Georgie's Chihuahua

Abu Gonzales has really proved himself worthy of the collar and leash he wears for Bush. Appearing before the Senate Judiciary committee to testify about the illegal domestic spying programs, he gave non-answers, tap-danced, waxed eloquently about nothing, and avoided providing any information at all.

Sen. FEINSTEIN: Can the president suspend, in secret or otherwise, the application of Section 503 of the National Security Act, which states that no covert action may be conducted which is intended to influence United States political processes, public opinion, policies or media? In other words, can he engage in otherwise illegal propaganda?
GONZALES: Senator, this will probably be my response to all of your questions of these kind of hypotheticals. Questions as to whether or not — can Congress pass a statute that is in tension with the President’s constitutional authority? Those are very, very difficult questions, and for me to answer those questions sort of off the cuff, I think would not be responsible.
Sen. FEINSTEIN: I just want to ask some others. If you don’t want to answer, then don’t answer them. Can the President suspend the application of the Posse Comitatus Act?
GONZALES: Of course, Senator, that is not what is at issue here. This is not about law enforcement, this is about foreign intelligence –
Sen. FEINSTEIN: I understand. I’m asking the questions. You choose not to answer it?
GONZALES: Yes, ma’am.Sen. FEINSTEIN: Okay. Can the president suspend, in secret or otherwise, the application of Section 503 of the National Security Act, which states that no covert action may be conducted which is intended to influence United States political processes, public opinion, policies or media? In other words, can he engage in otherwise illegal propaganda?
GONZALES: Senator, this will probably be my response to all of your questions of these kind of hypotheticals. Questions as to whether or not — can Congress pass a statute that is in tension with the President’s constitutional authority? Those are very, very difficult questions, and for me to answer those questions sort of off the cuff, I think would not be responsible. I think that, again —
Sen. FEINSTEIN: Okay, that’s fine. I don’t want to argue with you. All I’m trying to say is, this is a slippery slope. Once you do one, there are a whole series of actions that can be taken and I suspect the temptations to take them are very great. And we are either a nation that practices our rule of law or we’re not.

(Watch it Here)

Senator Joseph Biden tried to pin the lapdog down by asking whether or not the program captures conversations of innocent Americans.
Sen. BIDEN: Can you assure us, General, you are fully, totally informed and confident that you know the absolute detail with which this program is being conducted? Can you assure us you personally can assure us no one is being eavesdropped upon in the United States other than — other than someone who has a communication that is emanating from foreign soil by a suspected terrorist, al Qaeda, or otherwise?
GONZALES: Sir, I can’t give you absolute assurance.
Sen. BIDEN: Who can?
GONZALES: Certainly General Hayden knows more about the operational details of this. What I can give the American people assurance is that we have a number of safeguards in place so that we can say with a high degree of confidence or certainly certainty that what the president has authorized in connection with this program, that those procedures are being followed.

Senator Specter showed that even solid Republicans are breaking away (finally) from disregard for our proud heritage.
Sen. SPECTER: I don’t think you can use principle of avoiding a tough constitutional conflict by disagreeing with the plain words of the statute. Attorney General Gonzales, when members of Congress heard about your contention that the resolution authorizing the use of force amended the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act there was general shock.
GONZALES: We’ve never asserted that FISA has been amended. We’ve always asserted that our interpretation of FISA, which contemplates another statute and we have that here in the authorization to use force, those complement each other. this is not a situation where FISA has been overwritten or FISA has been amended. That’s never been our position.
Sen. SPECTER: That just defies logic and plain English.

The name of the game is to stonewall, hope it will die down, hope we can prevail, hope the public will tire and forget the whole thing. The smokescreen is mighty – but the whole issue is plainly one of obeying the law and honoring our Constitution. This group of fascists does neither.
Posted on The Human Stain