2007年VOA标准英语-Conservatives Press Bush on Civil Liberties

By Jim Malone
Washington
21 March 2007

The Bush administration is under fire for its record on protecting civil liberties from an unexpected source, well-known leaders of the conservative movement in the United States.  VOA national correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.

His name is Bruce Fein.  He is a constitutional scholar who has served as a legal official in previous Republican administrations.

But now Bruce Fein is one of the leaders of a conservative alliance that believes President Bush has overstepped his power in the aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

"I voted for President Bush twice.  I served in the administrations of President Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon," he noted¹.  "But on matters of this importance, we are all Americans, we are all devoted² to the Constitution above any partisan³ advantage."

Fein and other prominent conservatives argue that the time has come to restore the balance of power among the president, the Congress and the courts.  They are proposing what they call the American Freedom Agenda to ensure civil liberties protections by, among other things, reining⁴ in the government's power to monitor the phone calls and letters of American citizens in the course of terrorism investigations⁵.

President Bush has often defended these law enforcement tactics as a critical part of his administration's domestic anti-terror efforts.

President Bush speaks in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House in Washington

"I just want to assure the American people that one, I have got the authority to do this," said Mr. Bush.  "Two, it is a necessary part of my job to protect you.  Three, we are guarding your civil liberties."

The latest controversy⁶ to cause alarm among civil liberties advocates on both sides of the political spectrum⁷ is the FBI's abuse of what are known as national security letters.

These letters are used by law enforcement to gather private data, including telephone, e-mail and financial records, without prior approval from a judge.

The abuses of the national security letters were brought to light by the Justice Department's office of inspector⁸ general, which found numerous violations⁹ of law and government regulations.

That report has angered Republicans and Democrats¹¹ alike in Congress, including the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Democrat¹⁰ John Conyers of Michigan.

"It appears to be a part of a pattern in which the Department of Justice violated not only our trust, but the very laws they are charged with enforcing," he said.

Civil liberties advocates have condemned¹² the FBI violations and are demanding new safeguards.  Mike German is a former FBI agent who now works for the American Civil Liberties Union.

"What the inspector general documented was a pattern of intentional¹³ misconduct and that this goes far beyond simple mismanagement," he noted.

Republicans acknowledge the FBI needs to be more mindful of protecting civil liberties in the course of its domestic terror investigations.

But Republican Congressman¹⁴ Lamar Smith of Texas says the use of the national security letters remains¹⁵ an important investigative tool for law enforcement.

"It has allowed the FBI and intelligence agencies to identify terrorists and spies, the sources of their financing and their plans to attack or harm our national security," he said.

FBI Director Robert Mueller also defends the use of the national security letters, even as he acknowledges the agency must move quickly to correct the abuses cited in the inspector general's report.

"But it is equally important that as we exercise these authorities, we do it consistent with the privacy protections and civil liberties that we in the FBI are sworn to uphold," said Mr. Mueller.

But civil liberties activists¹⁶ on both the right and left say what they want now from the administration is action, not promises.

David Keene is chairman of the American Conservative Union.  Keene is also a member of the conservative alliance that is calling on President Bush to do a better job of protecting civil liberties as the U.S. wages the war on terror.

"In this international crisis, as in international crises throughout out history, there has been too great a willingness on the part of many to trade a little bit of freedom for what they see as a little more security," explained Mr. Keene.

The conservative activists say they will reach out to liberal groups to join them and are also appealing for support from the numerous candidates seeking the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations¹⁷.

1 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

2 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

3 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

4 reining   

勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的现在分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理

参考例句：

• "That's a fine bevy, Ma'm,'said Gerald gallantly, reining his horse alongside the carriage. "太太！好一窝漂亮的云雀呀！" 杰拉尔德殷勤地说，一面让自己的马告近塔尔顿的马车。
• I was a temperamental genius in need of reining in by stabler personalities. 我是个需要由更稳重的人降服住的神经质的天才。

5 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

6 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

7 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

8 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

9 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

10 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

11 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

13 intentional   

adj.故意的，有意（识）的

参考例句：

• Let me assure you that it was not intentional.我向你保证那不是故意的。
• His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。

14 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

15 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

16 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句