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

[Morton K. Brussel]

I agree with the intent of all your queries. Obama is a depressing  
figure. The best response to Obama's empty reply comes from what  
Feingold said to the committee today. A solid statement.

Mort

On Mar 31, 2006, at 6:48 PM, Karen Medina wrote:

> Thanks for sharing Obama with us Mort.
>
> A couple of questions:
> 1) How would "crafting an effective surveillance program" prevent  
> the administration from repeating the overstepping of their bounds  
> under the 'improved' program?
> 2) Is there really a doubt that they knew they were doing something  
> illegal?
> 3) Even if they did not know, ignorance of the law (or will-full  
> misinterpretation of the law) is no excuse.
>
> -karen medina
>
> Morton K. Brussel wrote:
>> FYI.
>> Begin forwarded message:
>>> *From: *senator_obama at obama.senate.gov  
>>> <mailto:senator_obama at obama.senate.gov>
>>> *Date: *March 31, 2006 5:54:43 PM CST
>>> *To: *mkb3 at mac.com <mailto:mkb3 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.
>>>
>>> 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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>
>