From: "Rich Gauszka" 

There is now an attempt with the Spector-Cheney bill

http://blog.wired.com/27BStroke6/index.blog?from=20060718

new wave of stories on the so-called "Specter-Cheney" spying bill
is likely to hit your local paper tomorrow, following today's ACLU briefing
on the legislation.

Reporters from Fox News, the Washington Times, and the Christian Science
Monitor were all in on the call and likely will file stories that won't
call the bill a compromise as reporters called it last week.

In short, the ACLU thinks the bill is more sweeping in handing over
unsupervised surveillance authority to the President than the Patriot Act.

That's not alarmist rhetoric, since it is actually true.

The bill is very complicated and touches on some high-level separation of
powers issues, but I'll try to explain it here more clearly than I have
before.



"Dave Ings"  wrote in message
news:44e6062d{at}w3.nls.net...
> Can one of the natives please explain this to this foreigner?
>
> I simply do not understand what the fuss is about. If the courts (continue
> to) hold that the President does not currently enjoy the warantless
> wiretap authority he believes is necessary to do his job, why doesn't
> Congress settle the matter by passing a law granting him that specific
> authority? After all the President's party controls the legislature. And
> if the constitution doesn't permit it, then change the d*** constitution.
>
> (Note I'm not commenting on whether or not the President should indeed
> possess this authority - different debate - just trying to understand all
> the partisan whining and wailing.)
>
>
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/18/washington/18cnd-nsa.html?hp&ex=1155960000&
en=cc69b39520fe585b&ei=5094&partner=homepage
>
> WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 - President Bush said today that he is confident that
> a federal court ruling against his administration's electronic
> surveillance program will be overturned, and he described those who hailed
> the ruling as na‹ve.
> --
> Regards,
> Dave Ings,
> Toronto, Canada
>
>
>

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