Specter sells out

Sen. Arlen Specter, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, was the only Republican leader in Congress to make much of a stink over the NSA spying scandal. He's even suggested legislation requiring the Bush administration to get approval of the spying program from the super-secret courts set up for such purposes under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). But yesterday Sen. Specter sold out, agreeing to a compromise with the White House brokered by Sen. Orrin Hatch. The deal allows a challenge to the spying program in a FISA court, but only from someone the government deems a plaintiff with legal standing (someone who can prove he or she has suffered damage as a result). Since the administration can simply say, "We can't share any information about this program because of national security," it may be virtually impossible for anyone to establish themselves as having legal standing.

Worse than the "compromise," however, it that the deal paves the way for legislation by Sen. Mike DeWine that will essentially attempt to legalize the whole NSA program. I'm not sure how you can legalize something that is so secret you can't describe the details. Also not sure such a law would be Constitutional anyway, but these jokers don't seem to give a rip about the Constitution.

Adding insult to injury, the Judiciary Committee met yesterday to question the government about its decision to investigate journalists who report on the government's "classified" efforts to violate Americans' civil liberties. Seems that the Bush administration's response to these allegations is to consider prosecuting reporters under old espionage laws. The guy they sent up to the Hill to answer questions basically wouldn't answer any. The senators threw a big fit...and then went home....