New expressions of frustration over how little information the administration has shared about the National Security Agency's warrantless eavesdropping on Americans flared yesterday in the Senate, one day after House Republicans barred amendments that would have expanded oversight of the controversial program.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) said yesterday that he will file an amendment to block the NSA program's funding -- but said he will not seek a vote on it at this time -- in hope of stirring greater debate on the warrantless surveillance, part of the agency's monitoring of alleged terrorists.
"Where is the outrage?" asked Specter, who has chaired hearings that questioned the NSA program's constitutionality.
Questions about the legality of the NSA program and the Bush administration's refusal to brief the full intelligence panel on it led Rep. Jane Harman (Calif.), ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, for the first time on Wednesday to vote against the annual intelligence authorization bill, which passed the House.
It is beginning to look like the most vocal Democrat we have on this issue turns out to a Republican. The Democrats should be beating the drums about this everyday.
I think that this is an issue that can really damage the White House's credibility in a significant way and that that can have a very damaging effect on the Republicans running in 2006. We have a plethora of openings here but we need to get organized and take full advantage of every one of them.
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Don't feed the trolls!
It just goes directly to their thighs.