Senate panel backs Hayden CIA confirmation with 4 of 7 Democratic Votes

UPDATE 5/26/06: The Senate today confirmed Hayden by a 78-15 vote, demonstrating that the majority of Democratic Senators have forgotten their role as constitutional counterweight to the Administration and an investigatory and oversight body. They’re still running scared from a President whom less than 1/3 of Americans continue to support. In short, they’re letting down their party by failing to provide an effective opposition, and worse, they are letting down America.

Senate Intelligence Committee backs NSA’s Gen. Hayden’s CIA confirmation by a 12-3 vote. That means that 4 Democrats, Feinstein, Rockfeller, Levin, and MIkulski, voted to confirm General Hayden, likely giving him exactly the bi-partisan lustre he needs to win confirmation.

The links above are to each Senator’s statement on their votes to recommend confirmation to the full Senate. Every single one of them dodges the real issue that, as Senator Feingold said in his statement on his NO vote, "General Hayden directed an illegal program that put Americans on
American soil under surveillance without the legally required approval
of a judge."

The issue is that Hayden has already proven himself amenable to carrying out illegal directives of the President. He did not resign when asked to break the law, he rolled over and did it. Now the Administration is moving him to the CIA where they can order him to violate American laws and the Constitution again.

I’m disgusted with my party today.

Senators Feingold, Wyden, and Bayh did the right thing and voted against a man, who despite his talents and qualifications, facilitated a massive breach of the public trust and the rule of law. Senator Feingold’s statement explains the case eloquently below the fold…

"I voted against the nomination of General Michael Hayden to be Director
          of the CIA because I am not convinced that the nominee respects the
          rule of law and Congress’s oversight responsibilities. General
          Hayden is highly experienced and talented. But, as Director of the NSA,
          General Hayden directed an illegal program that put Americans on American
          soil under surveillance without the legally required approval of a judge.
          Having finally been briefed about this program last week, I am more
          convinced than ever that it is illegal. Our country needs a CIA Director
          who is committed to fighting terrorism aggressively without breaking
          the law or infringing on the rights of Americans. General Hayden’s
          role in implementing and publicly defending the warrantless surveillance
          program does not give me confidence that he is capable of fulfilling
          this important responsibility.

General Hayden failed in his testimony to express any reservations
          about this Administration’s lack of respect for the rule of law.
          Rather than committing to follow legally binding restrictions on the
          authorities of the CIA, such as those prohibiting the CIA from engaging
          in domestic security, he spoke about presidential authority and consultations
          with government lawyers. Given that Administration lawyers continue
          to assert presidential authority to override the law, General Hayden’s
          answers were less than reassuring.

General Hayden’s conduct and testimony also raise serious questions
          about his willingness to respect congressional oversight. He was complicit
          in the Administration’s failure to inform the full congressional
          intelligence committees about the warrantless surveillance program,
          even though this notification is required by law. In his testimony,
          he repeatedly failed to explain or criticize the Administration’s
          failure to inform the full committees about the program. And he declined
          to commit to notifying the full committees about all intelligence activities,
          as is required by law.

Finally, I remain concerned about previous misleading testimony by
          General Hayden regarding warrantless surveillance and his explanation
          for that testimony. In 2002, he told a joint congressional committee
          that, under FISA, persons inside the United States "would have
          protections as what the law defines as a U.S. person and I would have
          no authorities to pursue it." In fact, the President had already
          authorized the NSA to bypass those legal protections. General Hayden’s
          explanation for this statement, that he was speaking in open session
          at the time and had earlier given a fuller briefing to the committee
          in closed session, does not justify a public misleading statement.

The stakes are high. Al Qaeda and its affiliates seek to destroy us.
          We must fight back and we must join this fight together, as a nation.
          But when Administration officials ignore the law and ignore the other
          branches of government, it distracts us from fighting our enemies. I
          am disappointed that the President decided to make such a controversial
          nomination at this time. While I defer to Presidents in considering
          nominations to positions in the executive branch, I cannot vote for
          a nominee whose conduct raises such troubling questions about his adherence
          to the rule of law."

       
       
       
       


Discover more from Blog for Arizona

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Discover more from Blog for Arizona

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading