[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Message from Senator Barack Obama

[Morton K. Brussel]

FYI. There are two sides to the story, he says, so we shouldn't  
censure, or --god forbid-impeach the president. --mkb

Begin forwarded message:

> From: senator_obama at obama.senate.gov
> Date: July 5, 2006 11:59:03 AM CDT
> To: mkb4 at mac.com
> Subject: Message from Senator Barack Obama
>
> Dear Morton:
>
> Thank you for writing about Senator Russ Feingold's proposal to  
> censure President Bush. I understand your strong feelings on this  
> issue. While I share your frustration and anger, I do not think  
> censure is justified at this time.
>
> I agree with Senator Feingold that the Administration's attitude  
> toward congressional oversight and the FISA law has been cavalier  
> and arrogant. We are a nation of laws, and those laws should be  
> applied to all of us, from humblest citizen to the president of the  
> United States. No president should be allowed to knowingly and  
> willing flout our laws, and I believe the President exceeded his  
> authority with his domestic wiretapping program. The justifications  
> offered – that the president possesses inherent presidential  
> authority under Article II, or was granted that authority in the  
> 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force -- seem to contradict  
> prior precedent and our constitutional design.
>
> But my and Senator Feingold’s view is not unanimous. Some  
> constitutional scholars and lower court opinions support the  
> president’s argument that he has inherent authority to go outside  
> the bounds of the law in monitoring the activities of suspected  
> terrorists. The question is whether the president understood the  
> law and knowingly flaunted it, or whether he and his aides, in good  
> faith, interpreted their authority more broadly than I and others  
> believe the law allows. Ultimately, this debate must be resolved by  
> the courts.
>
> Also, a censure resolution does nothing to deal with the underlying  
> problem of unchecked executive power. It would not force the  
> president to modify his domestic surveillance program or force the  
> Senate Intelligence Committee to do its job. In order to do that,  
> Congress must reassert its constitutional role in overseeing the  
> domestic surveillance program. And it should bring the warrantless  
> wiretapping program back under the authority of the court  
> established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).  
> Therefore, my focus is on crafting an effective surveillance  
> program that both combats terrorism and contains meaningful  
> judicial review of wiretapping, which is the most effective way to  
> restore balance between the battle against terrorism and the rule  
> of law.
>
> Finally, I can assure you that your opinion is important to me, and  
> I hope my opinion is important to you. I will continue to try to  
> bring my best judgment to the issues before the Senate, and let the  
> people of Illinois make their best judgment on my service to the  
> state.
>
> Again, thank you for writing. I will closely follow the hearing on  
> Senator Feingold’s bill taking place in the Judiciary Committee  
> this week to see if any further information surfaces that might  
> impact my decision.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Barack Obama
> United States Senator
>
>
> P.S. Our system does not allow direct response to this email.  
> However, if you would like to contact me again, please use the form  
> on the website: http://obama.senate.gov/contact/
>
> Stay up to date with Barack's work in the Senate and on issues of  
> importance to Illinois. Subscribe to the weekly podcast here:  
> http://obama.senate.gov/podcast/

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