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NSA Wiretapping: One Year Old Today

By Jeralyn, Section War on Terror
Posted on Sun Dec 17, 2006 at 05:41:00 AM EST
Tags: wiretapping, NSA (all tags)
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Who knows how long Bush's NSA warrantless wiretapping has been going on, but it was a year ago today that Bush 'fessed up to it:

On Dec. 17, 2005, Bush publicly acknowledged for the first time he had authorized the NSA to monitor, without approval from a judge, phone calls and e-mails that come into or originate in the U.S. and involve people the government suspects of having terrorist links.

Bush said he had no intention of halting what he called a "vital tool" in the war on terror.

It's up to the Dems now. Will they have the spine and the wherewithal to put an end to it...without passing more laws that increase the executive's power to order spying on more of us without adequate judicial oversight?

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    NSA Wiretapping: One Year Old Today | 5 comments (5 topical)

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    I think a better way might be to hold... (5.00 / 2) (#4)
    by Bill Arnett on Sun Dec 17, 2006 at 03:00:03 PM EST
    ...public hearings on a now "non-secret" program. Just as one or two federal judges have refused to dismiss wiretap cases when the DOJ asked to have the cases booted so as to not reveal "state secrets" where even the judge acknowledged that bush himself has confirmed the program and even bragged that it was helping fight terrorism

    The second is to review the budget processes that allow programs of dubious benefit to exist.

    It is self-evidently true that these programs do not work or we would be regaled daily with new prosecutions being announced, new terror rings uncovered and busted, the endless "perp walks", actual court cases resulting in convictions based upon "legally" obtained evidence, and the building of additional prisons to hold terror convicts in seclusion.

    Instead, there are now FEWER prosecutions for terrorism related offenses than pre-911.

    FEWER TERROR PROSECUTIONS THAN BEFORE 9/11.

    WHAT IN THE HELL ARE WE TAXPAYERS GETTING FOR OUR MONEY? How can they justify spending trillions of tax dollars while providing NO SERVICE to the taxpayer? (And yes, I mean TRILLIONS by the time you factor the computer technology, the maintenance of that equipment, training personal to use them, the maintenance of huge databases that dwarf any past databases ever imagined, a million other things I can't cite for lack of space and working knowledge of the systems involved, and the highly trained people needed to analyze the data; all looking for a terrorist needle in a database haystack.)

    The public needs congressional hearings to find out just how much money has been wasted on these systems, and I would wager that it's more money than it would take to rebuild New Orleans and other ravaged areas 1,000 times over.

    It's time to abandon dreams of world domination, cut the defense budget by two-thirds, and start massive public works programs to rebuild our infrastructure, the power grids, dam repairs, bridge and road repairs, and a "Manhattan Project" to develop clean fuel and infinitely replaceable clean fuels.

    Mornin', edger aw, everybody.

    Bumper sticker alert (none / 0) (#1)
    by Kitt on Sun Dec 17, 2006 at 11:58:52 AM EST
    Saw this on a bumper sticker the other day.

    Only God should listen without a warrant.
    Impeach (none / 0) (#2)
    by Edger on Sun Dec 17, 2006 at 12:03:58 PM EST
    It's up to the Dems now. Will they have the spine and the wherewithal to put an end to it

    Impeaching bush/cheney would be a good way to show they have the spine for it.

    Sigh... (none / 0) (#3)
    by Edger on Sun Dec 17, 2006 at 12:14:25 PM EST
    ...but considering the intelligence level of his supporters I guess that would be making a martyr out of... next to nothing.

    Parent
    NSA Wiretapping: One Year Old Today (none / 0) (#5)
    by arguewithmydad com on Mon Dec 18, 2006 at 09:13:17 PM EST
    I believe that in light of Senator Patrick Leahy's recent speech at Georgetown Law School; the Dems will have the spine to deal correctly with the NSA wiretapping. The real issue will be how much cooperation the Democrats will get from the White House when hearings begin.  George W. will dig his heels in and his butler, Attorney General Gonzalez, will do everything in his power to refuse to cooperate.  If we can get someone in Justice and/or the NSA to cooperate with the Judiciary Committee, we will get enough evidence to impeach George the Second.   However, that is a big if!  

    NSA Wiretapping: One Year Old Today | 5 comments (5 topical)

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