Conservative judge to Bush: "We still have to preserve our civil liberties"

A federal judge appointed two decades ago under Reagan completely tore apart the Bush Administration's warrantless wiretap policy.  During a speech on Saturday at the American Library Association's convention, Royce Lamberth, a district court judge in Washington D.C., reminded the President that he does not have unlimited power:

"But what we have found in the history of ourcountry is that you can't trust the executive," he said at the AmericanLibrary Association's convention.

"We have to understand you can fight the war (onterrorism) and lose everything if you have no civil liberties left whenyou get through fighting the war," said Lamberth, who was appointed byPresident Reagan.

The judge disagreed with letting the executive branch alone decide which people to spy on in national security cases.

"The executive has to fight and win the war atall costs. But judges understand the war has to be fought, but it can'tbe at all costs," Lamberth said. "We still have to preserve our civilliberties. Judges are the kinds of people you want to entrust that kindof judgment to more than the executive."

For the third time, just in case you didn't read it, this was a Reagan appointee.  Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, routinely smeared on Fox News, was also a Reagan appointee.  Justice Kennedy, yet another Reagan appointee, was attacked by the right for being the decisive vote that will soon change the EPA's careless policy on carbon emissions.

Also, all nine of the US Attorneys that were fired were appointed by a Republican president.

In other words, it is not a matter of this Administration being 'liberal' or 'conservative'.  All they want is to consolidate power -- that's it.  Their policies lack any kind of academic political philosophy.  It's just about using power as a means to get more power.  Usually leaders use power to promote what they consider to be good and just.  This Executive obtains power for the sake of getting more power.  What we get in return is a failed government.

Comments

[granny]

And failed government will not be the end of the road, but the beginning of kinds of "governing" that we do not imagine for ourselves.

Yet we know others live that way. We know, this country exists as a consequence of governing gone awry, and the efforts of many to escape that kind of life. It happens.

There's a line from an old Monty Python movie that stays with me: "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition".

It lasted 800 years.
Time to rise up and walk the walk.

[Tony]

Maybe Royce didn't read the memo...

"There's a new Sheriff in town now"