Frist threatens to block NSA hearings

Frist!, originally uploaded by Lindsay Beyerstein.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist warned the Senate Intelligence Committee not to hold hearings on the NSA domestic spying scandal.

Glenn Greenwald explains the threat Frist is holding over the committee:

Frist specifically threatened that if the Committee holds NSA hearings, he will fundamentally change the 30-year-old structure and operation of the Senate Intelligence Committee so as to make it like every other Committee, i.e., controlled and dominated by Republicans to advance and rubber-stamp the White House’s agenda rather than exercise meaningful and nonpartisan oversight.

The Senate Intelligence Committee is uniquely structured to preserve the power of the minority party within the committee.

As Glenn says:

These are truly desperate and extreme measures to block an investigation of the President’s conduct. Sen. First is literally threatening the Committee not to exercise oversight over the President’s warrantless eavesdropping on Americans

Comments

[Michael Hussey]

Bill "I'm a doctor" Frist was handpicked by Bush to be the Majority Leader. He knows who butters his bread. The bright side is Frist is killing his presidential aspirations.

We are talking about a doctor who would not refute that AIDS is not transmitting through tears.

[Michael Hussey]

The poll Glenn links to:

55 - 42 percent that the government should get court orders for this surveillance.

Even red state voters disagree with warrantless searches by 51%. I say challenge Frist on this. This is a win/win situation. Democrats can define Frist as "lacking leadership" and "backbone". That won't play well for Frist with moderates and right of center voters. The guys at Power Line aren't going to get Frist elected. There aren't enough conservative partisans. The Terri Schiavo fiasco is a good example.

[squashed]

I am trying to speculate what it is they are hiding.

-Probably illegal TALON program (the already killed TIA program)

-They are trying to hide, who they are really spying. (the biggest scandal probably will be they spy on political opponent, obvious abuse of power that has nothing to do with fighting terrorism)

[squashed]

forgot to add. THe ACLU links to all their cases.

incidentally. the NYTimes is also suing to obtain filed. (tho probably they already figure it out they are being spied on)

http://www.aclu.org/safefree/nsaspying/index.html

[John]

There's one thing you gotta admire about Frist...

NOTHING.

[John]

I might need to take back the previous comment. At least he's never shot anyone in the face. As far as we know.

[greensmile]

Now this seems to me to be a pretty transparent move by Frist to cover the administrations ass. I imagine there are people who think that we will tip our cards to them terrists if our good spys have to blab about how they do their business and who they do it to.
How do we reach such people, how do we make the stakes and mistakes more clear?

[cfrost]

Can we really have any doubt anymore that the NSA was spying on someone other than "terrorists"? They have to stall for time to cover their tracks before any investigation or FOIA request gets too close to smell the rot.

That the NSA has almost certainly been used for patently and egregiously illegal (read impeachable) activity lends special urgency to the GOP’s efforts to remove spying from oversight. If Frist doesn’t succeed with a tourniquet here, they will have to start slicing tissue away which will attract even more unwanted attention.

The Bush crowd clearly thinks that the Pike and Church Committees etc. in the 70s led to a completely hobbled US intelligence capability and they will do whatever it takes to undo a major weakness in the executive branch’s ability to conduct secret policy.

Unimpeded snooping ability is absolutely imperative for the kind of authoritarian rule BushCo has in mind. Just as important, it is essential for political success as long as the press cannot be completely controlled and as long as the agenda keeps being interrupted with elections.

[richard hydell]

On March 4, 2006 - 3:34pm www.wreckedband.com said:
www.wreckedband. com on March 2, 2006 - 11:00pm.

feingold ...said ..that this does not mean its over ..he will keep om fighting ......you weak need...yes need ....yellow ..human ....so many coments talk about ..bushes poll #s ...that the world hates bush ...well heres the thing ...raise your hands if u read the dem ...platform ...i mean picked the thing up and read ..what your party stands for ...really u should know it like a perverted precher knows his ...bible ...because we are the ones that make change ...martin luther took it to the streets ....jerry rubin took it to the streets ...kent state students ...were shot dead in the streets ....artists ...were out their taking it to the streets ...its your falt the act was passed ...u and the world dont seem to like george ....well he is the fucken pres ...he runs the show ..like it or not ....this is not scull and bones ..friends ..this is our ..our kids ...world ...get pissed at the leaders ...and then look at who we have become ...fat pigs ..cell phone ..video games....every distraction ...oh did i say money ....lots and lote of money ...bono ..100 million ..paul mccartney 1 billion ...bill cosby 300 million john cary 1 billion ..well his bitchie wife ....jessie jackson ...holy shit ....the sleeping giant is out their but the 60 s and 70 s people that took to the streets are fat ,inshape ...now have the time to get back out their ,,,look beatles ,,,cream ...hendrix ...rock gods ...sex drugs rock ....now the young ....who complane ....whip the fucken parents ...smack the people who made so much great change ..before ....take to the streets ...a house divided can not stand ...the greatest power on earth your in it u can controll it ,,,but we get pisser at the dems ..feingold ....holy shit ....look up folk your getting deep throuted ...and the islams the capitalest bill gates will sell your kids out like i.g. farber did in world war two ...look it up ....WAKE UP THE SLEEPING GIANT>>>>richard hydell and wrecked
www.wreckedband. com | Homepage | 03.03.06 - 12:40 am | #

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bi the way those bands i spoke of and their are a lot more ...a bunch of bands played on the oldies station ...not that theirs anything wrong with that ...but come on lets get some real new young rock ...hip .hop..rap .. and shake thing up ...everyone is so worried about their shit well ..make some noise at the grammies ..american music awards ...soul train awards ...tv shows ..talk shows ...any were ..those bands has fucken balls ...lennon had balls ...it does not take a village ..it takes a nation ....the most powerfull nation that their ever was ....richard hydell and wrecked
www.wreckedband. com | Homepage | 03.03.06 - 12:51 am | #

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[Tommyknocker]

Speaks for itself...

"Republican Congressman Ron Paul has gone on record with his prediction that the impeachment of George W. Bush is right around the corner but warned that in the meantime the US was slipping perilously close to a dictatorship.

Appearing on the Alex Jones Show and addressing the port sell-out, Paul stated that, "it probably will contribute to the Republican's failure in the next election."

Asked if the Democrats would use gains in the mid-term elections to set in motion impeachment proceedings against George W. Bush, Paul responded,

"I predict that would happen."

"I think he (Bush) has numerous things that the Democrats if they get a chance, not only will they be after him for that but it will be payback for the Clinton impeachment."

Paul was inclined to believe that the port sales would go ahead anyway but took a positive perspective in pointing out that it again highlighted George W. Bush's complete abandonment of conservative principles."

http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/march2006/030306bushimpeachment.htm

[togolosh]

"Dr." Frist taught me a very useful skill: I can perform medical diagnoses simply by viewing a brief video of the patient. For example, I have been able to diagnose Bill O'Reilly as brain-dead. Also I can diagnose "Dr." Frist as suffering from an advanced case of moral gangrene.

[Thersites]

I've got complete contact info for the key players in this fiasco -- Frist, Reid, Roberts, Rockefeller, Snowe, Hagel -- plus talking points and a "game plan", at http://vichydems.blogspot.com/2006/03/roots-project-all-hands-on-deck.html>Vichy Dems.

That's just the specific post; surf to the main site for updates, a link to what Rockefeller's motion for a hearing actually says, etc.

Part of the multi-blogger Roots Project. Come join the fun, make some calls, send some emails, save the world!