Bush Wiretapping Update 7 February 2006

Senate Republicans, GOP In Discord Over Bush's Possible Illegal Wiretaps

Moderates Of Party Suggesting Odd-Even Day Schedule of Legal/Possible Illegal Eavesdropping

A day after contentious testimony and head butting between the Senate Judiciary Committee and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, a test of wills, and political clout is brewing.

With RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman preoccupied with the beginnings of a smear campaign against Senator Hillary Clinton, Congressional GOP members, in both the House and Senate, are privately complaining the party is not giving them enough direction in the matter.

Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, is working with hardliners Sens. Orrin G. Hatch (Utah), John Cornyn (Tex.) and Jeff Sessions (Ala.) to dampen the hearings and is against taking any action against President Bush and his administration.

"It's full speed ahead for those guys," said one Senate staffer. "As far as they're concerned, there's not enough wiretaps on-line right now and not nearly enough U.S. citizens being eavesdropped on. They want bodies and heads, something to make their case that the program is working."

Judiciary Committee Chairman, Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who sparred with Gonzales in yesterday's hearing, is teaming up with Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) to put together a "comprise resolution".

Reaching back into the 1970's, during the nation's first energy crisis, Specter and Graham are proposing an "Odd-Even" day schedule of wiretapping.

"The way it would work," offered Graham, "is that on odd days, the President would continue what he is doing, ignoring the Congress and the FISA Court, and conduct his wiretaps. On even days, the Administration will follow the FISA statute."

Graham says that a task force will be drawn up to monitor the results and report back to the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee of which day the program was more effective.

"If it turns out the even days work better, than we'll make recommendations to the President, " added Graham.

"And if the odd days are more effective, then, I suppose we'll have to change the laws, so he can keep on doing it."

In a related matter, Washington Post reporter, and author, Bob Woodward, said this morning that he is "well aware of the wiretapping program an controversy" but that " I doubts I'll be writing about it anytime soon."