofgen challenged that change-up. She observed that in conversations, former Assistant Attorney General Viet Din had assured members of Congress that the Patriot Act was solely intended to combat terrorism, not to circumvent domestic criminal law.
    The Red Sox are in a rain delay so I watched 5 or 10 minutes of gonzo on C-SPAN and it was Zoe Lofgren taking him to task on the fact that he basically talked a lot but didn't say much. This first Hispanic Himmler Horsebrit has gotta be gettin' old. His people must be so proud.

    Re: Gonzales Testifies About NSA Warrantless Surve (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Apr 08, 2006 at 03:15:33 PM EST
    About the time I start to feel sorry for him he pisses me off again with another nonanswer. Harmony and balance in life.

    Gonzales Testifies About NSA Warrantless Surveillance Program | 8 comments (8 topical)