NSA Deal and the Mid-East Distraction
I really don't have much to add in the way of meaningful commentary regarding the "deal" reached between Sen. Specter and the White House so I will defer you to the opinions of far more knowledgeable bloggers than I at the end of this post. But one thing I do wonder about is the timing.
We all know how adept the Bush administration has become at conveniently timed announcements. One need only look at the slew of election-year terror alerts and foiled plots to get the idea.
This compromise is being touted by the media as the Bush administration caving to pressure from Congress. But if you look closely at the proposed bill, you find it exceedingly difficult to come to that conclusion since it would seem to give Bush everything he wants and then some. How this is seen as Bush "caving" one can only speculate.
So why now? No doubt some wonder if the findings in Hamdan are finally having an affect on other areas. But if Specter and the administration are to be believed, this deal was brokered before the Hamdan ruling. So why are we just now learning about it?
One answer may lie in the current unrest taking place in the Middle East. Think about it. What better way to sneak through such sham legislation than when everyone's attention if focused elsewhere?
More from Think Progress, Orin Kerr, Kevin Drum, AMERICAblog, Marty Lederman, Josh, JB, A.L., and Glenn.
Update: Greg Sargent, Carpetbagger, Tim Grieve, and Georgia10 also weigh in.
We all know how adept the Bush administration has become at conveniently timed announcements. One need only look at the slew of election-year terror alerts and foiled plots to get the idea.
This compromise is being touted by the media as the Bush administration caving to pressure from Congress. But if you look closely at the proposed bill, you find it exceedingly difficult to come to that conclusion since it would seem to give Bush everything he wants and then some. How this is seen as Bush "caving" one can only speculate.
So why now? No doubt some wonder if the findings in Hamdan are finally having an affect on other areas. But if Specter and the administration are to be believed, this deal was brokered before the Hamdan ruling. So why are we just now learning about it?
One answer may lie in the current unrest taking place in the Middle East. Think about it. What better way to sneak through such sham legislation than when everyone's attention if focused elsewhere?
More from Think Progress, Orin Kerr, Kevin Drum, AMERICAblog, Marty Lederman, Josh, JB, A.L., and Glenn.
Update: Greg Sargent, Carpetbagger, Tim Grieve, and Georgia10 also weigh in.
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