A few months ago, Senator Russ Feingold (D) of Wisconsin gave a galvanizing speech to the Senate denouncing the President's, illegal NSA warrantless wiretapping program and has since introduced a resolution (S. Res. 398) to censure the President. The Senator, since then, has continually cut Bush at the knees while the President continually tries mightily to twist and spin his euphemistically named "Terrorist Surveillance Program" into something other than what it is: illegal and unconstitutional spying on innocent American citizens.
Feingold sliced through the stale, musty muttering of a President who long ago lost his credibility with the American people in this forthright assessment of this highly illegitimate attempt to commandeer civil rights under the guise of patriotism and national security. Feingold's speech was clear, accurate and succinct: spying on American's, without probable cause and a warrant from the appropriate courts is unlawful; period. No justification can be made, with any sense of decorum, legality or integrity, that wiretapping Americans without a court order and probable cause is legal. In fact, it is in direct conflict with the fourth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States!
Further, Feingold repeatedly points out the deceptive and misleading statements, that Bush continues to spew forth in irresponsible fashion, are utter nonsense and untrustworthy. By cutting through the murky fog that this administration has created around a crystal clear abrogation of the Fourth Amendment, the Senator defines in simple language what warrantless wiretapping is- against the law!
Just to be sure, let's review what Bush said on April 20, 2004 in Buffalo, New York about how wiretaps are to be carried out:
"Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires -- a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we're talking about chasing down terrorists, we're talking about getting a court order before we do so." - George W. Bush
Bush foolishly wanted us to trust him, that he was telling the truth on April 20, 2004 and that he was not breaking the law. Need I remind anyone what another famous republican President once said? "Trust, but verify..."- Ronald Reagan.
By his own admission on April 20, 2004, President Bush clearly states he knew the law- that warrantless wiretaps were illegal, but Bush chose to break the law in spite of this obvious declaration of deception. He brazenly lied to America on April 20, 2004, hid this unlawful, clandestine program from the public and only when exposed by the NY Times, he developed an implausible, mind-boggling defense as to the legality of his "Terrorist Surveillance Program". Under the auspices of henchman U.S. Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, team Bush rolled out an argument of pure conjecture- that Congress gave him authority to wiretap Americans on U.S. soil without a warrant when it passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force after September 11, 2001!
Senator Feingold didn't trust this president from day one. He sought and continues to seek the real truths through verification of facts, plain-spoken language and common sense, not newspeak and demagoguery. That's why he (Feingold) voted against the Patriot Act, voted against Bush's many tax cuts to the wealthy, grilled Alberto Gonzales in his confirmation hearings, Samuel Alito during his and now Feingold's resolution to censure Bush and put a stop to the out of control tail-spin of treachery from the executive branch.
Feingold is deadly accurate in his calling out of Bush and the injection of adrenaline that the democrats and this nation needs as a whole. A dose of expectorant, if you will, to clear America's phlegm-ridden throat and give us the piercing voice we all need to cut through Bush's fog factory of misinformation deception and Bush's brand of fascism- American-style.
Pass the Robitussin ®, please!
