Political Corner

"McCain wants unchecked power to wiretap, too."

Posted By: Russell
Date: 6/6/08 1:10p.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

[This is quite disappointing, not because McCain has changed his position, but because he is making the same "unitary executive" claim that Bush has pressed. You would think, having been a senator so long, McCain remember that there is an Article I, preceding Article II. ]

If elected president, Senator John McCain would reserve the right to run his own warrantless wiretapping program against Americans, based on the theory that the president's wartime powers trump federal criminal statutes and court oversight, according to a statement released by his campaign Monday.
McCain's new tack towards the Bush administration's theory of executive power comes some 10 days after a McCain surrogate stated, incorrectly it seems, that the senator wanted hearings into telecom companies' cooperation with President Bush's warrantless wiretapping program, before he'd support giving those companies retroactive legal immunity.
As first reported by Threat Level, Chuck Fish, a full-time lawyer for the McCain campaign, also said McCain wanted stricter rules on how the nation's telecoms work with U.S. spy agencies, and expected those companies to apologize for any lawbreaking before winning amnesty.
But Monday, McCain adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin, speaking for the campaign, disavowed those statements, and for the first time cast McCain's views on warrantless wiretapping as identical to Bush's.

[N]either the Administration nor the telecoms need apologize for actions that most people, except for the ACLU and the trial lawyers, understand were Constitutional and appropriate in the wake of the attacks on September 11, 2001. ..
We do not know what lies ahead in our nation’s fight against radical Islamic extremists, but John McCain will do everything he can to protect Americans from such threats, including asking the telecoms for appropriate assistance to collect intelligence against foreign threats to the United States as authorized by Article II of the Constitution.

The Article II citation is key, since it refers to President Bush's longstanding arguments that the president has nearly unlimited powers during a time of war. The administration's analysis went so far as to say the Fourth Amendment did not apply inside the United States in the fight against terrorism, in one legal opinion from 2001.
...

"McCain wants unchecked power to wiretap, too."

Messages In This Thread

"McCain wants unchecked power to wiretap, too." -- Russell -- 6/6/08 1:10p.m.

No Surprise -- Arlyn Stewart -- 6/6/08 1:38p.m.

All you have to do is look at his very long track record. -- Brian, Precision 23, Lake Lanier, GA -- 6/6/08 1:58p.m.

Until this flip-flop. McCain was on record calling the practice illegal. -- Russell -- 6/6/08 2:09p.m.

Flip-flop, flip-flop, everywhere. -- Mike -- 6/7/08 11:50a.m.

GOOD! That's part of what has kept the U.S. terrorist attack free since 9/11... -- Robb, Great Dane 28, Yankee Dolphin, Lake Superior -- 6/6/08 4:18p.m.

Some of us still care about the Constitution. -- Russell -- 6/6/08 4:27p.m.

Does the Constitution mention wiretaps?...Besides, why would you care about a -- Robb, Great Dane 28, Yankee Dolphin, Lake Superior -- 6/6/08 4:40p.m.

It doesn't mention internet, either. It wasn't meant to be read by text search. -- Russell -- 6/6/08 5:10p.m.

LOL....you're the one that judges the founding fathers by 21st century standards -- Robb, Great Dane 28, Yankee Dolphin, Lake Superior -- 6/6/08 5:56p.m.

That's you're reading problem: confusing description with judgment. -- Russell -- 6/6/08 6:14p.m.

s/you're/your/ -- Russell -- 6/6/08 6:19p.m.

US Supreme Court has ruled on this issue -- Clyde - Houston, TX -- 6/6/08 7:40p.m.

That particular suit was rejected on standing, not on merits. -- Russell -- 6/6/08 8:19p.m.

The ACLU and other leftist lawyers in the case were afraid their conversations -- Robb, Great Dane 28, Yankee Dolphin, Lake Superior -- 6/6/08 8:54p.m.

This concerns wiretaps that violated FISA, not those within its provisions. -- Russell -- 6/6/08 9:02p.m.

Oh, Gee...then this must be a DIFFERENT case the ACLU lost in it's attempt to -- Robb, Great Dane 28, Yankee Dolphin, Lake Superior -- 6/6/08 9:18p.m.

Yep, it failed to make the Bush administration adhere to the law & Constitution. -- Russell -- 6/7/08 7:50a.m.

Oversight is fine, but if the ACLU had their way, all of our intelligence would -- Robb, Great Dane 28, Yankee Dolphin, Lake Superior -- 6/7/08 8:11a.m.

Absolutely false. That's not the ACLU's view. Nor mine. -- Russell -- 6/7/08 8:17a.m.

There is no violation of FISA -- Clyde - Houston, TX -- 6/6/08 9:57p.m.

Except the program started before Bush PAA. Which leads to the question... -- Russell -- 6/7/08 5:49a.m.

Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists (AUMF) -- Clyde - Houston, TX -- 6/8/08 7:08a.m.

You don't know the extent of wiretapping, neither origin or who. -- Russell -- 6/8/08 8:14a.m.

You should re-read your post, Russell...it makes no sense. You state we don't -- Robb, Great Dane 28, Yankee Dolphin, Lake Superior -- 6/8/08 8:37a.m.

No, I want a process that provides oversight. Until that is in place.... -- Russell -- 6/8/08 8:45a.m.

LOL...Looks like the last sentence of your post turns out to be TRUE!, -- Robb, Great Dane 28, Yankee Dolphin, Lake Superior -- 6/8/08 8:58a.m.

секс видео посмотре -- ooooooxp -- 9/6/08 3:55p.m.

Where can the full article be found? -- Mike -- 6/6/08 4:43p.m.

Click the link. -- Russell -- 6/6/08 4:54p.m.

Well now, just hold 'yer horses... -- Mike -- 6/6/08 6:24p.m.

Yes, the quote is from one of McCain's campaign spokesmen. -- Russell -- 6/6/08 6:51p.m.

He said according to the Constitution. -- Mike -- 6/6/08 6:59p.m.

Best that I can tell, the latest surrogate said -- Arlyn Stewart -- 6/6/08 7:08p.m.

According to MSNBC tonight -- Arlyn Stewart -- 6/6/08 7:00p.m.

Omaba manned up and is not he incredible phony McCain is -- observer3 -- 6/7/08 5:03a.m.

More like drifting with the political tides. -- Brian, Precision 23, Lake Lanier, GA -- 6/8/08 3:52a.m.

"Bring clarity" and "offer clarity" concerning Wright? -- Mike -- 6/7/08 5:42p.m.

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