Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Lying Republican Talking Points...
In a speech commemorating Martin Luther King Day, former Vice President Al Gore condemned the warrantless eavesdropping by the Bush Administration.
Yesterday, Gore didn't his mince his words to a Constitutional Hall crowd in Washington. He said secret spying on Americans by Bush is unequivocally illegal and contrary to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Moreover, with obvious conflicts of interest by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Gore called for the prompt commission of a special counsel to "investigat[e]...serious violations of law..."
The administration immediately responded to Gore's attack the only way they know how to -- by deception and fraud.
Last night on Larry King Live, Gonzales compared surveillance of Aldrich Ames, the CIA turncoat during the Clinton administration to what Bush was doing; and to what he was legally authorized to do -- as decreed by administration legal toadies.
The mendacious talking point that Gore should STFU since Clinton was equally guilty continued this morning. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told reporters that Gore was being disingenuous in light of the "warrantless physical searches" during the Clinton-Gore administration, referring once again to Ames.
And to further cement the dissembling, McClellan even quoted former deputy attorney general under the Clinton administration, Jamie Gorelick. McClellan said Gorelick had testified "before Congress that the president had the inherent authority to engage in physical searches without warrants."
But what Gonzales and McClellan failed to disclose is cogently spelled out in Think Progress. When Clinton made his warrantless search of Ames, and when Gorelick testified in Congress, "FISA did not cover physical searches."
That's right, boys and girls. The expansion of FISA that now includes warrantless physical searches was only enacted into law in 1995, a full two years after the Ames affair.
"I think his hypocrisy knows no bounds," McClellan is quoted as saying of Gore. To which I would add, professing dismay at someone else's righteous condemnation is the apogee of hypocrisy. And so much for Republican talking points!
In a speech commemorating Martin Luther King Day, former Vice President Al Gore condemned the warrantless eavesdropping by the Bush Administration.
Yesterday, Gore didn't his mince his words to a Constitutional Hall crowd in Washington. He said secret spying on Americans by Bush is unequivocally illegal and contrary to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
Moreover, with obvious conflicts of interest by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Gore called for the prompt commission of a special counsel to "investigat[e]...serious violations of law..."
The administration immediately responded to Gore's attack the only way they know how to -- by deception and fraud.
Last night on Larry King Live, Gonzales compared surveillance of Aldrich Ames, the CIA turncoat during the Clinton administration to what Bush was doing; and to what he was legally authorized to do -- as decreed by administration legal toadies.
The mendacious talking point that Gore should STFU since Clinton was equally guilty continued this morning. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told reporters that Gore was being disingenuous in light of the "warrantless physical searches" during the Clinton-Gore administration, referring once again to Ames.
And to further cement the dissembling, McClellan even quoted former deputy attorney general under the Clinton administration, Jamie Gorelick. McClellan said Gorelick had testified "before Congress that the president had the inherent authority to engage in physical searches without warrants."
But what Gonzales and McClellan failed to disclose is cogently spelled out in Think Progress. When Clinton made his warrantless search of Ames, and when Gorelick testified in Congress, "FISA did not cover physical searches."
That's right, boys and girls. The expansion of FISA that now includes warrantless physical searches was only enacted into law in 1995, a full two years after the Ames affair.
"I think his hypocrisy knows no bounds," McClellan is quoted as saying of Gore. To which I would add, professing dismay at someone else's righteous condemnation is the apogee of hypocrisy. And so much for Republican talking points!
// posted by Howling Latina @ 12:09 PM 
