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White House Won't Say Whether It'll Back Effort To Roll Back State Secrets Privilege
A good advance on the state secrets story, from Greg Sargent over at the Plum Line.
Greg reports that the White House declined to tell him whether it would support a Democratic effort to roll back the use of the state secrets privilege.
It's particularly awkward because the bill was introduced last year by then senators Hilary Clinton and Joe Biden, in response to President Bush's use of the privilege. During the campaign, Obama criticized Bush for using the privilege too frequently.
Now the legislation, the State Secrets Protection Act, has been reintroduced by Senators Russ Feingold, Ted Kennedy, and Pat Leahy, in response to President Obama's use of the privilege.
The Obama administration has invoked the privilege three times already, perhaps most controversially, as we've reported, in a warrantless wiretapping case. As Greg notes, Attorney General Eric Holder has ordered a comprehensive review of the use of the tool, and has promised a report in the "not too distant future."
Josh
Zachary
Dear Readers, 4/13/2009
1) Without the full and complete inclusion of the Restoration and Enhancement of the US Constitutional mandated 'FEDERAL EMPLOYYE WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION RESTORATION ENHANCEMENT ACT' and for all this or any other similar legislative proposal would appear to continue to hold our US Government nugatory and if not outright dispicable, sad and disgusting and/or the seemingly protrayed ability thereof.
Please note, recall and remember our DECLARATION,
'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.'
Also and importantly, please note, aside from the prospective that it is also seemingly and absolutely required and mandated within our US Constitution and that these concerns must have and are explicitly entitled to full and complete Legislative and Judicial Review.
Finally, I am listening as I write to the public Radio Broadcast, 'Connect the Dots' which has a commentary speaker a Missouri Proffessor Black whom states sevearl very compelling mentions as to the seemingly corruption within UBS Securities and the seemingly many connections and concerns between Gramm, Paulson, Summers and others in our Government, including the repeal of Glass stegal, CDO Swaps, 5 Billion Dollars treasury Dollars Given to UBS Securities and as they pay 1/6 of that amount to our Treasury for their apparently stipulated fraud and coruption. Also, many other seemingly direct concerns amoung the many well known concerns and including the seemingly well known seemingly false rating Agency reports, FDIC and other regulatory Agency seemingly due-dillegent and/or corrupt failures that also where broadcast on a 60 minute special from an intended WHISTLEBLOWER, reporting in 2001.
Please TPM and all other proper and forthright concerned and interested advocates of the 'FEDERAL EMPLOYEE WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION RESTORATION ENHANCEMENT ACT' contact the Government Accountability Project, National Whistleblower Center, and if applicable the 'Project on Government Oversight' to request that our US Executive, Legislative and Judicial Representative, immediately and today, to at least bring the Platts//Van Hollins 'FEDERAL EMPLOYEE WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION RESTORATION ENHANCEMENT ACT' to a full UP or Down, FULL FLOOR VOTE!!!!!! TODAY!!!!!
Thank you and all for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
TPM Reader
(I have responded as requested to the Presidential Obama Transition Team, 'Republican Committee Calls on Whistleblowers', numeruous correspondences to Senators Grassely (no reply), Kennedy (my chain of command 2002 or 2003, 6 months and I was told and/or implied I would not be heard and Senator would not hear) Senator Feinstein (2003 to 2009 said has forwarded my files to the Chairman of the US Senate Judiciary Committee 2003 = no reply and statis updates as I have requested many times) Congressional Leader Harmon whom said after severe admonishment and wsrnings towards me from several of her offices as I left as instructed by her Staff the 11/2003 Testimony (my name and case files where used and directly reffered in the 11/2003 US Senate Testimony) before the US Senate Committee of Good Government and Ethics (now inclusive of Homeland Security) Senator Chairperson Lieberman and Collins presiding in reference to FEDERAL EMPLOYEE WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION RESTORATION ENHANCEMENT ACT s1358 OR 85 in 2003 which is identical to the Platts//Van Hollins WPA and all other recent past legislative attempts to a full floor veto proof majority from these GAP,NWC,POGO and hundreds of written supporting organizations and with the full and complete stated and written!! promise of President Obama yet as I mentioned prior he stripped from the so-called Stimulus Bill and has since applied a well recognized illegal signing statement. The National Whistleblower Center and Government Accountability Project 11/2003 US Senate Testimony was left on her manager desk of the US Senate Good Government and Ethics Testimony 11/2003 from the NWC and GAP Testimony and as my name and case files where reffered, mentioned and placed in the record and as I previously mentioned many times in the recent decade) of the FEDERAL EMPLOYEE WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION RESTORATION ENHANCEMENT ACT.
