Roberts Splits with Bu$h on Spy Program

[mod mom]

Senate Chairman Splits With Bush on Spy Program

?By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG

Published: February 18, 2006


WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 — The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Friday that he wanted the Bush administration's domestic eavesdropping program brought under the authority of a special intelligence court, a move President Bush has argued is not necessary.

The chairman, Senator Pat Roberts, Republican of Kansas, said he had some concerns that the court could not issue warrants quickly enough to keep up with the needs of the eavesdropping program. But he said he would like to see those details worked out.

Mr. Roberts also said he did not believe that exempting the program from the purview of the court created by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act "would be met with much support" on Capitol Hill. Yet that is exactly the approach the Bush administration is pursuing.

<snip>

White House officials favor a proposal offered by another Republican senator, Mike DeWine of Ohio, whose bill would exempt the eavesdropping from the intelligence court. Mr. DeWine wants small subcommittees to oversee the wiretapping, but Mr. Roberts said he would like the full House and Senate Intelligence Committees to have regular briefings.

http://nytimes.com/2006/02/18/politics/18nsa.html?ei=5094&en=231ab42e6ca3fd9c&hp=&ex=1140325200&adxnnl=1&partner=homepage&adxnnlx=1140275081-E2rjCDTAoHkjQTAy9nndTA

[rodeodance]

1. what a fool. it already IS.

[acmejack]

2. Roberts has so compromised his credibility, that one must be cautious.

It has become very difficult to accept anything he says as being factual or even his honest intention. There is hard evidence that the man is for lack of a better word, a liar.

[hopein08]

4. Quite true, I figure its all a plot to make it look like there are GOP...

big wigs who question it.

Just like when I heard Sensebrenner wants an investigation in the House. It'll be a neat and quick gloss over with a few pre-submitted "hard" questions that will be accepted as 100% A-OK regardless of what the answer is.

[clitzpah queen]

3. When I read the title I thought that meant a reversal re: holding the NSA

hearings. Anything short of that is hooey. Indepent commission investigating illegal wiretapping must be demanded. Period. ( I'll let more patient pundits suss out the subtle rifts among Repub leaders that can be nurtured and possibly coaxed to widen over time -- I just don't believe any differences here are more than cosmetic.