Al Gore:
On the Limits of Executive Power
"America's Constitution in Grave Danger"
Former Vice President Al Gore delivered the following address today at Constitution Hall in Washington,
DC.
01/16/2006
(stream video)
Transcript of speech:
http://www.algore04.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=325&Itemid=78
White House Accuses Gore of Hypocrisy
http://www.localnewsleader.com/elytimes/stories/news-00125938.html
Statement by Former Vice President Al Gore to the adminitrations response
Tuesday, 17 January 2006
From USNewswire
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a statement
by former Vice President Al Gore:
"The Administration's response to my speech illustrates perfectly the need for a
special counsel to review the legality of the NSA wiretapping program. The Attorney General is making a political defense
of the President without even addressing the substantive legal questions that have so troubled millions of Americans in both
political parties.
"There are two problems with the Attorney General's effort to focus attention on the past instead
of the present Administration's behavior. First, as others have thoroughly documented, his charges are factually wrong. Both
before and after the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was amended in 1995, the Clinton/Gore Administration complied fully
and completely with the terms of the law.
"Second, the Attorney General's attempt to cite a previous administration's
activity as precedent for theirs -- even though factually wrong -- ironically demonstrates another reason why we must be so
vigilant about their brazen disregard for the law. If unchecked, their behavior would serve as a precedent to encourage future
presidents to claim these same powers, which many legal experts in both parties believe are clearly illegal.
"The issue,
simply put, is that for more than four years, the executive branch has been wiretapping many thousands of American citizens
without warrants in direct contradiction of American law. It is clearly wrong and disrespectful to the American people to
allow a close political associate of the president to be in charge of reviewing serious charges against him.
"The country
needs a full and independent investigation into the facts and legality of the present Administration's program."
Source:
www.algore04.com
