What do you think about the FBI raid on Congress and how is separation of powers affected?
601281
This is actually not a separation of powers issue, the Speaker is mistaken. He is creating a protection that does not exist.\n\nCongress is allowed to create its own rules in governing itself, but that is only for how it takes care of business not for whether an office is off limits to law enforcement for an allegation unrelated to specific legislation offered by that member.\n\nThe Constitution also protects members of Congress from legal liability for things they say while in their capacity as a legislator, but again this is only so a member cannot be intimidated into not speaking his mind or acting on his conscience or on the will of his constituents.
791324
It ought to be, abolishing the patriot act is a priority which is why Bush is pressing the outgoing congress to pass a tougher wire tap version now!\n\nBen Franklin said if one is willing to sacrifice someliberties for security soon you will have neither
941479
It marked the real turning point where people stopped trusting government. Some would say this was good, others would say it was bad. The simple fact is that it was bad. The hearings were witch hunts where people were presumed guilty by the United States Congress until proved innocent. Common people started looking suspiciously at their neighbors and people started locking their doors at night to protect them from the unseen bogeyman. It was indeed one the greatest destruct ions of public trust in the history of America. Whether good or bad it cannot be denied that it was an extreme abuse of government power. There most surely were communists in the country, but it is not illegal to be a communist. If the person in question was a subversive then that is one of the reasons why we have the FBI.
713869
I've heard the argument that he didn't have enough information to move forward with since even the accusation would ruin Folley's career. He had only been told that Folley was acting in a way that was very concerning, definitely not enough info to accuse ... right ?(*cough looks to left then right*).  My thoughts on the matter is why not simply enact a warrant less domestic wiretapping on him that way no one had to know .... oh wait at the time congress had been bypassed about the whole program in a flagrant abuse of the presidents power. Well I'm sure some type of low profile investigation could have been possible.
619768
sadly not much, and this is only referring to the basic system here and how it should work.  if one extends the idea of knowledge of the system to include government actions and such, its probably even lower.  i would like to think i have a fair understanding of it overall, but i know very little actually except what manages to leak out about what goes on behind the closed doors in dc.  a more process transparent government would be very nice.
88628
They are among the archetects for our current debacle/fiasco in Iraq and well as the power grab being done by the executive branch - supposedly justified by this " forever " war on terra.  No, Torture, arrest with out due process, domestic spying .... No. I can NOT trust them.  They operate under WAY too much secrecy to be trusted.
550754
Disapprove.  I feel that he misled us into a war that we can't possibly win (by lying to get us there in the first place).  I feel that not reversing the big tax cuts to oil companies proves corruption and we are paying for it.  I feel that spying on people without judicial approval is a violation of the rights of citizens.  But most of all, I don't feel safe anymore.  I feel that he and his administration are only exacerbating the hatred of terrorists towards America.
532009
It is just a small part of a big problem. Since 9-11 the govt has been taking more and more of our freedoms from us,(the American People). We have the patriot act, warrentless spying on the American people, no more habeas corpus, it is called FACISM. Very scary.
221418
Not at all.\n\nThere are millions of people screaming, "Unfair! You are violating my rights!" Yet, how many people can actually say the have been a subject of the so-called "domesticy spying" program? How many people have actually had their phones tapped and conversations recorded?\n\nFor that matter, how many people have been the subject of a Patriot Act investigation? How many have had their library records looked at? How many have had their information spread across every intelligence agency in the nation?\n\nMy point is this: The only people who are being targeted are being targeted for a REASON. The government does not just indiscriminately say, "Let's listen in on John Q. Public's conversation for sh!ts and giggles today." Uncle Sam does not just pick phone numbers at random to listen to. There is a REASON they investigate who they do. And I, for one, WANT them investigated. If they are doing no wrong, the investigation will clear them. But if they ARE doing wrong, I sure as hell hope we are doing EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to stop them. The next attack could cost hundreds of thousands of American lives.\n\n"When NSA goes after the content of a communication under this authorization from the president, the NSA has already established its reasons for being interested in that specific communication. I've said in other places this isn't a drift net over Lackawanna or Freemont or Dearborn, grabbing all communications and then sifting them out."\n\n-- Gen. Michael Hayden (Deputy Director of National Intelligence)\n\nBottom line: If your phone hasn't been tapped, your rights have not been violated. If you are not engaging in any illegal activity, chances are 99.999% that you phone hasn't been tapped.
