Americans say president shouldn't suspend rights:ABA Poll

[cal04]

Most Americans believe a president should not be allowed to suspend constitutional guarantees in order to fight terrorism, a poll released on Friday said. The poll, taken for the American Bar Association in the wake of the controversy generated by President Bush's domestic spying program, found the public divided over whether government eavesdropping on personal communications could ever be justified.

"As our poll shows, and legal scholars agree, the awesome power of government to penetrate citizens' most private communications must not be held in one set of hands," Michael Greco, the group's president, told a
news conference. "To prevent the very human temptation to abuse this power there must be checks and balances in the form of oversight by the courts and Congress," he said.

"I personally reject the false choice that is being offered Americans that they must give up their liberties to have security. We must protect both, and we can protect both," he added. With the administration refusing to provide details of the eavesdropping program, which was a closely held secret until recently, the extent of any violations are unclear, Greco said.

The program, authorized by Bush in 2001, allows the National Security Agency to monitor the international phone calls and e-mails of U.S. citizens to track people with suspected ties to al Qaeda and other militant groups.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060210/pl_nm/security_eavesdropping_poll_dc

[DarkmoonIkonoklast]

1. this former Marine sez:

DAMN RIGHT!!!

I may not have gone into combat -- a freak medical thing -- but I didn't sign on the dotted line in 1967 so that some chickenshit chickenhawk could trash the Constitution just because "God told him he should"...

Neither did my dead comrades!

COURT MARTIAL THE COMMANDER-IN-THIEF!!!!!

[Booster]

2. Now, that deserves a heart cause you're right on.

[LiberalAndProud]

3. Note to Democrats: It's the Constitution stupid! /nt

[midnight]

4. It is so clear or it should be.

Who knew how simple it is to just say- It's the Constitution.
Maybe we should have a daily briefing of the parts of the Constitution.

[LiberalAndProud]

5. It seems so obvious to me.

I win the "I don't care if they listen to me" bullshit argument every time I bring up the Fourth Amendment.

Shuts them up fast. There is no patriotic option.

Dem politicians are so fearful of being painted with the "weak on defense" brush, that they are failing to defend the Constitution and it is PISSING ME OFF!!!

DEMS!!! STAND UP AND DEFEND MY CONSTITUTION NOW!!! Before there is no Constitution left to defend.

[LiberalAndProud]

6. kickin' it.

Sliding down under Cheney posts way to fast.

[Marr]

7. There's one small nit I'd like to pick here.

I've read several pieces by commentators who describe the dangers of Bush's illegal wiretaps as 'the very human temptation to abuse' the information. I understand what they're trying to say- I do. But the phrase is just very inaccurate and too forgiving.

First, the violations *are* abuses in themselves. The moment Bush gave the ok to break the 4th Ammendment and illegally eavesdrop on Americans, he was abusing power.

Second, it's not a "human temptation" to spy on people and collect dirt for whatever reason, whether it's extortion or anything else. It's not a normal, "human" urge to demand others surrender their liberties. It's a natural urge for authoritarians and wannabee dictators. Decent people would have no such temptation.