Specter Gets Neutered by Cheney

Senator Arlen Specter, who insisted on conducting oversight hearing of the Judiciary Committee into the NSA rights violations, has been neutered by Vice-President Dick Cheney. Cheney reportedly has derailed any possible investigation. Specter's Committee sought to discover the depth and breadth of unconstitutional violations of Americans' civil rights by conducting the sort of Congressional oversight designed into our nation's founding document to insure checks and balances. I guess the founding fathers didn't take into account the power of Cheney's shotgun approach to pressuring Senators. Maybe he threatened to take them along on his next hunting trip if they didn't block this investigation.

The only way to discoover whether these NSA programs are legal is to investigate them. The only way we're to learn of their extent is by exercising oversight.

Congress' only alternative now is to withhold funding for the Department of Defense and the National Security Agency until proper oversight is conducted. This is the ultimate hammer available to Congress. They control the money. If the Administration refuses to play ball Specter can urge his colleagues to remove the balls from the playing field.

Refusing to approve the budget will bring them to the table quickly.