I thought I should respond with some additional support as these are also seemingly adament concerns of many including GAP, NWC, POGO and the hundred of supporting Organizations and supposedly our overwhelming veto proof majority of our US Executive Leader??!!!!!!!!!! and all Senatorial//Congressional Leaders??!!!!!!! an all and the proper and forthright intrepretation from our Judiciary Leaders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hopefully I have been of some assistance with this/my impromptu, frustrated and exasperated reply and which I have not re-read prior to post. Hopefully TPM will accomodated me with any concerns or questions and/or allow me to have this blog comment reply removed and/or modified, clarified and/or corrected and/or if necessary.)
April 13, 2009 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Please note;
The Congressional Representative did send me a prompt letter and stating that my case files where forwarded to Senator Feinstein.
Also I received a prompt additional (missing a numeric number) addressed letter several months later from Senator Feinstein in 2003 or 2004, (if I remember correctly) and a subsequent letter in 2003 or 2004, (if I remember correctly) that my case files where received in her office and forwarded to the US Senate Judiciary Chairman.
April 13, 2009 11:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Whistleblowing is a lost cause. If you do speak out, you are going to be squashed. Most of the better known whistleblowers have all had their lives nearly ruined even if they did manage some degree of recovery later.
This is not a Democrat/Republican or Liberal/Conservative struggle - it is a plutocracy/serf battle. Power, no matter its stripe, just does not want to hear whistleblower complaints. They lie to us and steal from us and poison us, yet nothing is done.
Voting does little, as the plutocrats purchase the elections.
People these days believe that the Bill of Rights grants certain rights to the people. In fact it is designed to restrict the encroachment of government. The US Government can not grant us rights. We the People grant the government power to rule, and we can withdraw that power too.
The system is so badly broken that it is tempting to advocate closing it down, but then what? But I digress, in the majority of cases whistleblowing is an exercise in futility that only results in self destruction.
10 years and counting.
April 13, 2009 11:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you for your time and consideration within your reply and informative views and concerns.
From my interpretation and as I am (also) proud and concerned that I continue to hope that our Executive, Legislative and Judicial Leaders and Members of our great Country will uphold our endeavors in the manner that I and many others have recommended for many years and/or decades, I have attached an additional blog comment reply I recently posted on this well know formidable TPM Muckracker website.
---------------------Attachement------------------
Please, is someone available to get through to US President Obama, US AG Holder and others in the Executive, Judicial and Legislative Branches of our 'We the People' US Government to also remind him of his and their written promise to our US Constitution, False Claims Act, FISA Courts, prevention of Illegal Signing statements, Illegal Wiretaps, prevention of Torture, Illegal rendition, legal//Illegal Secrecy, and to the complete abolishment of the enactment of the death penalty ecetra and to his and their promise to Whistleblowers and his and their written promise to support the 'FEDERAL EMPLOYEE WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION RESTORATION ENHANCEMENT ACT (that he has already allowed to be voted out of the current so-called Stimilus Bill and with a seemingly illegal Signing Statement).
--------------------------------------------------
Thank you and all for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
TPM Reader
April 13, 2009 12:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Read up on two bills in congress that would seem to be an improvement to the current situation:
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/04/state-secrets-bills-are-mostly-secret.html
April 13, 2009 6:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not in disagreement with your seemingly hopes and aspirations, although;
Without the full and complete inclusion of the Restoration and Enhancement of the US Constitutional mandated 'FEDERAL EMPLOYYE WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION RESTORATION ENHANCEMENT ACT' and for all (and which would eventually and most importantly seemingly and obviously allow for the return of Habeas Corpus, etcetra) this or any other similar Legislative proposal would seemingly appear to continue to hold our US Government nugatory and if not outright appalling, dispicable, sad and disgusting and/or the seemingly protrayed to the ability thereof.
As you may well know, recall and remember our DECLARATION,
'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.'
Also and importantly, please note, aside from the prospective that it is also seemingly and absolutely required and mandated within our US Constitution and that these concerns must have and are explicitly entitled to full and complete Legislative and Judicial Review.
Hopefully I have been worthwhile with my blog comment reply contributor to your concerns, hopes and aspirations.
April 13, 2009 7:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not in disagreement with your seemingly hopes and aspirations, although;
Without the full and complete inclusion of the Restoration and Enhancement of the US Constitutional mandated 'FEDERAL EMPLOYYE WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION RESTORATION ENHANCEMENT ACT' and for all (and which would eventually and most importantly seemingly and obviously allow for the return of Habeas Corpus, etcetra) this or any other similar Legislative proposal would seemingly appear to continue to hold our US Government nugatory and if not outright appalling, dispicable, sad and disgusting and/or the seemingly protrayed to the ability thereof.
As you may well know, recall and remember our DECLARATION,
'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.'
Also and importantly, please note, aside from the prospective that it is also seemingly and absolutely required and mandated within our US Constitution and that these concerns must have and are explicitly entitled to full and complete Legislative and Judicial Review.
Hopefully I have been worthwhile with my blog comment reply contributor to your concerns, hopes and aspirations.
April 13, 2009 7:11 PM | Reply | Permalink