Sunday, May 07, 2006

Consequences of Challenging Bush Administration’s NSA Program

Dear President Bush,

Even powerful members of Congress are not immune from repercussions after challenging your NSA secret spying “here at home” program. Senator Arlen Specter, the chair of the Senate Judiciary committee has taken the lead to date in raising questions about your program and its legality. What price has he paid for standing up to the NSA, which stands for Nobody Stops my Administration?

The good Senator’s name has been erased, as in completely. From now on he is only to be referred to as "the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee". The Associated Press complied with your Executive Order in this morning piece titled “House Intel Panel Chief Opposes Hayden”. The article cites opposition to General Hayden, should you appoint him as the new CIA Director. Ironically, the general is considered the architect of the NSA.

The news piece specifically named 4 other members of Congress, but only had this to say about the man previously known as Arlen Specter:

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said he would view a Hayden nomination as a way to get information from the Bush administration about its secretive domestic surveillance program, undertaken by the NSA when Hayden led that agency.

What does this say about our open and transparent democracy? It appears those who challenge your administration to live up to its professed ideal pay the consequences. What price will Mr. Spector pay for continuing to raise questions other than the loss of his good name in your eyes? I can assure you, his name will grow in esteem in mine.

P.S. There is no public executive order castigating Senator Spector. Might there be a secret one? Only the Decider knows for sure and he ain’t talking!

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