It's not the question of whether there
will be a cover-up of Bush's illegal domestic spying, it's just a question of how it will be implemented. Chairman of the Senate
Intelligence Cover-Up Committee Pat Roberts has always fancied himself the President's Top Protector. He has, after all, a proven track record of sweeping scandal under the rug with the
Phase II report. So it's no surprise Roberts is
getting uneasy that Senate Judiciary Chairman Specter is putting a wrinkle in his cover-up plan:
Earlier this month, Senate Intelligence Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., expressed interest in handling NSA legislation.
But Specter will stay in the spotlight.
The Senate Parliamentarian last week gave Specter jurisdiction over two different bills that would provide more checks on the Bush administration's warrantless surveillance program. [...]
"The intelligence committees ought to exercise their statutory authority on oversight, but they aren't," Specter said. "The Judiciary Committee has acted. We brought in the attorney general. We had a second hearing with a series of experts, and we are deeply involved in it."
Specter added that his words should not be seen as critical of Roberts, but rather the administration for not briefing the full committees.
Roberts was known to be unhappy that his committee was bypassed. [...]
The aide said Roberts plans to hold more sessions, and he will likely demand that Specter refer any legislation passed by Judiciary Committee to the intelligence panel for review.
There are, as you know, two bills being circulated to make this scandal go away. One is the DeWine/Hagel/Snowe/Graham bill, the Terrorist Surveillance Act of 2006. The bill has all the trademarks of cover-up legislation: it legalizes criminal behavior, it removes Congressional oversight, and it penalizes anyone who dares to expose the truth. The other bill is Specter's bill, which would send the program to the FISA court which would review the program's constitutionality every 45 days. Both bills do not hold the President accountable for his lawlessness. Both bills do not protect the 4th Amendment. But Specter's bill poses a pesky problem for the President and his right-hand man Roberts: the FISA court may rule the program is unconstitutional. That is why Roberts is so intent on having any legislation funneled through his Cover-Up Committee. So it can be "fixed" as to pose no threat whatsoever to the President.
Specter doesn't seem willing to give any ground on this turf war, given his view of the administration and the DeWine/Hagel/Snowe/Graham bill:
"They want to do just as they please, for as long as they can get away with it," Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I think what is going on now without congressional intervention or judicial intervention is just plain wrong."
While Specter and Roberts duke it out, Democrats should unite behind Senator Russ Feingold's censure resolution. While Republicans argue about how to best cover-up the President crimes, Democrats should stand up and proclaim that the President, just like every American, is not above the law.