Has anyone else noticed just how much Bush-Cheney try to push things just when the Congress is about to recess or do something else?
I trust them so little, I have to ask, was burying the FISA court in paper part of their strategy to get more authority?
Coming to mind: the "must-do" vote on "giving the President the authority he needs", which lead to the disastrous AUMF (in Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld hands).Not sure about the Patriot Act, but pretty sure about its re-authorization.
I'm sure there is more. The late in the term rush to get 'torture protections' passed last year on the heals of being wrong-footed by the SCOTUS comes to mind.
This year, it's the FISA stuff. As I understand it, we just gave more authority to an Attorney General who is willing to lie to the People's House, setting him up with further certifying authority. What's the rush? The FISA court purportedly complains / agrees that it is swamped with requests from ... the Bush Administration. I trust them so little, I have to ask, was burying the FISA court in paper part of their strategy to get more authority / less oversight? It's a terrible thing to worry about, but that's how The Republic has devolved under the GOP and its senatorial R-ubberstamps.
We've got former military guys as National Intelligence and CIA heads, and the Sec State has her background from the NSA, mainly.
The problem has a complex history:
Judge's ruling bars warrantless wiretaps, August 18, 2006
Administration Expected To Push For Specter’s Sham ‘Compromise’ Legislation On NSA Program
Update (hat-tip ThinkProgress):
Jack Balkin says it's at least about
(1) giving legal protection to companies to participate - i.e. more Bush-Cheney "untouchable secrecy"
(2) avoiding checks-and-blances, i.e. oversight
