{"article":{"id":142215,"heading":"Boxer Researches &quot;Impeachable Offence&quot;","author":"Barbara Boxer (reposted by Leslie)","created":"2005-12-22 07:05:57","modified":"2005-12-24 23:04:13","last_modified":"Sun, 25 Dec 2005 07:04:13","article":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<?xml encoding=\"UTF-8\"><html><body><p align=\"center\"><strong>Boxer Asks Presidential Scholars About\r\nFormer White House Counsel's Statement that Bush Admitted to an\r\n'Impeachable Offense'<\/strong> \r\n<\/p><p>December 19, 2005 \r\n<\/p><p>Washington, D.C. --&nbsp;U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)\r\ntoday asked four presidential scholars for their opinion on\r\nformer White House Counsel John Dean's statement that President\r\nBush admitted to an \"impeachable offense\" when he said he\r\nauthorized the National Security Agency to spy on Americans\r\nwithout getting a warrant from a judge. \r\n<\/p><p>Boxer said, \"I take very seriously Mr. Dean's comments, as I\r\nview him to be an expert on Presidential abuse of power. I am\r\nexpecting a full airing of this matter by the Senate in the very\r\nnear future.\" \r\n\r\n<\/p><p>Boxer's letter is as follows: \r\n<\/p><p><em>On December 16, along with the rest of America, I learned\r\nthat President Bush authorized the National Security Agency to\r\nspy on Americans without getting a warrant from a judge.\r\nPresident Bush underscored his support for this action in his\r\npress conference today. <\/em>\r\n<\/p><p><em>On Sunday, December 18, former White House Counsel John\r\nDean and I participated in a public discussion that covered many\r\nissues, including this surveillance. Mr. Dean, who was President\r\nNixon's counsel at the time of Watergate, said that President\r\nBush is \"the first President to admit to an impeachable\r\noffense.\" Today, Mr. Dean confirmed his statement. <\/em>\r\n<\/p><p><em>This startling assertion by Mr. Dean is especially\r\npoignant because he experienced first hand the executive abuse\r\nof power and a presidential scandal arising from the\r\nsurveillance of American citizens. <\/em>\r\n<\/p><p><em>Given your constitutional expertise, particularly in the\r\narea of presidential impeachment, I am writing to ask for your\r\ncomments and thoughts on Mr. Dean's statement. <\/em>\r\n<\/p><p><em>Unchecked surveillance of American citizens is troubling\r\nto both me and many of my constituents. I would appreciate your\r\nthoughts on this matter as soon as possible. <\/em>\r\n<\/p><p><em>Sincerely, <\/em>\r\n<\/p><p><em>Barbara Boxer <br>United States Senator <\/em><\/p>\r\n<p align=\"center\"># # #<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\n\n<\/body><\/html>\n","contact":"","link":"","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/html","summary":"Boxer issued the following release about President Bush's recent admission that he has personally authorized domestic surveillance without a court order. She sent the referenced letter to four presidential scholars, asking for their input:\r\n\r\n* Cass Sunstein, University of Chicago Law School\r\n* Bruce Ackerman, Yale University\r\n* Susan Low Bloch, Georgetown University Law Center\r\n* Michael Gerhardt, College of William and Mary School of Law","numcomment":8,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2005\/12\/142215.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":142407,"heading":"Go Boxer","article":"I have previously stated that this Woman has more huevoes than most of the rest of the Senate together. ( where were they on votefraud 2000 and 2004 ) and any change for the better ( meaning ceasing this low and possibly high level nuclear war that must be stopped now.) may enhance survival of the human race .\r\n\r\nBetter than Fienstine anyway.  That woman reminds me of Reno.  Votes for corporate interests  invariably.","author":"Sheepdog","parent_id":142215,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2005-12-24 14:49:32","modified":"2005-12-24 14:49:32","fileurl":""},{"id":142416,"heading":"sliding into irrelevance","article":"Sadly, California is now represented in the Senate by one person, Diane Feinstein. At least she's rational. Boxer long ago slid into cartoon status. She is regarded as one of the dimmer Senators. Unfortunately for California, she is wasting one of our seats in the Senate. ","author":"Steve","parent_id":142215,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2005-12-24 17:57:24","modified":"2005-12-24 17:57:24","fileurl":""},{"id":142417,"heading":"Dean?","article":"What would make Dean and expert on Presidential abuse.  Just because you talk to the media at the drop of a hat about any subject it does not make you an expert.  As far as Boxer, she is all for unions but has several businesses that are non-union.  How is that helping us?","author":"John","parent_id":142215,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2005-12-24 18:39:11","modified":"2005-12-24 18:39:11","fileurl":""},{"id":142434,"heading":"Hahahahaha!","article":"Boxer is a first rate hypocrit.  As the poster above noted, she's all about unions, unless she owns the business.  No unions allowed.  She's all about the environment, unless its her property.\r\n\r\nShe is indeed a cartoon of herself.  If half the population of California would put their bongs down for awhile they might get a clear understanding of the socialist mental cripple they elected.  ","author":"Studly Capitalist","parent_id":142215,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2005-12-24 21:09:34","modified":"2005-12-24 21:09:34","fileurl":""},{"id":142435,"heading":"Boxer's Wiretap Hearing Petition to Specter","article":"When I checked, nearly 50,000 people had already signed Boxer's petition to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter to hold public hearings on the president's illegal wiretaps, before the committee's hearings on Alito's Supreme Court appointment.\r\n\r\nI'm not usually engaged in mainstream politics, but Boxer and current conditions are forcing me to rethink a bit.","author":"Leslie","parent_id":142215,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2005-12-24 21:12:04","modified":"2005-12-24 21:12:04","fileurl":""},{"id":142436,"heading":"Don't expect anything from Spector","article":"He was the magic bullet guy in the JFK assassination.\r\nAnother loyal hack.","author":"Sheepdog","parent_id":142215,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2005-12-24 21:20:11","modified":"2005-12-24 21:20:11","fileurl":""},{"id":142445,"heading":"50,000","article":"50,000 signatures only proves that there are at least 50,000 mental midgets who know who she is.  It doesn't raise her IQ above her shoe size.","author":"Studly Capitalist","parent_id":142215,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2005-12-24 22:29:21","modified":"2005-12-24 22:29:21","fileurl":""},{"id":142449,"heading":"Her Businesses","article":"What businesses does she own?\r\n\r\nAlso, they might not have unions because the workers haven't formed one.  For example, I work in an informal company that likes the labor movement, but, it's not unionized because one hasn't been formed.","author":"johnk","parent_id":142215,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2005-12-24 23:04:13","modified":"2005-12-24 23:04:13","fileurl":""}]}