716014
Yes. But this has become a gray area, because it used to be that the Federal law was limited by the Constitution to certain areas, and denied the rest. However, this has changed, and the Federal government is now, and has been for decades, legislating on things they have absolutely no constitutional authority to be meddling with.\n\nAnd the majority of Americans think this is a good thing, which it isn't, and they fail to connect this usurpation of powers with the  fact that they feel their freedoms and rights are being taken away. Un-believable.
425684
I speak from across the fence on this matter, but I will let you know what I hear most often. The Patriot Act that has broadened the government's ability to seek information from it's fellow citizens has left some more liberal voters upset. They feel that the government's noose of power has grown a bit tighter, and I assume they foresee a future government domination over the people of this nation. I do not know of any firsthand accounts where someone's privacy rights have been infringed upon, or violated. Not that I wish there was, but there doesn't seem to be anyone personally hurt by the Act. Personally, I've felt that as long as man would uphold his responsibilites to treat his fellow man with love, and respect there would be no need for government at all. But we both know that we fail to do this, therefore creating a need for government. So if the privilages we enjoy so dearly seem in danger, I believe it is because of our own faults. I hope that this has been helpful.
1106921
I'm concerned about the ramifications. The bigger question is why is this administration continuing to push beyond their power limited them by the constitution.  The "terrorism" card has been played all along the way by George and cronies. They are slowly taking freedoms away that so many of our soldiers have fought and died for us to keep. Your question is a good one and we should all be concerned about what our democracy is morphing in to.
1065059
No, it already is a fascist governemnt, look at how out of touch the government is with the will of the people. We have illegal immigrants poised to get total amnesty. We have a supreme court that rules that local government can sieze your private property without giving just compensation as long as there is a money benefit in it for the local government. And our congress has passed the patriot act in direct violation of the 4th amendment (sneak and peak warrants with no judicail oversight, just a rubber stamp FISA court that must be notified 72 hours-3 months after the search was conducted).
208789
How did 12 Million Mexicans get inside of America with Bush's fool-proof Patriot Act anyway? The news says 2 Million of them got in America in the last 3 months. What the hell! How many Arabs came in with them? What the hell! So do you really think there is a National security threat defcon-5 in America? What the hell! Do you think somebody has been feeding America alot crap all along, like say "ALL OF THE REPUBLICANS" and the whole Bush Administration? Myself I am really sick of there abuse and crap they spew out of there mouths. Bill Frist, Republican from Tennessee said he was going to do something about it without G.Dubya's help. So the Republicans are back-peddling on the own Administration on this issue right now. You can't blame anything on the Democrats; because they don't have any vote the Congress is total majority Republican. It's their problem and their fault with their fool-proof Patriot Act. America was never in any threat at all, and the Republicans played the Fear Card on Americans. That's real Bull, and they need punished for it. I call it Treason, Bush should be Impeached for being the biggest lier in the history of America.
311281
Good question.  I think we should lock the Senate and Congress up on Capitol Hill, and not let them out until they figure out a way to help everyone that they're supposed to be working for.
421131
Way too early to tell, it's going to be very long hot summer, so chill the beer/iced tea/ whatever:\nIf it were held today, I predict Dems would narrow Senate margin if not retake it, and narrow the House minority.\n\nPredictions:\n- more damaging Rumsfeld revelations but Bush will still not cut him loose\n- Rove indictment for ordering Hadley to suppress Plamegate evidence. Can Fitzgerald turn Libby?\n- Guantanamo/Abu Ghraib-related inquiries will get to Cambone and Miller. Maybe Gonzales.\n- Bush's hollow immigration "initiative" may blow up in his face and cost him Latino votes in say CA, AZ, NM\n- there's always WMD, Abramoffgate, Enron, the price of gas, Iran...\n\nBut how will this translate into votes and seats?
1161946
It wouldn't matter to me if the FBI is doing just what you're asking about.  Expressing my opinion is far from showing intent.  I may hate things about the government and it is my right to say that I hate them.  But to get into trouble because I express opinions is a far cry from proving that I intend to do anything against it.  Let the FBI watch and moniter all it wants.  I answer questions and express attitudes everywhere with a clear conscience.