Informed Speculation

Transcript links can be found here…

We begin the third part of the NSA hearing highlights with Senator Sessions, who begins his first round of questioning with more partisan posturing…on second thought, we roll right past Sessions – nothing worthwhile there.

The afternoon session began with the combative Russ Feingold, who again took Specter to task for not swearing in Gonzales, and repeated his already-tired soundbite that the president has a ‘pre-1776 view of the world’.

Feingold clearly was getting on Specter’s bad side:

FEINGOLD: And, sir, I don’t mean to belabor the point, but just so the record is clear, did you or anyone in the administration ask Chairman Specter or his staff that you not be put under oath today?

GONZALES: Senator, I’ve already indicated for the record that the chairman asked my views about being sworn in and I said I had no objection.

FEINGOLD: But did you or anyone in the administration ask the chairman to not have you sworn?

GONZALES: Sir, not to my knowledge.

SPECTER: The answer is no.

Feingold went on the attack over the AG’s confirmation hearing, but I don’t sense that he drew any real blood.

Graham used his opening round to once again put administration critics on the spot, by basically asking them to have the courage of their convictions:

GRAHAM: About hiding something about this program, is it not true that the Congress has been briefed extensively — at least a small group of congressmen and senators — about this program?

GONZALES: Senator, I have not been present, as I’ve testified before, at all of the briefings. But in the briefings that I have been present, the briefings were extensive, the briefings were detailed. Certain members who were present at the briefing were given an opportunity to ask questions, to voice concerns.

GRAHAM: And if any member of this body believes that you’ve done something illegal, they could put in legislation to terminate this program, couldn’t they? Isn’t that our power?

GONZALES: Certainly, Senator, it is…

GRAHAM: Well, I would think, if you believe that our president was breaking the law, you’d have the courage of your convictions and you’d stop funding for it.

Graham did make it clear that he wasn’t a fan of the AUMF argument.

Schumer absolutely wasted his initial round of questioning in an obscure give and take over possible witnesses for future sessions. Truly laughable…and my Texas Senator, Cornyn, was little better – again taking his time to bash the New York Times (hey, I bash the Times, too, but I wouldn’t do it during my brief moment questioning the Attorney General of the United States).

Look for the fourth (and final?) part later…