Democratic Candidate Supports Senator Feingold's Efforts to Censure President Bush for Wiretap Program
Bethesda, MD – United States Senate candidate Josh Rales, called upon the Senate to vote to censure President Bush for his approval of domestic wiretaps without court review. Rales said "Benjamin Franklin was right when he commented, 'They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.' President Bush has misled the American people on the subject of domestic wiretaps and compliance with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). If I were in the Senate I would both cosponsor and vote for Senator Feingold’s (D-Wisconsin) resolution.
We live in a different world since we were attacked on 9/11. The safety and security of our citizens must remain the number one priority of our government. But the President's continued support of domestic wiretapping without court approval only undermines trust in our government. It is clear that FISA gives adequate procedures to receive court approval on an emergency basis. The Administration's continued statements to the contrary and their insistence that domestic wiretapping can be authorized by the President without court oversight is simply wrong. It is illegal to listen in to our citizens' private lives without a court order.
The Senate has an opportunity to hold the President accountable. I encourage both Democrats and Republicans to join Senator Feingold in his efforts to censure the President and send a clear message to the White House that the liberties of Americans will not be trampled."