Now We're Getting Somewhere

From Sen. Arlen Specter's letter to Attorney General Gonzales, here are my three favorite questions-

#1-

In interpreting whether Congress intended to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) by the September 14,2001 Resolution (Resolution), would it be relevant on the issue of Congressional intent that the Administration did not specifically ask for an expansion for Executive powers under FISA? Was it because you thought you couldn't get such an expansion as when you said: "That was not something that we could likely get?"

#6-

Wasn't President Carter's signature on FISA in 1978, together with his signing statement, an explicit renunciation of any claim to inherent Executive authority under Article II of the Constitution to conduct warrantless domestic surveillance when the Act provided the exclusive procedures for such surveillance?

#7-

Why didn't the President seek a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court authorizing in advance the electronic surveillance in issue? (The FISA Court has the experience and authority to issue such a warrant. The FISA Court has a record establishing its reliability for non-disclosure or leaking contrasted with concerns that disclosures to many members of Congress involved a high risk of disclosure or leaking. The FISA Court is at least as reliable, if not more so, than the Executive Branch on avoiding disclosure or leaks.)

I can't wait to see the pathetic lies he comes up with to respond in the hearings.

(And no, Alberto, "9/11" doesn't count as a real answer)

Read all the questions at the link above and know that Sen. Specter means business. In addition to these excellent inquiries, he also addresses the 72-hour retroactive warrant issue, Congressional notification, and the constitutional grounds (or lack thereof) used to justify the law breaking. I have hope that this hearing won't be a partisan mess and that the Senate truly is concerned about the level to which the President has overreached and action will be taken.

PS- The Washington Post picks up on Glenn Greenwald's exposing of the administration's latest lie :
White House Dismissed '02 Surveillance Proposal

PPS- More analysis of recent polls: More Americans favor impeaching Bush, poll says